WOW! How time flies! School is almost here. Only 26 days left until teachers go back to school! I hardly feel ready! I will be moving to a different room this year. Needless to say, all my stuff is in the storage closet waiting to be pulled out and organized. :) When I left, there was nothing in my room, no desks, shelves etc... Working with a clean slate. I will take pictures when I go back next week to work in my room.
Today I am linking up with
Flying into First Grade with advice for new teachers! I love working with new teachers and sharing everything I have learned along the way! I have had many awesome student teachers who I got to watch grow into great professionals and become good friends.
Buy - A calendar or organizer. You will need this to keep track of all the team meetings, staff meetings, RTI meetings, ARD meetings, ESL meetings, holiday parties, special events, parent conferences, staff developments, testing days, report cards days, and of course, school holidays.
Always - Reflect. Some days will be awesome and some days you might just think, what just happened here? Reflect on the lessons you teach and how you can make them better. There is always room to grow! Also think about those students that are struggling, what did you do to help them feel successful? What about the students that aren't struggling? Did they learn something new today? How did you challenge them? What about that student you can't get to sit still to do anything? Don't be afraid to ask yourself these questions. It will make you a better teacher.
Never - Give Up! This is a big one! Your first year will be full of trials and tribulations. You never know if you are sinking or swimming. At the beginning you will feel overwhelmed. Toward the middle of the year, you will think, I got this! At the end of the year, you will feel overwhelmed again. It is a rollercoaster ride.
Find- A good blog. Or maybe several good blogs. This is a great way to get ideas to use in your classroom. The more creative you are with your lessons and activities, the more engaged your students will be and the more they will learn. There are also great ideas to use for Classroom Management. This could make your life much easier! I don't know what I ever did without all the blogs that I follow. When I started teaching, we did not have blogs, pinterest, and teachers pay teachers. It is Awesome!
Make - Friends. Become close friends with your team or someone on your team. Find someone who has taught your grade level before and is willing to share ideas. Go to others and ask questions, look at their rooms, get ideas. Also make friends with the custodian, and librarian. They are important people in the school. It's a lot more fun when you have people around you that you enjoy being around and can share ideas together. It is always great to have help when you need it.
Be - Flexible. You never know when your schedule will change. You might have an author visit, special music program, award ceremony, fire drill, a student might throw up in the classroom. Whether it is something that is planned the week before or unexpected, your schedule is not always the same every day. You need to be able to change your schedule around at a moments notice.
Do you have advice for new teachers? Link up and tell us.
