New Teacher

TIPS

“What is a teacher? I'll tell you: it isn't someone who teaches something, but someone who inspires the student to give of her best in order to discover what she already knows.” - Paul Coelho

After my first year as a teacher I was confronted with so many obstacles and like most I had no earthly idea what I was doing but I went in with a mindset that I had to give these kids something they were not use to. I didn't know what that meant or whether I would succeed - if I even did. But I walked out of my first year held high knowing that if nothing else both myself and they were made better by the experience. Below is a list of things I learned which undoubtedly has helped learn and grow as teacher and I hope you'll find some useful lessons for yourself as you tackle your first year. 

1. You'll act a parent more often than you would have expected

1a. As a contingency to that some of your students will really want you to.

2. Getting a student to smile on their bad days can be just as an important as an A on a test grade

3. You'd be surprised by how often you need to teach them how to be human.

4. Your students want to teach you everything they know, let them. Unless, it's twerking or some other equally inappropriate dance in which case it is appropriate to run away yelling, "My eyes! My eyes!" Sidenote: that last part is only kind of a joke.

5. You'll invest everything you have emotionally to see your students succeed.

6. Students will point out your EVERY SINGLE FLAW, and then repeat them for good measure.

7. Days you forget deodorant are bad days for both you and your students.

8. One student can EASILY affect the dynamic of a classroom.

9. You'll almost immediately look after them as if they're your kin.

10. Every student that walks in has a personality that's 10x cooler than the one you had in high school.

11. Having multiple personalities may be an asset.

12. You simultaneously play the role of teacher/counselor/friend/entertainer/motivational speaker, and quite often teacher comes last on the totem pole.

13. You'll miss your students during breaks.

14. Personal upkeep gets thrown out the window. Things start looking real rough by the end of it.

15. It feels like WWIII erupts in your classroom every time you miss a day of class.

16. You worry about your students when they miss a day.

17. When the students tell you that they missed you they really mean it.

18. For some students you really are the most stable person they have in their lives so take that role seriously.

19. It's really hard to not blur the lines of personal and professional relationships.

20. You can easily be just as childish as they can, except as an adult and professional you don't have an excuse.

21. If a student starts to tell you a story and its not at an inappropriate time they really want you to stop and listen.

22. Don't assume your students know anything.

23. Sometimes you really are the only person in their lives that asks them, "How's it going?" or "What's wrong/up?" If the question comes to mind, just ask it.

24. Your students have bad grammar and being surrounded by them will give YOU bad grammar. Make the effort to be their source of good grammar.

25. You'll be blown away by how generous they can be.

26. You'll continuously question whether you're a positive influence/role model and whether you're in education for the right reasons.

27. You'll have bad days and so will they, don't let those days act as a cloud on the others.

28. Some of your "bad seeds" will move mountains for you if you just give them a clean slate.

29. Don't "front," they see right through it.

30. Be weird, the students need that role model that shows them it's okay to be different.