First-Year Teachers: Why You Need a Survival Drawer

Teaching can be very stressful. As a first-year teacher, your stress levels will be particularly high! How do you handle those unexpected emergencies? Where do you turn when you just want to walk out but know that is not the right thing to do? Every first-year teacher should stock a survival drawer for those times when the going is rough. You won't be able to plan for every unexpected circumstance, but being prepared and having a few comforts at hand can be a blessing in the worst of times.

The first things to put in your survival drawer are things you need regularly but might forget at home. Women should keep a stash of their favorite feminine hygiene products. You don't want to be caught without any. Add a bottle of your favorite pain reliever. Even if you usually keep some in your purse, the day you have the headache from hell is going to be the day that bottle is empty. If you have a bottle in your survival drawer, you just might be able to escape the pain. Add doses of any prescription medicines you take daily. It is easy to leave home in the early morning without taking your pills! If you are dependent on pills to keep your blood sugar even or your moods under control, going without all day is not going to help your teaching or classroom management skills. To protect yourself make sure that all medications are in their original bottles. The easiest way to do this with prescription drugs is to leave the last dose in the bottle when you get a new one and stick the old bottle in the survival drawer. Make sure that you keep an eye on expiration dates.

The next thing to stow away in your survival drawer is some treats. Don't spare the expense here. As a teacher, you are in the position to influence the minds of your students. As a first-year teacher, there are going to be times that you are unsure of yourself. Having a piece of expensive chocolate or another favorite treat to reach for when the class is at specials will help you relax on the most difficult days. In addition to treat items stash away some high energy snack foods like granola bars for times when you are hungry and don't want leave the room. A five dollar bill guarantees that you have money for lunch if you forgot your lunch at home!

Next think of the students. The emergency drawer is the perfect place to put some emergency plans for super difficult days. Stick in a suitable video for your class. Something everyone would enjoy. Although it is important to not regularly stray far from your lesson plans, a particularly difficult day might call for a break for everyone. A movie or a special game pulled out only in an emergency might be just the thing to help everyone settle down and get on track.

Although you may think you won't ever need it, add some hygiene items to the drawer. Toothpaste and toothbrush, deodorant, and hairbrush or comb along with any hair accessories you regularly use (headbands, scrunchies, etc.) make it easy to take care of anything you might have forgotten in a morning rush, and they can be used if you need to fix yourself up during the day. Kids are notorious for being rude about others hygiene problems. You don't want your students referring to you all year as the teacher with body odor or bad breath or messy hair.

To finish off your drawer, tuck in a couple of safety pins and a small sewing kit for clothing emergencies. Nail clippers and a nail file can come in handy too! Although your drawers are probably not big enough for a change of clothes, many teachers keep a spare set in the closet where they hang their coat or in their car. Although it is likely you will never need it, it is better safe than sorry!

I hope these tips will help all first-year teachers have a better year. Being prepared for emergencies will give you a safety net that can help build your security in the classroom. One last piece of advice, make sure that you keep your drawer locked so that students cannot access it. Your survival drawer should be your special place, no students allowed!