How to {ROCK} as a First Year Teacher - Linky Party

It's almost the end of June and I am already thinking about starting a new year. We start in August down here in Georgia, so it's coming sooner than I want.

To get the ball rolling I thought I'd link up with the incredible Chandra at Teaching with Crayons and Curls to share what I think every first year teacher needs to ROCK it!

 

 



* Finding a veteran teacher to befriend will help you tremendously. They have been in your shoes before and they have survived. Sitting down with them and talking through their process for pacing out the curriculum is going to be very beneficial. And they probably have some tricks up their sleeves on how to cover those awkward moments or pitfalls sure to pop up.

* Technology is NOT your friend. It may look all shiny and new and promise to save you HOURS of your time. But it will go down, it will freeze up, it will cause a power failure on the very last day of school. Grades are too important to trust to this finicky friend. I write everything down in an old school gradebook and then transfer to the school's suggested electronic filing system.

* Breathe. Deep. Then breathe again. As soon as that morning bell goes off they will come whether you are ready or not. If you breathe then you'll have time to remember that you are strong and can face what is about to come. Even if you forget what you were saying or drop your coffee all down your front, it will be okay. You still have tomorrow to fix any mistakes. So breathe.

 * To this day I am still afraid of parents. They make me nervous, but you can't avoid them. They are your direct line to sanity this year. Make sure to build a relationship with them from the start. Always begin with something positive before you ask them to help you keep their child awake all day in class.

* Best advice my professor ever gave me during student teaching. You can not be their friend and then turn around to take away recess from them when they aren't behaving. It just creates more headaches for you. They will trust you more if they understand you are coming from a place of authority. It's okay to have fun with them and laugh, but remember that you are the adult and will have to put on the Big Pants sometime this year.

* You are going to wear many hats this year. Teacher, parent, counselor, nurse, and coach. You are always on. Remember that you are trying to compete with SpongeBob and video games for their attention. You will need to sing, dance, and act all day. Just remember you are a Triple Threat and you can do this!

Good luck with your first year and try not to overload on Pinterest. A lot of that stuff won't pass fire codes.