How to Prepare for Your First Day of Teaching

The first day of school can be one of the most nerve-wrecking experiences in a new teacher's life. Here you are, armed with a degree in education and filled with hopes and dreams for your career and the young minds that you are about to mold, and you are terrified. Will they like me? Will they try to run over me? What if I get fired after the first day? All of these questions and more will run through your mind as you prepare for that first day.

Many a teacher have been in your shoes before. Talk to one of them. Tell them your fears. Many schools have teacher-mentoring programs. If your school does not have one, talk to your principal about starting one. A teacher with years of experience is a valuable resource to a newbie. Just talking to a mentor or someone else about your hopes, dreams, and fears can help you ease your nerves about the big day.

Have all of your materials ready to go for that first day of school. It will be very difficult for you if you are not fully prepared for your students. Look at your roll sheet and make sure that you have enough desks for your students. Also, make sure that you have a few extra desks just incase someone is moved into your classroom a few days after school starts. You do not want a student to be left standing or sitting on the floor for most of the day. Check your computer to see if all the parts work, including the printer. If you know that you will be showing media presentations or videos, try to obtain a TV. Many schools do not have enough TVs for teachers, so make sure that you let the powers that be know that occasionally you will need one and what are their policies on sharing. Have extra pens, pencils, and paper, and make sure that your pencil sharpener works. It is also a good idea to have a medical kit, antibacterial hand sanitizer, disinfectant spray, and cleaning products. Accidents do happen, and sometimes it can take a while for the janitors to come and clean up.

It is important to relax. Preparing for your first classroom can be exhausting. You will probably spend days arranging furniture, setting up your media station, and decorating the walls. Be sure to take some time to yourself before that first day of school. You could watch a favorite movie, read a good book, take a long walk, or pamper yourself with a massage. If you keep going strong for the weeks leading up to your first day of teaching and wear yourself out, you will wind up being burned out long before Christmas break. That will not be good for you or your students.

When that first day arrives, make sure you get to school early. Greet the students as they come into your classroom. It is ok if you do not know their names. A simple simile and a "good morning" will do. When you call the roll, call the students out by their last name. Many children do not go by their first name and several will have first names that you might not know how to pronounce. Tell the students that you are calling out the roll by their last name so that they can tell you what name or nickname that they go by. Students really appreciate this gesture, especially if they are embarrassed by their first name. It is also a good idea to write down the student's names on Popsicle sticks and place them in a cup. When you ask the class a question, you can pull a name out of the cup and call on that student. It will save you the embarrassment of not knowing a student's name and it will help you learn their names quicker.

One mistake that many teachers make on that first day of school is that they try to be their student's friend. You are not there to be their friend. You are an authority figure in that child's life. If you are too chummy with your students, they will think that you are very relaxed and will try to take advantage of you. On the other hand, don't be a dictator. This will make your students resent you. One suggestion is to let the students know that you have a few rules for the classroom, but you want them to help you come up with a few more and the consequences for breaking those rules. You would be surprised with what they will come up with. Many times, they will come up with the same rules that you did, but their punishments will be harsher. If you let the students have a hand in making the rules and their consequences on that first day, they will feel as though they are a part of the class and will want to follow the very rules that they came up with. Once those rules are set with their consequences, make sure that you follow through. If you do not, they will think that you are soft and they can get away with anything.

Teaching will be one of the most rewarding experiences of your life. Just remember that you are not alone. Other teachers will be there to help you. Do not be intimidated by your students. Remember that they are probably just as nervous as you are, and that you will get through that first day together just fine.