“Ok, here we are Mrs. Fischer. This will be your classroom.” I looked around the room. No window. Fluorescent lights. White walls. I couldn’t wait to make it my own.
I found it easy to let my imagination carry me off to what I envisioned as my future classroom. Everything there was happy and wonderful. The children’s eyes lit up when I entered the room. Disciplinary problems were limited to the most minor infractions. By the end of the year, my students (who had absorbed completely all of the brilliant literature and grammar knowledge that I had dispensed since day one) were ready to write their own book.
No, I never really believed it would be like that, but I did allow myself to nurture a distorted mental picture of my first real teaching job. I have a feeling that I am not the only new teacher to be guilty of that behavior. It is easy to let assumptions, aspirations, and expectations cloud the reality of a situation, to the detriment not only of one's ego, but also of one's effectiveness in the classroom—the first classroom of your very own. From my new perspective as a “veteran” teacher with one year of experience,perhaps I can help you to see through whatever fantasy you may be harboring! First of all, do not assume that your first teaching job will necessarily be in your specialty area, or that any prior experience will be an accurate indicator of what your own classroom will be like. I fell into both of these traps. Also remember that veteran teachers have had years cultivating and shaping their learning environment. Do not compare your classroom to others. I fell into this trap as well.
That being said I have a few steps that might help you, a new teacher, with your first year:
Step 1: Prepare the transition When you enter a classroom as a first-year teacher, it is difficult to appreciate what a significant change you represent in the eyes of your students. It is easy to forget that, despite assumptions to the contrary, kids are often very resistant to change. I have learned that middle school students in particular, since they themselves are undergoing a whirlwind of emotional and physiological change, are very much in need of stability in their environment and relationships. I spent the first month of the school year trying to “break the ice”. Many of the 7th and 8th graders were not at all receptive to me, to my ideas, or to my expectations for their behavior. Not only were they resistant to change, they were testing me to see where my limits were. Your first year of teaching will require an amazing amount of planning, communicating with parents and other teachers, and reflection on your own teaching and your students' progress. And this is especially important to do at the beginning of the year, so if any problems arise later on, you have already established communication.
Step 2: Build a Support System I can't imagine going through the first year of teaching alone. You will need to depend on your family, friends, and loved ones to support you, but you also need the help of those who have been through the same rite of passage that you are about to undergo. Find experienced teachers to whom you can relate. Maybe a teacher who teaches the same thing you do, or a teacher who was new like you the year before. You should also take steps to build a relationship with the administrators at your school. Take time to talk with your principal to tell him/her what goals you have for your students as well as for yourself during your first year. Discuss your struggles and your victories. You will most likely be discussing these issues anyway as part of the appraisal experience, but it is important to be open and honest with your principal about how things are going in your classroom. After all, your principal is there to help you. Also remember to take the time to get to know the teachers within your school. It’s easy to get caught up in the daily responsibilities and keep isolated in our own little world. When I was struggling and needed practical advice, someone was always there to offer it. The bottom line is, teachers need other teachers. You will learn a great deal from your colleagues, and your job will be a lot less scary if you know you have their support.
In short, having a support system will provide you with a net to catch you if you fall, and it will build you up, give you better ideas, and help you keep your challenges in perspective. Just remain humble enough to ask for help when you need it. And be willing to return a favor.
Step 4: Beg, Borrow and Steal When you take your first teaching job, you are suddenly going to find that you need more ideas and materials than you ever have before. It is one thing to prepare a lesson plan for a class assignment or for student teaching, but facing long-term planning and short-term planning at the same time for multiple classes, all with different needs, is an entirely different situation. In your plans you will, of course, want to incorporate your own original ideas; however, it will often be helpful (and necessary) to look elsewhere for inspiration. Ask fellow teachers in your field to let you borrow books, lesson plans, anything that you can get your hands on. You will get some useful ideas from colleagues and the internet. And remember, Imitation is the most sincerest form of flattery.
Step 5: Relax and Teach During your first year of teaching, you are likely to learn more in your classes than your students will. You are going to make mistakes, and there are going to be bad days—some of them very bad days. There are going to be times when you are simply trying to survive until the end of the class period. There's no way around it: teaching is tough. Your kids are not always going to be little angels who play well together. They will have bad days just like you. Instead you are going to be faced on a daily basis with real people who have real problems and flaws, and who have many needs intellectually, emotionally, and spiritually. When things get tough, try not to be too hard on yourself. You will learn from your mistakes, and your students will give you the benefit of the doubt and a lot of second chances. Deep down, they realize that you are human, too. Though their behaviors will drive you insane at times, you will grow to care deeply for your students and you will become very proud of what they are able to accomplish. The first week and last week will be your hardest – you will hate to see them go.
So on your first day of your first year, when your first class enters the room and you're more nervous than you were on the day of your senior recital, just try to remember: Relax and Teach. Be yourself, do the best you can, and try your hardest to make sure that your students learn all that they can from their time with you. Each day will be a little easier than the one before it. The first-year experience is nothing for which anyone can truly prepare you, and it will probably be nothing like what you have imagined or assumed. You have to experience it yourself and find your own way.
Sara Fischer, ELA, Reagan MS
