5 Tips for New Teachers Infographic

5 Tips for New Teachers Infographic

1. Go with the flow.
   You are likely coming into the classroom with big ideas and big goals. Keep those in mind but remember you’re part of larger ecosystem. Establish your footing and build your expertise as you go. After your first year, it'll be much easier to add your 'voice to the lessons, parent-teacher conferences, and staff meetings. Keep an eye on how other teachers are running their classrooms, handling students, and more. Learn from them. Learn from colleagues online via Twitter, tool.
2. Don’t encourage students to slack off.
   Don’t shoot yourself in the proverbial foot. You can quickly do this by saying something like “i’m here to teach and if you slack off that’s your problem.” Something akin to this statement is viewed as a 'get out of jail free' card by students and is actually an excuse to slack off. Before you know it, they'll be using Snapchat all day and blaming you for not inspiring them. Long story short, be careful and intentional with what you say during the initial period of your school year.
3. Google yourself.
   Your students will do it on the first day of school. Audit your digital self. Do you want your twitter account public? What about your match.com account or perhaps your instagram account? Got a personal blog? Re-read every single word. New teachers are often let go at the drop of a hat, and this is a really easy way to find yourself looking for a new job. Your students WILL look you up on Google and social media.
4. Don’t be afraid to use the phrase “let’s talk about this after class” If you’re facing an unruly student or class.
   Don't wait for a response from students or you'll open yourself up to a snarky quip that'll set the class off once again. Also, actually discuss the issue at hand after class ends. Show that you're in charge and willing to take time to discuss problems.
5. Don’t send problems out of the classroom.
   If you spend most of your classroom time handing out detention slips or sending students to the principal’s office, the administration will view you as a weak leader in the classroom. Sad to say, but it’s true. Your first year is likely to be the worst year of your career for discipline issues, but just ride it out. Talk to other teachers, observe other classrooms, see how other teachers handle these types of situations. Frankly, a lot of crowd control comes with experience. You'll get better at it as you go along.