3 Tips For First-Year Teacher

Four years ago, when I first walked into the classroom, I didn’t know what to expect. Even though I was confident, I didn’t know what to anticipate from colleagues and especially administration. On the other hand, I learned quickly that they had unspoken expectations for me. I learned about those expectations within the moment. For the most part, I had to go with the flow. As somebody once said, I had to build a plane and learn to fly at the same time. If you are a first-year teacher, give me your ear for the next few minutes. I will share three things I wish I’d known when I was in your shoe. Those three things are observation, expectation, and dreams.

Let’s talk about the first one: observation. Within the first two months, expect to see your principal and vice-principal walk into your classroom unannounced. When this happen, don’t be alarm. Stay calm. They’re there to do their job, to see the rock star that you are. You must remain composed and teach. If you were speaking like the rapper Drake (or Lil John) when they walk in, don’t switch gears and get “crunked up” like Stone Cold Steve Austin and start shouting, what! You only need to do two things: be yourself, be the best version of yourself, and have your lesson plan ready. If you’re in a self-contained environment, it’s your responsibility. It’s like driving a car and getting pulled over by the police. You’re expected to have your license and registration at all times. In the classroom, your lesson plan is your license and registration.

Now, that leads me to tip number two. If you are in an integrated co-teaching (ICT) environment, you need to meet with your co-teacher early to establish clear expectations for each other. That is important because you need to set the stage for a successful school year and you can’t do it alone. You need to know when you’re going to plan the lessons together. Even if you don’t get to plan the lessons together, you want to make sure you receive the lesson plans in advance so you can differentiate to meet the needs of your learners. If you’re seeing the lesson for the first time you enter the class, then that is a problem. You will feel uncomfortable because you are robbing the students of the service you are there to provide – which brings me to my final tip about dreams.

After I met my learners for the first time, I could not stop thinking about them. I dreamed about them for weeks. I could not stop. I thought it was abnormal until I speak with my coach, a former vice-principal. He reassured me that it was normal and it shows that you care about your learners. It happened to everyone, and it will happen to you. Personally, for me, it never stops. I learn how to manage it as I move forward.

So, there you have it. As you get deployed into the classroom, think about it as your call to serve. It takes a special kind of person to shape the minds of the future leaders of tomorrow. Your learners are there to receive a sound education, and your principal is there to hold you accountable. As you learn more about your students, you will dream of new ways to facilitate their learning.