What should I prepare for as I start this journey as a school teacher?
Directions:
1. Read the articles What I Wish I'd Known as a New Teacher
2. Watch Behind the Scenes: If I Knew Then and If I Knew Then
3. Go to the Resource Toolkit for New Teachers and choose one resource provided.
4. Write a post and discuss what advice you will take with you from these veteran teachers as you begin your journey as a new teacher.
My post:
In the article What I Wish I'd Known as a New Teacher, Elena Aguilar discussed that the end of October is very hard for new teachers; there is a graph that proves so. She wants new teachers to know they are not the only ones who feel this way. She says during these trying times we should remember
1. This will get better
2. Always work from the heart.
3. They will remember this about you.
4. Be open to surprises.
5. Find a coach.
6. And if you can't find a coach, MOVE to another school.
In the video, Behind the Scenes: If I Knew Then and If I Knew Then, teachers were given the prompt, "If you could write a letter to yourself on your first day of teaching, what words of encouragement and insight would you offer?" What I learned from the videos is to try crazy things, even if they do not work out, that will be what my students remember. I should also not expect everything to work out quite like I expect it to. But I should not be afraid of failure. One day before I start teaching, I want to write what I expect to achieve my first year teaching and then at the end of the year, read it and reflect on what I could change. I really enjoyed these two videos.
Preparing, Planning, and Support gives advice on how to make a school year successful. The first step is to Prepare for the first days. In the article Back to School: Preparing for Day One, lists six steps to be prepared for the first day, which are
1. Be Organized, Tidy, and Ready
2. Have Too Much and Too Many of Everything
3. Over plan the Lesson
4. Rehearse
5.Be Ready for Anything and Everything
6. Start Learning Names Immediately
The second step is to Review Planning and Time Management Tips. There is a resource called the 7-Step Prep: Make a Weekly Plan for YOU which gives advice to make planning easier. The steps are to Select a Tool, Have a Meeting with Yourself, Set Priorities for the Week, List all Meeting and Appointments, Determine how to Use Free Time, Allow Flexibility, and Review and Adjust Daily.
The third step is to Build a Personal Learning Network. 5 Tips for New Teachers to Become Connected Educators are being able to define what being a connected teacher is, being knowledgeable about Web 2.0, being willing to join social media networks, becoming a blogger, and being reflective and reaching out.
The fourth step is to collaborate to avoid isolation and find sources of support. Collaboration is very important because it makes sure a teacher does not get burned out.
The fifth step to ensure a successful school is to Take Care of Yourself. In Teacher Burnout: What are the Warning Signs, teacher burnouts can be caused by lack of preparation, lack of autonomy, difficult student behavior, lack of support and interpersonal conflict, and boredom. If teachers start to feel burned out, they need to reconnect with a purpose. Students want to learn, so they need teachers who want to teach. The collateral damage of a burned out teacher is a burned student. Therefore, we need to stay connected to be the best educator we can be for our students.
1. Read the articles What I Wish I'd Known as a New Teacher
2. Watch Behind the Scenes: If I Knew Then and If I Knew Then
3. Go to the Resource Toolkit for New Teachers and choose one resource provided.
4. Write a post and discuss what advice you will take with you from these veteran teachers as you begin your journey as a new teacher.
My post:
In the article What I Wish I'd Known as a New Teacher, Elena Aguilar discussed that the end of October is very hard for new teachers; there is a graph that proves so. She wants new teachers to know they are not the only ones who feel this way. She says during these trying times we should remember
1. This will get better
2. Always work from the heart.
3. They will remember this about you.
4. Be open to surprises.
5. Find a coach.
6. And if you can't find a coach, MOVE to another school.
In the video, Behind the Scenes: If I Knew Then and If I Knew Then, teachers were given the prompt, "If you could write a letter to yourself on your first day of teaching, what words of encouragement and insight would you offer?" What I learned from the videos is to try crazy things, even if they do not work out, that will be what my students remember. I should also not expect everything to work out quite like I expect it to. But I should not be afraid of failure. One day before I start teaching, I want to write what I expect to achieve my first year teaching and then at the end of the year, read it and reflect on what I could change. I really enjoyed these two videos.
Preparing, Planning, and Support gives advice on how to make a school year successful. The first step is to Prepare for the first days. In the article Back to School: Preparing for Day One, lists six steps to be prepared for the first day, which are
1. Be Organized, Tidy, and Ready
2. Have Too Much and Too Many of Everything
3. Over plan the Lesson
4. Rehearse
5.Be Ready for Anything and Everything
6. Start Learning Names Immediately
The second step is to Review Planning and Time Management Tips. There is a resource called the 7-Step Prep: Make a Weekly Plan for YOU which gives advice to make planning easier. The steps are to Select a Tool, Have a Meeting with Yourself, Set Priorities for the Week, List all Meeting and Appointments, Determine how to Use Free Time, Allow Flexibility, and Review and Adjust Daily.
The third step is to Build a Personal Learning Network. 5 Tips for New Teachers to Become Connected Educators are being able to define what being a connected teacher is, being knowledgeable about Web 2.0, being willing to join social media networks, becoming a blogger, and being reflective and reaching out.
The fourth step is to collaborate to avoid isolation and find sources of support. Collaboration is very important because it makes sure a teacher does not get burned out.
The fifth step to ensure a successful school is to Take Care of Yourself. In Teacher Burnout: What are the Warning Signs, teacher burnouts can be caused by lack of preparation, lack of autonomy, difficult student behavior, lack of support and interpersonal conflict, and boredom. If teachers start to feel burned out, they need to reconnect with a purpose. Students want to learn, so they need teachers who want to teach. The collateral damage of a burned out teacher is a burned student. Therefore, we need to stay connected to be the best educator we can be for our students.
Very, Very good tips. I am looking forward to becoming a teacher and will remember to follow some of these tips so that I will enjoy my experiences. I especially like the tip to find a coach or MOVE. It is great to have support. Good luck with everything. Amber
ReplyDeleteGood post. Yo gave good tips for first year teachers. I think setting goals for your first year is a good idea so that you will have things to try to accomplish within that year. It will get better. Good luck as a future teacher.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThe removed comment has been correct by changing "On" to "In." The last sentence was also edited for clarity.
ReplyDelete"Elena Aguilar discussed that the end of October is very hard for new teachers." Discussed why? Or stated that? Discussed "that the end of October is very hard for new teachers" doesn't make sense. Discussed why would make sense. Stated that would also make sense. They are very different statements, however. What did you intend to convey to the reader? Anthony Capps would agree that the end of October (and before) is a troubling time for teachers.
"Students want to learn, so they need teachers who want to teach." Well, I would say teachers who want to learn. On addition, not all students "want to learn." How do we motivate them, interest them, engage them in learning? One way is to model that behavior: to be a learner.
I also suggest a book by John T. Spencer: A Sustainable Start: A Realistic Look at the First Year of Teaching.