20 Tips to Help New Teachers Survive Their First Years in the Classroom

So here you are, recently graduated from college or maybe changing careers and on the verge of beginning your new life as a new teacher. Like so many of us, you are hoping to make a difference in the lives of students, to leave your mark on the world. This series of articles has you in mind. As you begin this adventure as a new teacher, you will find that each day brings a new set of questions and a wide world of challenges. Over the next four articles, we will address twenty teacher tips that will enhance your teaching experience. I attempted to focus on things that you may not have learned in a college, teacher tips that I could have used as a new teacher. Each section includes links to other sites, where you can explore these each teacher tip with more depth. Consider this your orientation on how to survive as a new teacher.

1. Focus on Classroom Discipline. College courses. student teaching, observations, and substituting are not the same as being a full-time new teacher. One of the biggest challenges, and often the source of the most stress for the new teacher is the issue of classroom management. The average new teacher comes in with a philosophy and their ideal behavior plan, but most schools have an established procedural checklist for dealing with behavior issues. Note the following teacher tip. There is almost always a way to integrate the two systems, not compromising your principles, but understanding that you are one part of a broader school community. Invest early. Another teacher tip is to assume nothing when it comes to what students should know about how to communicate with each other and you, using supplies appropriately, how to transition between activities, work expectations, etc. Be specific, positive and consistent. Putting in the hard work of explicitly teaching and reinforcing these kinds of procedures and systems before the honeymoon period is over will pay off later in the year when student motivation often starts to wane.

2. Prepare for Paperwork. A new teacher may struggle with this at first. This not only refers to setting up a system for assigning, collecting and grading student work, but also refers to the many special documents, staff memos, conference forms, IEP paperwork, and district mailings that often overwhelm the most seasoned professional. A teacher tip that should begin before the year even starts is to set up binders or files for each potential area such as parent communication. Establish one binder for all meetings. A binder for student or discipline files. Another for extra copies of forms, etc. Another teacher tip is to keep your work in digital vs. paper files can be very effective, allowing for computer searches. This makes all your files portable for work at home or school. Avoid bulky teachers' editions by accessing the online editions available from all the major publishers. Even your lesson plans should be digital, avoiding one more piece of paper to get lost in a pile on your desk.

3. Avoid Perceived Neediness. One of the biggest mistakes a new teacher can make is to communicate over-sensitivity to students. Like it or not, many students simply do not possess the maturity and empathy skills to differentiate between genuine need and weakness. My first teacher tip is that if they sense that they can manipulate you by preying on your insecurities, they will. Another teacher tip is to never let them see you wilt (at least initially). As a new teacher, the same applies to coworkers and administration. There is a huge perceived distinction between a new teacher who is overwhelmed and one who is appropriately focusing on problem solving. When you do need help (and everyone does!) come with potential solutions and solution-focused questions. The new teacher will need to vent frustration at times, but make sure it is someone that you can trust; do not make all of your issues and struggles public.

4. Avoid Viewing Parents as the Enemy. This can be much more difficult that it sounds; just visit any teacher's lounge. The vast majority of parents want their child to succeed at school, and while there may be times in which their idea of support may differ from your own, choose to focus on the factors that you control. My teacher tip is that you avoid the us-vs-them language that creates a negative relationship. Steer clear of blanket statements about whole groups of students or their families ("These parents..."). Another teacher tip that I have embraced is the importance of stressing to families that you truly see yourself in a partnership and live that out through communication. The new teacher should pursue positive relationships with your parents well before you inform them of any bad news. Convince parents that you are their biggest cheerleader and that you see all the positive potential in their child, and then you will have a strong ally in that parent, with very few exceptions.

5. Learn to Manage Fatigue. Though you may begin the year as a new teacher with a burst of adrenaline, it is inevitable that at some point, you will hit the proverbial wall. The new teacher must adjust to the different cycles of student behavior, intensity of requirements, and general stress. Using an occasional personal day may be a good way to pace yourself as you acclimate to the rigor of the school year. Utilize built-in breaks such as the holiday seasons to give yourself permission to take some time to think of nothing school or student related. Here's a teacher tip; once you've had time to refresh as a new teacher, reflect on what is working and what needs to change. Be empowered to make that change happen. Students do not benefit from an exhausted, burned out new teacher. Don't feel guilty in choosing to be a balanced, whole person. The work will still be there tomorrow!

Our upcoming installment of New Teacher Tips will cover the next five important topics; Time Management, Classroom Layout, Class Systems, Teaching Strategies, and Finding Your Voice. Each teacher tip has been battle-tested and will benefit each new teacher as they embark upon their new career. Stay tuned!

SOURCES
Teacher Burnout
Classroom Clutter
Classroom Management
Parent Communication
Teacher Fatigue
Veteran Teacher Tip Interview Source
Daisy Bradwell, Gulfport Elementary School, Florida, 2010