Tips for First-Year Teachers

The first year of many teachers’ careers is filled with stress, anxiety, mistakes, and breakthroughs! One major area that first-year teachers struggle with is classroom management. This can be scary for many new teachers since they are now in charge of an estimated twenty children, all day, for 180 days! To begin, it is a great idea to set up some sort of classroom database such as Google Classroom. Here, teachers can upload assignments, quizzes, articles, videos, and much more with ease. If a teacher uses a tool such as this, it is advised to lay everything out in advance – this way there isn’t any “last minute scrambling” going on. It is also a good idea to have a discipline plan ready. Many teachers use Class Dojo or Bloomz to show students how their behavior is and to communicate with parents! Communication is key when being a new teacher. Don’t be afraid to reach out to other teachers, staff, or parents. As far as your classroom goes, make sure that it has a good classroom climate. Ensure that all students and their cultures are showcased and respected, make accommodations for students with special needs such as visuals and “calming zones”, and make it fun and inviting for all students! As a first-year teacher, working with students that have special needs can be overwhelming. Make sure to have a library of resources that are ready to pull so that you can easily get ideas for adjusting instruction to meet your students’ needs. Lastly, just breathe!