1) Do NOT give out your personal number to parents.You may see some veteran teachers who have a different opinion than this. I have known several teachers that will text parents or call them on their cell phone after hours. As a first year teacher, I highly advise you NOT to give out your personal number!
Here are some resources that allow you contact parents via your cell with a little more discretion...
- Class Dojo
- Remind 101
- Or use a google number to call/text- You can change it anytime!
2) Create a classroom management plan, and stick to it!
Think of a day in your classroom. You are teaching, someone has to go to the restroom, what exactly do you want the student to do- Raise their hand and ask for permission? -Just get up and go ? - Do you want them to sign out? Figure out, before school starts, how you want your students to act in every situation. Do this for pencil sharpening, no pencils, late assignments, no name papers, corroborative groups. Think of your rules and consequences, then think of reward systems. Write it all down! Be prepared to change some things according to your school/district policy. However, it is always so nice to have everything outlined before the year starts.
3) Find support.
Teaching is typically a profession filled with caring colleagues who are willing to help, all you have to do is ask! Find a veteran teacher at your school and ask for help. If you are drowning, tell them, if you have an angry parent, ask for their advice. If you need resources, ask. Not sure what teachers wear to staff development days, ask. I don't know many teachers that aren't willing to help. Find a teacher to mentor you, just make sure they aren't the nark
4) Find out who the nark is, and stay away from the drama
There is one at every school. That one person who will smile and nod while you are talking, venting, complaining and as soon as you stop, they RUN to admin and tell every detail. You can't really ask who the nark is, unless you already have someone you can trust. But once you know who it is, avoid, do not engage!
5) Save all of your hard copies
I have no idea what I was thinking when I first started teaching, but I never saved any hard copies! I didn't keep a dang thing! What I'd do differently is make folders at the beginning of each unit and slide in answer keys and hard copies as I went. This will save you so much time next year!
6) Make a "love note" binder
Keep all of the nice notes your students write you. If you teach 6th grade like me, some of the stuff kids will write me are hilarious and not so much "I love you Mrs. Bartlett" but if a student is taking the time to write or draw me anything, I want to keep it. It's always nice to read those things year to year. Make sure your they sign it! I usually hang the items up somewhere in the room and at the end of the year, I put them in the binder.
7) Go in early, leave on time
The best time to get things done is in the morning. I used to go in as early as I could, often times there was no line at the copier at 6:00 AM. If I went in early, I would also leave as soon as I could.
8) Make all of your copies on one day, the least busy copy day
My Aunt, who is also a teacher, told me that Friday afternoons are the best days to get copying done. Typically everyone wants to go home and start the weekend, giving you time to get your copying done for the next week. Figure out your school's least busy day to copy and make your copies that day. Whatever you do, don't spend hours in line waiting.
I think Monday mornings are always the most stressful and most crowded day to copy.... AVOID AT ALL COSTS!
9) Turn off the emails on your phone
Seriously, at least turn off the notifications. You will get emails at 9:00 at night, you definitely do not need to read them until morning. Don't even think about looking at them on the weekends. You probably will anyways, but I warned you.
10) Invest in a good planner
Target has good ones, Erin Codren's are my favorite.
11) "Stay in your lane"
My first year I was wayyyy to worried about the other teachers in my school. I was worried that so-and-so's room looked much better than mine. Or that my co-teacher was the "fun" teacher and I was the mean one. --- Just stay in your lane, worry about you and your classroom only! You already have too much on your plate.
