Surviving Your First Year (or Month) in the Classroom

By:  Katrina Maccalous

Beginning your career in education is an exciting accomplishment! You are diving into a field that doesn’t always get the kudos it deserves, one that is fraught with long hours, stress, politics…and some of the most amazing children that will leave imprints on you (and you on them) for years to come! Today’s uncertain social distancing norms and six months outside of a classroom, makes it all the more challenging as teachers. “WHY,” you ask, would I mention these challenges to new teachers? Am I trying to scare them away from the profession? NO! By no means, am I trying to instill panic, but rather to reassure you. What you will feel this year is completely normal, and even the most experienced teachers struggle with many of these things. We did not choose this profession for an easy ride (and if you did, I suggest you reconsider this field)…we chose this profession to share a love of life-long learning and to make a difference in the world. Now, I will step off my soap box and let’s get to why you’re reading this article to begin with…strategies to help survive your first year (or month) in the classroom!

1.  Get excited! Go to a teacher supply store, peruse Amazon, ransack the dollar store and discount aisles of target! You’ve earned it and deserve to be able to celebrate by creating a classroom environment that you love…and all the fun teaching supplies that go along with it.

Tip: It can get VERY expensive, very fast. I could buy out a whole store if my wallet would let me! Remember, you will build your supplies up as time goes on. Those teachers that have those amazing Pinterest/Instagram-worthy rooms, either have the cash flow to spare, have collected for years and years, or are highly creative and either make the stuff themselves or know how to bargain shop. Below are some of the must have items I use. There are many ways to get the look you want without breaking the bank.

• Teachers are always getting rid of things they no longer need either at the beginning of the year or end…take whatever you can get!
• Teachers Pay Teachers and other similar online sites have ton a of free resources you can print off and laminate or purchase for only a couple of dollars.
• Donations and thrift stores/garage sales are another great place to look for items. Many places will provide donations if you know where to look!)Be sure to get everything organized BEFORE school starts. Once the school year begins, you can continue to adjust and make improvements, but get the essential things done now while you have time: borders, fabric or butcher paper background if permitted, organize supplies and cabinets, make a to-do list with all of the essentials you need/need to get done and prioritize them. I always make lists in my head or suddenly remember something that I want to do…then forget. Writing it down has been a lifesaver!

2. Plan out the first week. The first week is really a time to set expectations, get to know each other, learn routines, etc. DON’T skip this and think you will just jump into the learning. Trust me. A well-structured classroom is key to promoting a positive-learning environment. How you start the year really does matter. I learned this the hard way, when I moved back up to 4th grade and assumed they would know the expectations and only briefly reviewed…not so. Just because they’re older, does NOT mean they know how YOU expect your class to run.

3. Have a good and MANAGEABLE classroom management system ready to start on day one. There are sooo many ideas out there that sound awesome (and many are!), and some teachers can seamlessly manage these complicated systems. More power to them! But it doesn’t have to be some over the top system that requires you to constantly be rewarding or doling our consequences. Make it simple, make it clear, make it manageable and be consistent. Don’t be afraid to try something else if the first idea doesn’t work the way you’d like. Here’s a very handy planning template that can serve as a working space to document your routines, procedures and expectations and doubles as a checklist to support initial, explicit instruction, as well as on-going reinforcement. The guide is editable, so you can customize it to suit your classroom needs…and best of all…it’s FREE!

4. Set a timer to help with pacing…do it! Just do it. It can be one for you personally or a visual classroom timer, but it’s so easy to get lost down the rabbit hole and mess up pacing. ClassDojo (in your classroom, there will be a menu of options in your “toolkit,” and ClassroomScreen are just a few examples.

5. Ask questions. We want our students to ask questions to ensure they have a good grasp on the content…why should it be different for adults? It does not mean you are incompetent. Please don’t be afraid of this. It actually shows you care and respect the advice of your colleagues.

6. Be collaborative. This builds off the previous point. Teaching is a tricky job and sadly, people are people, and there will be talk. Don’t make yourself come off as knowing it all and that you don’t need any help or ideas. There are plenty of studies that show that we get some of our best ideas through collaboration.

7. Have a good support system. You’ll need it. Whether it’s to vent about a tough day or celebrate a success. Having people you can talk to, who will listen and can relate, is priceless.

8. Remember, they are only kids! These tiny people sometimes come with BIG personalities, but don’t let that fool you or knock you down. And don’t engage in battles with them. It will become a power struggle and it will just wind up with everyone’s emotions running high. When you get frustrated, let them know you respect them too much to argue. That once they calm down (and honestly, us too), we will talk about it…and when you do, you must hear them out. Trust and respect will get you a long way. Everyone wants to feel heard and assured that their feelings matter…even if they are wrong! Honestly, listening is one of the best pieces of advice I can give. Listen to students, colleagues, parents.

9. Don’t neglect your well-being. Your success depends on you being in the best state of mind and body. Practice mindfulness (with students too!), take a break to do something you enjoy on weekends. GoNoodle has some great mindfulness exercises for students AND can be use with social distancing or as brain breaks.

10. Journal-journal about your day, journal about changes you want to make next time, journal about what went well. Write it down so you don’t forget!

11. Get a great classroom library selection…even if you aren’t the RLA/Literacy teacher!

12. BREATHE!!!! You will survive. You are making a difference. You can do it.

13. And have fun!!!!!! This is the best, most rewarding job in the world!

For more teaching ideas, check out my TPT store, as well as some great ways to grow a growth mindset and make learning more engaging for children. You got this! Have a wonderful year, hang in there and happy teaching!