First Month Advice
The first month of school can be incredibly hectic. First month, first quarter, first...
Let me start over. TEACHING can be incredibly hectic. The first month is just especially busy because it is a completely new craziness that there really is nothing to compare it to for most of us in this program. Sure, most of us are fresh out of college, where finals week feels like the most difficult thing you could ever endure... and then pretty soon that kind of stress actually sounds kind of appealing because the only person it is affecting is YOU!
Here are a few tips to cut down on the stress throughout the first month or so of teaching:
- Stay organized. This one is much easier said than done for me, but it is so important. Find a system that works for you and try to keep up to date and on top of everything. Grade papers and pass them back.
- Stay on top of paperwork. You will get a lot of it - from IEPs to textbook inventories to Title I, VII, BLAH BLAH BLAH. It can pile up quickly. Take care of it as soon as you get it (try to) so that it doesn't make it into a stack that will seem too daunting to tackle before you know it. Piles are scary. Fallen stacks are even worse...
- Stay positive. No one gets it exactly right on the first try. If something isn't working, CHANGE IT!!! Ask for advice from your mentors or other MTCers or other veteran teachers at your school. There is a reason you are in this program, and there is a reason you wanted to be a teacher. Remind yourself that you ARE making some sort of difference in the lives of these children, and they are MUCH better off for having you there than if you were not. STAY POSITIVE, STAY POSITIVE, STAY POSITIVE. If you ever need a little pick-me-up, give me a call!!
- Take time for yourself. I couldn't decide if I wanted to put this one first or last, but I definitely think it is the most important. You will feel like you don't have time to do anything but school stuff, (and you're probably right that you COULD be doing something for school at all times...) but you need time for YOU. Take a break; do something fun for yourself. Remind yourself there IS a life outside of your classroom. Have fun with it!!
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Thursday, August 14, 2008
