How Can Teachers Survive the First Year of Teaching?

Hey, First Year Teachers!

You're busy and overwhelmed, and you're investing some time in yourself by reading this, which is SO IMPORTANT as a first year teacher!

Grab your: FIVE TIPS TO SURVIVE THE FIRST YEAR OF TEACHING

Surviving the first year of teaching is about forethought and preparedness. These FIVE TIPS are for ANY FIRST YEAR TEACHER whether you're teaching while completing your student teaching, on an emergency credential, you were hired suddenly under federal or state provisions due to the national teacher shortage crisis, OR you made your way into the classroom through the traditional route (that's awesome!).

I'm going to assume you and I are from different generations. I'm Gen X and you're likely Gen Z (if you're fresh out of undergrad and just beginning a career). But none of that should matter when we're talking about your stability in the classroom because even though classroom "climate" changes culturally year to year and decade to decade, and the teaching landscape has thrown numerous challenges into the mix that weren't there when I began this career journey, these FIVE TIPS WILL HELP ANY NEW TEACHER SUCCEED! 

In addition to developing strong classroom management skills...

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1. DEVELOP A STRONG SENSE OF SELF

AT-A-GLANCE: Identify your strengths and weaknesses. Determine your limitations on the job. Be honest about what you need to learn.

EXPLAINED:

"Developing a strong sense of self" means: identifying (a) your personal teaching philosophy (the beliefs, values, and vision that drive your decisions as a teacher, and this philosophy is always a work-in-progress); (b) what you feel comfortable with on the job and what's totally new; (c) what you're afraid of and how you're going to to address this; (d) who you trust and who you don't (this comes in time); and (e) what puts you over the edge or in a state of "overwhelm", and how you'll recognize internal red flags to avoid too much bad stress, hopelessness, sadness, low self-efficacy, and/or feelings of discouragement.

The journey to a healthy and successful teaching career begins with self-awareness and self-actualization!

Grab your: FIVE TIPS TO SURVIVE THE FIRST YEAR OF TEACHING

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2. LEARN EVERYTHING ABOUT YOUR DEMOGRAPHICS

AT-A-GLANCE: Study the demographic of your school site. Who are you servicing and what is unique about your learning population? Get as much info as you can that will inform instructional decisions and how to approach behavior management with YOUR kids.

EXPLAINED:

"Learning everything about the demographics" of your students and school site definitely comes with time, but to spare yourself additional agony, frustration, and/or trouble: (a) ask questions in your job interview about the demographics of your school site (whether in-person or online); (b) determine the value system of the larger community that governs top-down decision-making about your learning population; (c) take and use the hints your students are throwing your way during class, about their personal beliefs and values, and interest or disinterest in being there; (d) observe and identify student and community behaviors that reveal whether you and your learning population are more similar or dissimilar (how your ideologies clash or align); and (e) keep REALLY good records about anything and everything your students do, say, and share!

Acknowledge the young minds in front of you each day. That's why you're here! Learning what motivates your students will aid in developing strong classroom management skills.

Grab your: FIVE TIPS TO SURVIVE THE FIRST YEAR OF TEACHING

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3. ALWAYS BE ONE STEP AHEAD WITH YOUR SCHEDULE

AT-A-GLANCE: Easier said than done, but plan ahead to the BEST of your ability. 24 hours ahead is good; 48 hours ahead is better; and 1 week ahead is golden! “Planning” means lessons AND classroom management. Borrow strong templates/guides from other teachers. Ask other teachers for ideas you can use immediately.

EXPLAINED:

"Always being one step ahead with your schedule" is challenging as a first year teacher. There's no way around that. Not only are you trying to keep up with learning new curriculum (whether you're teaching kindergarten, fourth grade, or high school seniors), but you're receiving more and more to do each month, likely reporting to a mentor, learning the ropes about everything your school has to offer (whether slim or robust in resources), checking emails on the fly, answering often to an assigned administrator (who may or may not be friendly), attending more meetings than other teachers, and staying after school well beyond a reasonable hour...Your sanity and productivity depend on this: PLANNING.

Make two piles: what MUST be done, and what COULD be done. Decide what’s MOST important and schedule in the other activities, duties, and responsibilities as needed. 

If you can get some type of regular schedule down including lesson templates you can reuse, designating which afternoons are for planning and which afternoons are for assessing, when you'll take a regular much-needed break in the day (take it--you can't give 100% of your time to others), and clearing a space in the week for downtime (could be a weekend day, could be a night out with friends or quality time with your own children), you'll be better off. Planning gets easier over time because the things you don't know today, you'll know tomorrow. We all start at the beginning. And even veteran teachers (if they're good) continue to learn and reshape their goals and objectives to meet the needs of today's learners, and to comply with new policies and/or mandates.

Be careful and cautious about what commitments you accept when you have the liberty to choose. If you can, avoid giving your time away freely when you don't have to (like meeting with a parent who didn't schedule that time with you and just shows up, setting boundaries when you're pulled into a hallway conversation with colleagues, and not letting your lunchtime become absorbed with job duties). The goal is to fine-tune your schedule personally and professionally, and to include intentional breaks.

Go to the bathroom.

Avoid arriving before dawn and leaving at dinnertime every day.

Open the book you've been wanting to read.

Watch Netflix this weekend!

Grab your: FIVE TIPS TO SURVIVE THE FIRST YEAR OF TEACHING

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4. CONNECT WITH AN EXPERIENCED TEACHER

AT-A-GLANCE: Accept that you are new to this job! Be open-minded to suggestions. Find a teacher you trust (could be your mentor) to share ideas and ask questions. Always stay humble and positive.

