Tips From a First-Year Teacher

Always confirm and practice your building access code to ensure that you a) have the right code and b) truly know how to enter it to fully turn off the alarms.

If you do not do this, you may in fact set off all the alarms in the building, not be able to reach any of the emergency numbers, be told by the security company that you have the wrong access code, and be stuck at the building with the alarms sounding in the corner near tears until you finally do get ahold of the on-call person (whom is really not happy that you are calling him on Labor Day weekend) to come fix the problem.

Exhaustion, Sickness, and the First 4 Weeks

I will be the first to admit, I had some lofty goals to begin the year. I imagined having my classroom completely set up, students coming in ready to learn, and blogging every minute of it.

That didn't happen.

It's not that my room isn't set up, but being a first-year teacher in a brand new unit, I don't have a lot of things. My kids currently keep asking for different things (sand/water table, News-2-You, more toys, etc.) but I have to keep the same response: I have to wait until I get paid. They have now learned my pay days and look forward to them as much as I do. So, I'm slowly accumulating and building things up. It will take time and it will get there. Just probably not as fast as I'd like it.

We are now in week 5 of school. I can recap the first 4 weeks in a very simple statement: I was exhausted. I have never been so tired! The first night alone, I stayed until 5:00 and could barely keep me eyes open. Thank heavens it was only a 3 day week. By the following Monday, I was sick. They passed the crud around very quickly and the 2nd Thursday of school I did everything in my power just to get through the day because it was way too soon to call off. But I made it and got myself on an immune-building regimen that I'm hoping will help me throughout the year (2 Immune Defense, at least one Airborne a day (usually at night), 1 Vitamin Water that is boosted with Vitamin C/antioxidants, and plenty of water and tea throughout the day).

It wasn't until the end of week 3 that I began to feel productive and settled into our daily routine. A large part of this fact is that our schedule literally changed every day for the first 2 1/2 weeks. Between regular education classes, specialists, and simply finding what worked best, it became a huge task of time management. If I could hug Microsoft Excel, I would. But we got there, we have a daily routine (which is interrupted with specialists nearly every day) and the students are now also into the routine of knowing what to do. I get most of what I plan done every day and AU would probably shudder at the lesson plan format that I've had to come up with to get through my weeks, but it works for me and they are fairly complete if someone were to step in.

I'm trying to work closely with the OT and PT to set up an effective sensory-based classroom. This is going....ok....I suppose. I'm doing what I can right now. Later in the year, when I'm truly in my groove, I'm going to sit down to write some grants to try and get some really cool things in place. All in due time. My new mantra: It will come if you give it time!

Admittedly, I tried to do too much. I felt the stress of having 2 IEPs due at the beginning of the year and working hard to get initial assessments done. I should have spent more time on the routine of the room and just getting to know the students and enjoying them. Some of the teachers were amazed that I was teaching content the first week. I thought I had to. I thought I would be behind. I suppose that's just the first-year ambition (and the desire to get hired by the district next year). It's a lot more reflection than what I had done in my practicums that is for sure. A lot of, "next year I'll do..." I had a desire to keep a nightly journal to help me these thoughts, but that also has yet to happen. I am too busy getting things ready for my kids.

I still stay until 5:00 nearly every night but I now feel much more productive and I feel as though it's OK to leave. Before, I really did not feel as though I could leave, but rather that I had to so I could eat and sleep.

Stayed tuned for more to come!