5 tips I’m excited to share with first-year teachers
Julie
Cobb, Senior Manager, Professional Services, Nearpod
October 6, 2023
First-year teachers may feel overwhelmed, but a few tips can
help calm their anxiety.
I’ll never forget my first day as a teacher. I was so
excited to begin my career teaching kindergarten students who were deaf or hard
of hearing. My enthusiasm petered out when I saw green paint spilled all over
my classroom. Overwhelmed and flustered, I hadn’t accounted for mishaps like
this to be part of my lesson plan and was quickly faced with the realization
that there were many things that happened in the classroom that weren’t
accounted for in my lesson. Thankfully, one of my fellow teachers reassured me
in the aftermath by saying, “You clean it up and try again tomorrow. Now you
know not to put as much paint in the cup next time.”
Throughout my 26 years of teaching, I’ve heard similar
accounts from other first-year teachers anxious to get their footing in their
new roles, but more than anything, they wanted to connect with their students
and students’ families. They wanted to avoid cleaning up spilled paint,
searching for the right lessons or managing repetitive tasks that took time
away from their students.
Every educator has been the new kid on the block, and I can
assure you, we’ve all spilled the metaphorical and literal paint. While your
day or week may not perfectly mirror the lesson plan you so diligently created,
I have five key tips to help first-year teachers feel more confident in their
classrooms this year, so that the little messes don’t feel so big.
1. Seek out the support of your colleagues.
I had an amazing colleague when I worked in deaf education.
I could visit her room and vent everything that went wrong to her, and she’d be
there to encourage me. While the teachers’ lounge may feel like a daunting
place, remember that we’ve all been the new teacher in a school at some point.
Leverage your colleagues, seek out their experiences and expect to hear both
positive and negative stories that helped shape who they are as an educator.
Not only will you gain more confidence in knowing others have been in your
shoes, but you’ll also gain the perspectives of those who can remind you that
with every misstep, there’s a positive that comes from your day. Finding
someone who can help you find those positives is key to ensuring your success
in the classroom, as well as your students.
2. Narrow down the activities you “have to do.”
Teachers ask questions and make a lot of decisions as they
prepare lessons. Are they grade-level appropriate and aligned to standards? Is
all of the information up-to-date and accurate? Is the material I’ve created
visually engaging to my students? Suddenly, you feel like you need to choose
among 22 things and don’t know where to start.
If you can find high-quality
resources that answer three or four of these questions simultaneously,
you’ll feel less pressure. Find resources
that streamline your ability to choose engaging lessons that support
your teaching. Web-based platforms with lesson libraries of high-quality,
standards-aligned interactive lessons, games and activities are especially
useful, as are resources that let you upload your own slides, videos and PDFs.
With all your materials in one place, you can spend less time hunting for
resources and ensuring their credibility, and more time doing what you
love—helping your students.
3. Be open to technology that supports your teaching.
I spent five years working as a technology coach where I
helped teachers integrate digital learning into their classrooms. Pre-pandemic,
I met educators who weren’t open to using technology as a tool because of the
fear that it may take their place in the classroom. While no technology can
ever replace the impact of a teacher, technology can support educators in
managing repetitive tasks and gathering evidence of learning. We discovered the
value of technology during the pandemic but also learned that technology’s
impact can only extend so far without a teacher’s implementation and guidance.
4. Engage your students in new and different ways.
I’ve always told teachers: Decide what you want your students
to learn first, and then figure out the appropriate tool to support their
instruction. Children learn and absorb information differently and therefore
need a variety of ways to take in and engage with the materials you have
prepared. For example, you can reinforce concepts using interactive videos,
games, and quizzes. Yet, it’s challenging to create digital resources from
scratch—and even more challenging to adapt them to meet the needs of each
student.
Utilizing technology that is standards-aligned and provides
educators with options to leverage interactive videos or
other formats of material allows for greater flexibility in the classroom and
less stress on the teacher.
5. It’s all about balance.
Looking back, I put too much pressure on myself as a new
teacher–something I’ve seen time and time again from others in the field. I
learned to permit myself to tackle today’s unfinished work tomorrow, and
practiced the same level of patience and grace I gave my students, with
myself. We all want what’s best for our students, but it’s essential to
remind yourself regularly—you and your students are resilient. First-year
teachers should always look for their successes and celebrate them regularly.
Key points:
- Seeking support from experienced teachers goes a long way in building confidence
- Technology, student engagement, and balance are all key to a successful first year
- See related article: 55 back-to-school tips and insights for a great year
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