Help for new English teachers is here! That first year in the classroom can be pretty challenging. Here are a few tips that may help!
You Don't Have To Know EVERYTHING
Even though my first year of teaching was back in 1980 (I know, that was a loooonnnng time ago!), I vividly remember feeling so inadequate. I wanted to be that font of information, gushing forth bountiful insights about every book I taught--and having perfect answers for every question. I wanted to be like the literature teachers I had and admired, who were so full of interesting details and insights.
What I discovered is that while having a good basic knowledge of the book is important, you don't need to know everything that your literature professors knew about it. It is more important on the K-12 level to use the book to reach your students, build relationships with them, teach them important skills like critical thinking and writing, and help them build a love of reading. On the K-12 level, it isn't about The Book; it's about Your Students. The Book is just a means to relationships and skills development.
Don't Be Afraid To Ask Questions
Every teacher in your department was once a new teacher. Find some veteran teachers who are willing to be mentors for you, and don't be afraid to ask for their advice or ideas. Don't be a pest and nuisance they dread to see coming, but when you're stuck and need a helping hand, don't hesitate to ask. Most veteran teachers will be willing to take at least a few minutes to help you.
Likewise, if you come upon a really good resource that you find helpful, you might tell your mentor about it, to offer something in return for their mentoring.
Remember That Your Students Are Important
It's easy to get caught up in writing "perfect" lesson plans, meeting standards, making IEPs, creating cool bulletin boards and room decorations, and all the rest of it. Remember your students are people--important people--and you are there to interact with them, not to focus on all the peripheral stuff. The things you do are, ultimately, FOR them, but don't forget to interact WITH them. Particularly in middle and high school, it's easy to fall into the trap of teaching TO them rather than teaching THEM.
Take Care Of Yourself
At the beginning, there's lots of wonder and enthusiasm. By about Thanksgiving, a feeling of being overwhelmed sometimes creeps in. By the end of the calendar year, many first-year teachers feel like giving up.
Part of the reason for this progression is that most teachers are asked to do more than is possible for one human person, especially a person new to teaching, to do. To keep from getting overwhelmed, stay calm, set priorities, do your best to stay organized, and be sure to take care of yourself. Eat well, get enough sleep, save some time for your own family and friends, and learn to say, "No" when what someone asks of you is beyond your priorities and you truly don't have the time to do it.
You will be no good to anyone (especially yourself) if you are run down, frazzled, feeling defeated, or ill. Do what you can to preserve your own self and energy, and other things won't seem so bad.
Think About The Teachers You Had And Loved
In most cases, we don't remember teachers who just showed us how to write a 5-paragraph essay or knew the intricate details of Shakespeare's life. We don't remember fondly the teachers who simply gave us papers to fill out at our desks every day while they sat at their desks. We remember the teachers who cared, the ones who gave us confidence, showed us the "hows" and "whys" of things, and/or went out of their way to do something extra for us. They were genuinely interested in helping us and did their best to encourage and educate us. Be THAT teacher in your own way.
Remember that little things matter: a nod of confidence, a fist-bump celebration, a little comment. The little things build trust, confidence, and rapport. Without trust, confidence, and rapport with your students, teaching can be difficult because classroom management can be difficult without these elements.
So, in your own way, do the little things that the teachers you loved and respected did.
Not Everything Has To Be Done From Scratch
More than ever before, there are resources "out here" to help you. There's lots of free stuff on the Internet, websites that offer awesome platforms for various activities, videos on YouTube about EVERYTHING, courses that are offered, teacher groups to talk with and learn from on social media, and so much more. You aren't alone, and you don't have to do everything by yourself, from scratch, in your classroom or home office. A simple Internet search for whatever you are looking for usually shows up many helpful options.
As much as we all would love to create our own, personalized, perfectly awesome things for our students and our classrooms, alas, time and energy are limited. Sanity must prevail (lol). Go ahead and get, use, purchase if you have to and can, whatever is available to help yourself and your students.
It is, in fact, better to "give in" and use premade resources that help you keep from re-inventing the wheel, so to speak. Spend your planning time on things that only you can do for your students. Not taking this approach will waste your precious time and drive you crazy.
Be Grateful And Stay Positive
Every day, stop and think about what good things happened that day. It's easy to remember the frustrations, the errors, the rudeness or thoughtlessness of others, and everything that went wrong. Daily remind yourself of what was right, good, awesome, and positive in your day.
Moreso than ever before, I think, there are people who seem to live to complain about anything and everything from what was wrong with their breakfast cereal to politics and religion and social justice, the school, the other teachers, the students, their spouses, their children, their neighbors. Avoid those people and don't become one of them if you can help it.
Spend time with positive people and try to be one yourself. Life is short, and spending it wallowing in negativity isn't a recipe for having a happy one. Read Jerry Spinelli's short novel Stargirl. Be yourself, look for the better side of things, and be happy.
If you need help choosing a book or finding resources for a novel or just want to ask an English teaching or classroom-related question, you can always contact me via my website. I'm always happy to try to help in whatever way I can.
Teaching isn't easy, but it can be so rewarding! If you are a veteran teacher, please share some of your best tips in the comments below, to help some new teachers as they begin their journeys!