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First Year Teacher - 2nd career

by Marian T.

Aug 6, 2012

I have worked for a large corporation for the last 18 years, and I was just hired as a 9th grade teacher for our local high school. I am 47 and this will be MY first day of school also! I am suddenly feeling completely overwhelmed!

Is there ONE major thing I should do/know before I start this wonderful new journey in two weeks?

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Been there! On 8/06/12, Marian T. wrote: > I have worked for a large corporation for the last 18 > years, and I was just hired as a 9th grade teacher for our > local high school. I am 47 and this will be MY first day > of school also! I am suddenly feeling completely > overwhelmed! > > Is there ONE major thing I should do/know before I sta...See More

Aug 7, 2012

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Zodea I could have written many of these posts.

I also like Harry Wong's First Day of School. It may seem like it's geared towards elementary, but it does work in high school.

Have you also posted on the subject related board that you will be teaching? (I teach high school science if you are doing that).

Remember that not ever...See MoreI could have written many of these posts.

I also like Harry Wong's First Day of School. It may seem like it's geared towards elementary, but it does work in high school.

Have you also posted on the subject related board that you will be teaching? (I teach high school science if you are doing that).

Remember that not every lesson needs to be perfect and spectacular. If you find something, resist the urge to tweak it and make it a little bit better. You can spend hours tweaking. Also, until you actually teach the lesson , it is hard to know what really needs to be done.

Google syllabus and the name of your text book. You will get lots of ideas from other teachers. Some of them will have ALL their assignments online. Grab (and save) everything you can. That website might not be there next week or next year.

Student behavior can be a challenge. Talk to the other teachers and observe their classes. You need to decide how to handle bathroom breaks and students going to their locker. The moment you let one student go, you will have a line of students wanting to go. This year I'm going to try letting them go, but they must make up the time with me after or before school that day or the next. If they don't show up, they will get a demerit (2 demerits = 1 detention). If it's an emergency, they will go no matter what. If it's not, making up the time after school should deter some of them.

I agree with over planning. Make/find crossword puzzles or other short worksheets that you can fill in as needed. Don't hesitate to start notes for the next day if you have five minutes of class left.

Assign seats the first or second day of class. Make the kids stay in their assigned seats. Move students who are talking away from their friends. This can really help with classroom management. I keep a seating chart in a binder inside a plastic page protector. I use dry erase markers to take attendance while the students are doing a bell ringer (I love bell ringers). It is easier to transfer the seating chart to the grade book than to take attendance straight from the grade book.

I also use the seating chart to record homework grades. Don't grade everything or just grade for completion. I'll use an overhead marker then. They don't rub off as easily as dry erase but are still easy enough to clean.

Beg borrow and steal. Ask your dept head what materials are left over from last year. Ask your tech people for access to the last teachers computer files. Go visit the 10th grade classes and ask if any students have their binder from last year and borrow it. Some of them are works of art ;-)

Good Luck! My students show up August 16th. I'm not ready!

Zodea

Aug 8, 2012

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classroom passes I issue students three Class Passes at the start of each grading period. These are the guidelines I share with the students when I hand them out:

1. No Pass, No Restroom, no exceptions. This applies to any reason a student would have to leave the room for a non-emergency. I stand firm with this, and it works. Eventually students will borro...See MoreI issue students three Class Passes at the start of each grading period. These are the guidelines I share with the students when I hand them out:

1. No Pass, No Restroom, no exceptions. This applies to any reason a student would have to leave the room for a non-emergency. I stand firm with this, and it works. Eventually students will borrow from another student or go between passing periods. I stress to students that they need to take care of their business between passing periods. 2. Students cannot leave the class the first or last 10 minutes of class. 3. Passes will not be re-issued if they are lost or stolen. 4. If a student is gone more than 5 minutes, I reserve the right to end Pass Privileges for the remainder of the grading period. 5. Unused passes can be turned in with an assignment or at the end of grading period for 5 pts. per each unused pass.

Logistically: - I re-issue Passes each grading period. To tell each grading period's pass apart, I stamp the master with a different pattern before making copies. Passes don't carry over, so there is no point in student's holding on to them and cashing them all in one week. - Students are responsible for their own passes. They fill their name, and date it. I write the time and keep it on my desk, that way I keep track of who's out. Students take the school issued lanyard pass with them. - Sometimes, I have students sign that they received a pass, so, when there's a Sub, the students won't pull the "I didn't get a Pass" excuse. - I also mark on my attendance sheet what day I handed out passes, so I can hand-out later to absent students. - Students don't need a pass to go to the Nurse. Or if the office calls for them.

n 8/08/12, Zodea wrote: > I could have written many of these posts. > > I also like Harry Wong's First Day of School. It may seem like > it's geared towards elementary, but it does work in high school. > > Have you also posted on the subject related board that you will be > teaching? (I teach high school science if you are doing that). > > Remember that not every lesson needs to be perfect and > spectacular. If you find something, resist the urge to tweak it > and make it a little bit better. You can spend hours tweaking. > Also, until you actually teach the lesson , it is hard to know > what really needs to be done. > > Google syllabus and the name of your text book. You will get lots > of ideas from other teachers. Some of them will have ALL their > assignments online. Grab (and save) everything you can. That > website might not be there next week or next year. > > Student behavior can be a challenge. Talk to the other teachers > and observe their classes. You need to decide how to handle > bathroom breaks and students going to their locker. The moment > you let one student go, you will have a line of students wanting > to go. This year I'm going to try letting them go, but they must > make up the time with me after or before school that day or the > next. If they don't show up, they will get a demerit (2 demerits > = 1 detention). If it's an emergency, they will go no matter > what. If it's not, making up the time after school should deter > some of them. > > I agree with over planning. Make/find crossword puzzles or other > short worksheets that you can fill in as needed. Don't hesitate > to start notes for the next day if you have five minutes of class > left. > > Assign seats the first or second day of class. Make the kids stay > in their assigned seats. Move students who are talking away from > their friends. This can really help with classroom management. I > keep a seating chart in a binder inside a plastic page protector. > I use dry erase markers to take attendance while the students are > doing a bell ringer (I love bell ringers). It is easier to > transfer the seating chart to the grade book than to take > attendance straight from the grade book. > > I also use the seating chart to record homework grades. Don't > grade everything or just grade for completion. I'll use an > overhead marker then. They don't rub off as easily as dry erase > but are still easy enough to clean. > > Beg borrow and steal. Ask your dept head what materials are left > over from last year. Ask your tech people for access to the last > teachers computer files. Go visit the 10th grade classes and ask > if any students have their binder from last year and borrow it. > Some of them are works of art ;-) > > Good Luck! My students show up August 16th. I'm not ready! > > Zodea >

Aug 9, 2012

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Other Options If you indicate what subject(s) you will be teaching and if you will have block periods or not, you may get some more specific suggestions. Also, is this a class where students with disabilities are likely to be included. If this is so, then making some time to read over the section of the IEPs that pertain to your subject area may be important and...See More

Aug 25, 2012

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You can do it! You can do this. I will feel like you can't sometimes, but you can.

Be willing accept and respond to feedback learn from it and you will get better and be awesome.

Ask for feedback if you are having trouble. If you feel stabbed in the back by the first person you ask for help, find someone else and ask for help till you get what...See More

Aug 25, 2012

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