starting first year of teaching
So what do I do now if I am starting a full time teaching job for the first time?
Here are some tips for getting started in you new teaching job, follow these and you can be confident that you will survive your first year.
Here are some tips for getting started in you new teaching job, follow these and you can be confident that you will survive your first year.
Before you begin
Your first ever day and year will only happen once in a lifetime!
Here are a few things to consider before school starts:
For more ideas:
10 things to do before school starts
http://teach4theheart.com/2015/07/20/10-things-to-do-before-school-starts/
Here are a few things to consider before school starts:
- Start getting organised - e.g. gather ideas for the year
- Get into the school and classroom when you can, set up and decorate the classroom
- Make a list of what you can do - e.g. Word charts, jobs, timetable words, posters, organise resources
- Think about your classroom management strategies
For more ideas:
10 things to do before school starts
http://teach4theheart.com/2015/07/20/10-things-to-do-before-school-starts/
familiarise yourself
Make sure you familiarise yourself in these areas to ease into a new job at a new place:
- The school environment - take a tour around with your class to show new students around the school
- Funding and roles in the school - go to the information page here
- The surrounding area - community involvement, SES
- School and class routine - Bell times, assembly, class timetable
- Programs - whole school programs, extra curricular activities, sport teams etc.
- DEC Portal - Allows you to access the internet, intranets, email and DEC applications and services
getting to know your students
Firstly, let the students get to know you, let them see you as a human
rather than an authority figure.
Tell them:
Use activities such as:
Strategies to learn names:
Send a letter home to parents to find out more about your students
https://www.teachervision.com/tv/printables/InfofromParents.pdf
Play games that will allow you to get to know your students
https://www.teachervision.com/classroom-management/lesson-plan/2246.html
Tell them:
- Your educational experiences
- Your hobbies and interests
- Places you have travelled
- Books you like to read
- Pets you own
Use activities such as:
- Students create and decorate name tags, book covers, classroom door display
- Get to know you bingo: complete a challenge of find someone who...has been overseas, is the youngest child, has their birthday in March etc.
- Ice Breaker games (click here to go to our fun and games page for ideas)
Strategies to learn names:
- Everyone sits in a circle, including you.
- Explain that you are going to practice each other's names. Therefore it's very important that they listen and make eye contact with people who are speaking.
- You go first; say your name and then hand the ball off, rotating the ball clockwise around the circle. The next student says your name, his name, and then hands off the ball to the next student. That student says your name, the previous student's name, and then his name. Proceed in this pattern around the circle. Allow the students to help each other remember the names.
- Now, sitting in the same circle, roll the ball to a student. She should say your name and then her name. She should then roll the ball towards another student, saying that student's name. Continue this until everyone has been named.
- Have the students stand up and scramble the circle. Try remembering everyone's name with one of the above procedures
Send a letter home to parents to find out more about your students
https://www.teachervision.com/tv/printables/InfofromParents.pdf
Play games that will allow you to get to know your students
https://www.teachervision.com/classroom-management/lesson-plan/2246.html
build your support network
Building a support network ensures that you can always find the help you need and people to rely on. There is nothing worse than feeling lost and on your own. Remember to sustain the relationships you have built throughout your life and degree but you will also start new ones along the way. They will become your foundation and support, the image below is an analogy of this.
teacher accreditation
for more information
Mehorter, B. 2015, "Resourcing the (primary) teacher: A great start!", lecture, EDPD402, University of Wollongong, delivered 17, August.
Teacher Vision 2015, Getting to know your students, accessed 20/8/2015, https://www.teachervision.com/students/resource/2878.html
Teacher Vision 2015, Getting to know your students, accessed 20/8/2015, https://www.teachervision.com/students/resource/2878.html