{"id":24874,"date":"2024-11-11T20:48:21","date_gmt":"2024-11-11T20:48:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rocketshipschools.org\/?p=24874"},"modified":"2024-12-02T20:45:45","modified_gmt":"2024-12-02T20:45:45","slug":"first-year-teacher-here-are-5-mistakes-to-avoid-teacherpd","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rocketshipschools.org\/es\/ultimas-noticias\/blog\/first-year-teacher-here-are-5-mistakes-to-avoid-teacherpd\/","title":{"rendered":"First Year Teacher? Here are 5 Mistakes to Avoid."},"content":{"rendered":"

As a first-year teacher, the school year can be both exciting and overwhelming as you navigate the challenges in your new classroom. While there\u2019s no perfect guide to getting everything right from the first day to the final one, there are common pitfalls that many new teachers encounter. So, let\u2019s explore five common mistakes to avoid in your first year and give you practical tips from experienced teachers to manage your own classroom, support your mental well-being, and set the foundation for a successful teaching career. By learning from these early challenges, you can start your journey with confidence and ease.<\/p>\n

Mistake #1: Not Setting Clear Expectations for Classroom Systems, Routines & Goals<\/h2>\n

Establish strong relationships with students by setting clear boundaries and expectations to help students succeed. Failing to do so from the beginning of the year will disrupt the consistency of learning in your classroom.<\/p>\n

Here is a quick checklist to help you create clear goals in your classroom:<\/strong>
\n\u2022 Identify different voice levels so students know which they should be doing during particular activities. For instance, a whisper is great for those close-reading times, or loud voices are best when answering questions asked by the teacher.<\/p>\n

\u2022 After they finish their breakfast, have them throw away trash and clean their area to have it learning-ready.<\/p>\n

\u2022 What are the social-emotional learning goals for the week? For example, if you want students to practice kindness, try saying something nice and having them say something nice back.<\/p>\n

\u2022 What\u2019s the learning goal of the day? How often and when are you reminding them of this? How are students celebrated when they obtain their learning goal? Rewarding students daily with Class Dojo points and following up with prizes when goals are met helps them feel more celebrated.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t forget that being consistent with these expectations, routines and goals will help these students understand boundaries early on.<\/p>\n

Mistake #2: Overloading Yourself<\/h2>\n

To eat an elephant you have to eat it one bite at a time. Avoid putting too much on your schedule for the day. What that looks like is having an overly full lesson plan, long list of to-dos, activities after school, grading paired with a hefty afterwork social calendar.<\/p>\n

Make sure the schedule you have planned includes time for transitions, brain breaks, and restroom breaks. If you don\u2019t know where to start, find a sample schedule from your coach or another effective teacher at your elementary school. Don\u2019t stress too much if it can\u2019t all get done as you originally imagined. It’s okay if it rolls over to the next day. This is also a great time to ask for support from a fellow teacher and school leader to see how they\u2019d block out their schedule. Over time, creating genuine community and building strong relationships with fellow teachers will undoubtedly make your work environment more fulfilling on its own.<\/p>\n

Also, be realistic about what your after-work calendar looks like. Do you have an activity after work every day? Do you have little time to recharge without others around? If so, switch it up and make one evening a day to reset to finish the week strong.<\/p>\n

Mistake #3: Not Asking for Help<\/h2>\n

Teamwork makes the dream work! There are people around you that want to help. Therefore, it is vital to build a support system with other teachers in your school. You can engage with other teachers by: having lunch, finding a mentor teacher, getting to know a new teacher each month, participating in your school or regional professional development opportunities the list goes on. Taking the approach of supporting others so you can be supported is never a bad idea either. At the end of the day, teachers have to have each other\u2019s backs so when you see a fellow teacher having a tough day, lend an ear or ask how you can help. Through that connection you\u2019ll probably feel more comfortable asking for support when you experience new challenges.\u00a0And as a bonus, you may just have a new work best friend on campus!<\/p>\n

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Mistake #4: Neglecting Classroom Management & Parent Communication<\/h2>\n

Let\u2019s look at a few examples that will help create effective classroom rules:<\/p>\n

Assign roles to students<\/h3>\n

\u2022 Your classroom is their classroom and something to help boost your classroom management is giving students roles to have so that they can own the space that they share with you. For example, you can have table leaders who pass out worksheets, bathroom monitors who help new students find their way back if it\u2019s their first time on campus, homework collectors who deliver student work, tech support who help display that language arts activity, etc. Students taking ownership of their room teaches core values like hard work and responsibility. Plus, who doesn\u2019t need extra hands helping with everyday tasks?<\/p>\n

Redirection Techniques<\/h3>\n

In my teaching experience if a student is having trouble focusing and causing a distraction you can:
\n\u25e6 Acknowledge the Behavior: calmly speak to the student
\n\u25e6 Provide an Alternative Action: give them a task or job
\n\u25e6 Positive Reinforcement: give them a big thank you or prize for following directions<\/p>\n

Parental Communication<\/h3>\n

Daily Communication:<\/h4>\n