By Pam Clifton
Congratulations on becoming a teacher! Now, it’s about to become very real very quickly when you walk into a special place called… your classroom! Your new job will be exciting, exhausting, overwhelming, rewarding and so much more all at once. Take this advice from an experienced teacher to help you survive your first day and beyond as a new teacher.
1. Procedures – Learn where everything is in the school (restrooms, counselor’s office, teacher resource room, library, cafeteria, computer labs, resource rooms, etc.). Get copies of the student and teacher handbooks and read them carefully. Obtain a copy of your grade-level standards. Read these thoroughly and note any specific standards that you do not understand. Learn the names of the teachers and support staff. The school website or teacher webpages are helpful to learn information regarding colleagues and their classrooms, the school and more. Create a list of short, specific and age-appropriate classroom rules. These should be posted inside the classroom. Prepare a list of actions with consequences for students who break the rules (follow the student handbook, if possible). This helps to maintain positive classroom behavior and consistency.
2. Item organization – Set up your room. Organize the teacher’s and student desks, additional seating areas, location of student and teacher supplies, learning centers, manipulatives, textbooks and other resources, etc. Everything needs its own specific location including trash cans, backpacks, paper trays, library books, pencil sharpener and more.
3. Paperwork – Every paper must be “filed” immediately, whether it’s in a filing cabinet, on the teacher’s desk, in a student-accessible area, recycling bin and so on. Where will you place students’ homework? Graded work? Absentee and homebound work? Notes from parents? Special education and health-related student information (which must be kept confidential)? Labeled trays are helpful for immediate organization. Consider day-of-the-week folders, a labeled file-folder system or a large sorter (shelf with multiple small compartments similar to mail slots).
4. Displays – Create display areas for student work on bulletin boards (use basic black or white backgrounds and rotate borders and student work); content-area posters; class rules, emergency procedures and transportation information; menus and announcements; daily objectives; special classes schedule; and more.
5. Teacher resources – A seating chart and substitute folder (with emergency lesson plans, student roster, daily schedule, recess procedures, etc.) are essential. A gradebook is another necessary item, whether it’s a spiral-bound book or online tool. Either of these may involve recording student names and other information or setting up classes.
6. Detailed lessons – Often teachers are surprised at the extensive amount of time it takes to prepare detailed and effective lesson plans. Write your plans for at least the first week. Be sure to include get-to-know-you activities and allow time for classroom rules and procedures discussion. Have copies made for at least the first week. Overplan lessons and include extra activities. This allows for flexibility in time management. Be sure to thoroughly think through each day’s objectives and activities. Prepare explanations and easy-to-understand examples. Keep detailed records and notes for improvement. Constant and continued reflection is an important part of improvement as a teacher.
7. Basic supplies – Sometimes teachers’ frustrations are the result of students being unprepared. Having extra supplies such as pencils, erasers, notebook paper, tape, stapler, scissors and more on hand keeps the focus on academics instead of on supplies (or lack of).
8. Personal preparation – Prepare yourself not only for the first day of school but also the school year. Always arrive early, with a smile and a positive attitude. An upbeat mood and a sense of energy will decrease the severity of setbacks and help encourage creativity. For long-term planning, use a calendar to record all dates (quarter and semester ending dates, field trips and incentives, school activities and more). Create your own personal survival kit to keep at school near your desk area (healthy snacks, mints, bottled water, pain reliever, bandages, safety pins, sunscreen, lip balm, hand sanitizer and wipes, whistle, umbrella). You’ll be so glad to have these items on hand during an emergency or when you’re starving and working late, have an excruciating headache or draw after-school duty bus or pick-up in the rain.
9. Communicate – It’s important to communicate with students, parents and colleagues regarding your students. Collaboration between teachers and parents is essential in students’ success. Creating an open path of communication encourages parents to approach you when they have issues or questions, and it gives you the same opportunity to reach out to them. Calling parents or mailing a letter home before the first day of school is a good way to welcome your new students and parents to your classroom. Emails, calls, letters, post cards, newsletters, meetings and even texts are great methods to maintain this communication throughout the year. Include learning objectives and goals, test dates, project due dates and scoring guides, calendars, classroom reminders, student spotlight and more.
10. Expect success – Believe in yourself and in students. Treat each person as a valued member of your classroom. Expect each person to contribute to lessons, discussions, group activities and more. When you, the teacher, offer confidence, support and hope to your students, they grow into stronger individuals.
Pam Clifton teaches sixth-grade English Language Arts and reading at West County Middle School in West St. Francois Co. R-4.