First Year Teaching 101: 10 Things They Forgot to Tell You In Undergrad

I remember quite vividly...sitting in TED 250, feeling empowered to conquer the world of education (don't ask me what TED stands for).  We pinpointed what was wrong in education and how we should fix it...simple, right? Then, when I took methods courses I was sure that I could fix it all.  Then, I stepped into my own classroom...(yeah, because student teaching isn't comparable) and I was in for a rude some sort of awakening.  All of a sudden I realized that they left off a few important disclaimers when I signed up for this thing. (This is real life with a bit of humor thrown into the mix, take it for what it's worth.) 

 https://www.flickr.com/photos/venosdale/6109506769

 1.  You need to have some money saved for your classroom.  Start saving now, especially if you want your classroom to look like those Pinterest-inspired wonderlands.  Those can get pretty pricey! Also, you will feel obligated to buy something every time you walk by the dollar section at Target.  I will not disclose the amount of money I have spent on my students and classroom these past couple of years, but it's alot.

 http://www.whatidos.com/image/222/Public-School-Teacher

2.  Paperwork.  Paperwork.  Paperwork.  You will not understand until you experience it, but there is a TON of paperwork involved.  PEPs, PDPs, IEPs, data notebooks, report cards, progress reports, assessments, portfolios, work plans (if you're Montessori), lesson plans, anecdotal notes, newsletters, parent letters, letters to explain the parent letters.  It never ends.  Embrace it.

3.  Rules are meant to be...um. I will keep this brief.  Always, Always, Always do what is best for your students.  There are some things you will be asked to do that don't exactly line up with your vision.  We have been entrusted which such a heavy responsibility.  You can't do everything.  Do what is profitable for your students.

4.  Start training your body.  It's normal to not visit the restroom during the day.  It's normal to forget to eat lunch (unless you are blessed with duty-free lunch).

5.  Your work is never done.  I don't care if you planned the units for every subject for the rest of the school year.  You still won't be done.  PEPs will be due the next day and your PDP will need to be updated at that time as well.  

6.  It's okay not to know everything.  It's inevitable.  Some things you just won't know until you get in the thick of things and you learn through experience.

 

http://www.zazzle.com/im+just+saying+gifts

7.  This may seem contradictory to #6, just stick with me.  You know a lot.  Here's the thing.  You have all of these great ideas and creative strategies to teach your kids how to read, but then you realize that you only have a 45 minutes block to teach guided reading to 22 students.  Here's where #3 comes into play.  You know what's best for your students.  Just make sure it's research based and effective.

8.  There's a Freshman 15 and there's a FYT 15 (First Year Teacher 15).  Be intentional about eating right and exercising.  There's something about that first year, it just creeps up on you!

9.  You should consider First Aid/CPR Certification and be prepared to handle various bodily fluids.  This is especially true for K-2.  When you have a student sitting on your carpet and they accidentally relieve themselves while sitting there.  OR you start to smell something and you can't figure out where it's coming from.  OR when someone unexpectedly projectile vomits and it gets on you.  Just be prepared.  Oh, and the First Aid/CPR stuff is just an extra security net.  It's not required in my county, but it is necessary.    

10.  You will contemplate quitting at least once a month.  It is impossible for me to do this for another day, you will say to yourself.  This is completely normal.  At this point, you will ask the Lord if He really wants you to do this (or if you are completely sure, you'll just sigh and ask for strength to go another day). 

Teaching is both the most rewarding thing I have ever done.  Teachers will probably laugh while reading this because it is true, but we LOVE it sometimes.  But seriously, the impressions you make on students, the relationships built, and the progress made make all of it worth it.