On the Upcoming Year

Q: Any advice to a first year teacher two weeks before the beginning of the school year?


Jack: Stay calm.

In mid-August of every year, I would periodically remember that the school year was fast-approaching, and I would be awash in a sense of impending doom. It was particularly unnerving because I couldn't think of anything to do to be more prepared than I already was. For me, setting to work is the easiest way to deal with anxiety. Uneasy about a future event? Prepare for it. But what about when there's seemingly nothing to do but wait?

Ultimately, I did find things to do. I made lists of goals. What did I want to accomplish in the first class? The first week? What did I want students to be able to do by the end of the first marking period? I kept all of my lists taped to the inside of my gradebook, and checked in with it every afternoon. When I lesson planned, I took a look to see how well I was marching towards my goals. When I wrote assignments, I kept in mind the things I wanted my kids to be able to do.

In terms of a coping mechanism, this worked pretty well.

What worked even better was remembering one thing: I am not as important as I'd like to think I am.

Yikes.

On the one hand, that sucks. I want to be Jaime Escalante. I want to single-handedly change kids' lives.

But what if I screw up?

In the real world, each teacher is one of dozens of adults helping young people find their way - intellectually and otherwise - towards maturity. A child's future does not rest on the shoulders of a single teacher. Remembering that, it was easier to see teaching for what it really is - an amazing opportunity to work with young people and with ideas. It's pretty hard, it's pretty fun, and ultimately, capable people who try hard will do well.

One final thing - make your classroom look cool...it's worth it.


Douglas: Two pieces of advice:

1. Set clear expectations. When you start off as a teacher, everything is new to you and kids can sense that immediately. They'll test you. Setting clear expectations, preferably in the syllabus, gives certainty for both you and your kids. It helps you establish that you are the adult and this is your classroom, something you need, and deep down, they need too.

2. Stay very organized. Again, since everything is new to you, you won't have a sense of what's important to keep or remember and what's not. Keep an updated gradebook and attendance calendar. Try to return homework and papers promptly. Keep all handouts in folders. An ounce of organization today equals a pound of tomorrow's heartache.


Moses: The very short summary: be thinking about how to look out for yourself, in addition to the students, as you navigate this first year.

Two weeks before: start thinking about setting some reasonable, tangible goals for yourself. What is it that draws you to teaching? How can you organize your class to keep you (the teacher) in close contact with that? It is OK, even necessary, to organize your class in a way that sustains YOU (not just for the good of your students). For example, I have realized now that what I love most about teaching is the relationships that I form with students. So, going into this year, I'm thinking about what structures I can put in place in my classes that will allow for the formation and building of those relationships. I am planning to have more one-on-one conversations with students about their progress, to try to talk more with my classes about the way in which they're learning (as opposed to focusing on the content), etc. This good for the kids, I think, but I also hope it will keep me invested and engaged and ultimately allow me to be the best teacher I can be. In short, let it be about your needs, too.

Once school starts: find some structures that will help you debrief. That could be other new teachers, or an administrator, or faculty members whose perspectives you trust. There is always an abundance of things to talk about in teaching, from the nuts-and-bolts to the bigger pedagogical principles to the emotional maintenance to the venting, and that's even more true in that first year. I think having a support network, whatever it looks like, is the single most important thing you can do for yourself.

Two more general thoughts for you, Mr. or Ms. New Teacher, both of which I was told in my first year and still think about today.

1. Teaching has its ups and downs, but never are those more intense than the first year. That is daunting - the lows for me were pretty deep - but it also means that you will likely experience highs that are incredible. I hope you can savor those highs, because they're awesome. And if the rollercoaster-ness of it begins to wear you out, trust that you ARE going to make it through the year and that you'll never have that exhausting a year again.

2. You can always pour more energy into teaching, always find something to improve or doubt or pick at...and that's exhausting. But being a good teacher requires energy and I remember my first year as a constant battle for that energy. Be kind to yourself - as my mentor said to me in my first year: sometimes the best thing you can do for tomorrow's class is see a movie tonight (instead of working more on the lesson plan).

Good luck, have fun.