EXPLAINED:

Yes, connect with "older" (more experienced) teachers, but you can even take this tip a step further: Connect with the janitor/custodian first! A friendly, warm face in the school building will make a positive difference for you each and every day. Believe it or not, you might find that you trust the janitor/custodian more than any of your colleagues, and rightly so. Teachers and administrators must prove themselves to you as worthy of your trust and confidence. (This can take years.) Sometimes, people we thought we knew well at the school site have a hidden agenda, turn out to be backstabbers and tattletales, or end up going through something unfortunate that changes their demeanor and respect for others. Hopefully, you can build a solid relationship with your assigned mentor and/or an "older" teacher who you sense wants you to succeed.

Keep in mind, your mentor or the "older" (more experienced) teacher will likely have different perspectives about lesson planning, instruction and assessment, and classroom management...and may have different ideas about digital learning, hybrid models, use of the cell phone, and other Internet programs and tools. Depending on school culture and the willingness your mentor or "older" teacher friend has to entertain your ideas about what might work with students, always remain positive about the suggestions. If this is your student teaching year, accept that you are a true novice inside and out. There's no shame in that. Often, our mentors and more experienced teachers have much wisdom (so be open to learning because you just don't know what you don't know), BUT sometimes, mentors and more experienced teachers can get stuck in a rut. If you find that you disagree with a superior's suggestions, keep those opinions to yourself for right now and consider that:

Being a "team player" means putting your best foot forward, accepting your own shortcomings, entertaining approaches you may not have otherwise tried, and learning how to fit in with teachers who have been doing this a very, very long time. 

Avoid conflict at all costs, even if you think you're right about something. Journal it instead. In 5-10 years, this "thing" that you're so sure is "right" will either become tried-and-true evidence of a strong teaching and learning dynamic in your classroom or the slice of humble pie you ate to keep your seat at the table with the teachers who questioned or criticized your ideas. Whichever ends up happening, you want to "save face" the first year. It's not worth being too headstrong with people who have a lot more credibility and influence at your school.

And focus on the kids...Those of us who knew teaching before computers, Smartphones, and AI remember when life was simpler and know the somewhat challenging steps we've taken to integrate a digital world that has always been at the fingertips of Gen Z. But you and your "older" (more experienced) teacher friends (whether you're part of the same generation or not) should share the same underlying goal: helping students to be their best. Make this your focus when you find yourself concerned, confused, or nervous about which ideologies and policies work best. When student well-being is the true emphasis of any team planning or decision-making, you're doing what you should be doing.

Keep in mind that "being right" isn't the same as "being in the right". You want to emphasize the latter as a teacher character trait!

Grab your: FIVE TIPS TO SURVIVE THE FIRST YEAR OF TEACHING

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5. KNOW WHEN TO BE IDEALISTIC AND REALISTIC

AT-A-GLANCE:  Idealism and realism will be two opposing forces for as long as you're in this profession. Each approach has a place in teaching and learning. Be aware of the differences to avoid disappointment.

EXPLAINED:

Idealism keeps us enthused and realism keeps us grounded. When I began teaching, I was super idealistic. And then reality set in. Seeing the world through rose-colored glasses is blissful, but it will rough you up if you don't take the shades off and look at the roses for what they are. Your classroom garden is beautiful. Every student in your direct line of influence presents an opportunity for you to positively affect a life forever. That's power. And it should motivate us to want to do the best work we can within the limitations we have in our unique job positions. 

But we can't apply our own psychologies, dreams, and wants to the students who come through our classroom doors (whether in-person on an LMS). We should know what our passions and personal teaching philosophies entail, that keep us on our toes seeking efficacy, efficiency, and mastery in the field. We have to work with what's in front of us, and this may or may not match those ideals. Realism in teaching means we are willing to meet students (colleagues, administrators, and parents/guardians too) where they are, not where we want them to be. And sometimes that's a hard pill to swallow, especially when you see wrong-doings, feel unheard in your team circles, or don't agree with decisions you had no control over. 

What we CAN apply is a wonderful balance of idealism and realism in our teaching and learning dynamics. Surviving the first year means beginning to scratch the surface of what your ideals are (the ones that anchor you as an educator and the ones that you'll modify over time), and learning to integrate the reality of "what's possible" in your unique teaching position and environment. 

"What's possible" this first year of teaching (and beyond) will determine your priorities. And these are the things that we all have to work with: student levels of proficiency at the start of a school year; cultural values and beliefs that govern your neck of the woods; policies you must adhere to; abundance or lack of resources and/or funding; and that one critical element of a positive teaching experience, SUPPORT. You might have some, not much at all, or a great deal. How much support you have in any area of your job duties will dictate the scope of what you'll be able to do with kids. Creating a viable balance between ideals and realistic goals will also aid in developing strong classroom management skills.

In essence, finding the balance between our ideals and what's really happening on the job requires that we are intuitive, open-minded, and flexible! 

So, (to quote Shakespeare) that was the "long" of it...

And the "short" of it is: To survive this first year of teaching, be authentic and willing to learn. Teaching is an art. And we're never fully masters at it because life brings newness to our teaching and learning worlds all the time.

The best teachers are the ones who love what they do, and always did.

Thank you for reading!

Grab your: FIVE TIPS TO SURVIVE THE FIRST YEAR OF TEACHING