Advice for First Year Teachers: Don’t Listen to Everybody, Be Sure to Listen to Yourself
- Teaching More Than Math
- Jul 23, 2020
- 6 min read
Prior to and during my first year teaching I heard what many new teachers will hear, “don’t smile until December.” I was told not to joke and play around. I heard all about how teachers have to be tough on the kids otherwise they will walk all over you. That advice played out in the halls as adults yelled at kids: “Get over here” “Why did you do that,” “What’s wrong with you?” “I told you not to do that.” I even yelled some of those things to the students. There was a lot of scolding, a lot of demanding compliance, a lot of authority. At the end of my first year there was also a lot of regret.
I can remember going to see a counselor after my first year and saying “I was not the teacher I thought I would be. I am not the teacher I envisioned.” I found myself yelling at students and I was trying to demand they follow my rules. I was making rules because I thought it would make my students fall in line. I was overreaching and overreacting, so the kids would not walk all over me. It was making me miserable. I had been convinced to be afraid of a room full of 11 and 12 years old.
I hate thinking back to that part of my first year teaching. What I was teaching students was for them to be compliant while I was modeling how to be authoritative. While students need to follow rules, I would much rather use leadership skills to accomplish that than authoritative attributes. I would much rather hold steadfast to my compassionate side. There are meaningful reasons I became a teacher. In all the advice, all of the chaos, and all of the unexpected stress I couldn’t hear my own voice. I’m here to remind you to listen to yourself. Remember why you became a teacher; I have never heard anyone say they became a teacher “to boss little kids around.” This is the advice I would give a first year teacher, the advice I would give myself, and what I would do if I could do my first year over:
Show Students Respect First
Don’t fool compliance with respect. Teachers should not expect respect in a way he/she refuses to show students first. That sets a poor example. It’s a teacher’s job to educate children. I took this job with hopes of educating the whole child. I understand my actions speak louder than words. If I want these kids to respect me, I must respect them. I must show them what respect looks like, so they know how to reciprocate it. What I can not do, with all the knowledge and understanding I have, is believe demanding respect (without giving it) is productive. Many children do not have a model of what respect looks and feels like. I can not keep telling them to do something they don’t understand. Tell, show, do.
Think About How to Handle Student Behaviors
One of the most surprising and challenging things for me during my first year was the way students spoke back to me. It took a lot of reflection to realize how much the students were mirroring me and responding to my energy. I was stressed. When I reflected on when students responded poorly I was able to identify actions, comments, and my tone that produced poor responses from students. I yelled at the kids and was surprised they yelled back.
Here are some of the most common times students responded negatively:
When responding to students in front of the class. I did not anticipate the volume of students publicly raising their hand during a lesson with a grievance for all to hear.
Engaging with students when they were upset.
The bathroom.
Students who shut down or act negatively when they do not understand how to do the work. I was not prepared for the major differences in skill level.
I have been able to find preemptive processes and solutions to all of these problems. I have implemented a flag system to replace hands so I respond personally to a student's desk for all concerns. This has created a pretty private dialogue between me and the student with a need/concern. A lot of classroom management and built in educational supports have greatly reduced the incidents of upset students. I let go of bathroom rules that make students crazy. Just let them go to the bathroom. I created a running log out sheet in Google Sheets so students can independently keep track. It’s a yes to everybody, so they can’t be mad at me any more. I know the students who need help with math, so I plan supports for them, lots of support. It allows them to keep up with class. That doesn’t stop emotional and behavioral outbursts. Plan to come up with an arsenal of strategies. Use a drink breaks to let students cool off, speak to students outside the door, give the option for an alternative task, or ask students to take a walk to see a counselor if needed.
Build Connections and Help Students Feel Valued
Be attentive, be positive, be caring, and make connections as soon as possible. That means smiling. Think about the best way for teachers to learn and grow. It is not with an administrator that just feeds rules and expectations. Teachers develop more fully when they are in a connected community with colleagues and administrators who smile and connect with them personally and professionally. Teachers grow when administrators highlight all of the things a person does right. When an administration acts caring, teachers want the administrator to care about them. Likewise when an administrator is not caring, people don’t care back- not about impressing the administrator because it will seem pointless.
Students are humans. The deserve to grow and develop in a positive learning environment with a teacher who can make them feel valued and cared for. When teachers value hard work, good performance, and provide many opportunities for improvement students are likely to take all of those opportunities to be valued. Kids want to be valued, so give them opportunity to be valued. “Kids do well if they can” - Dr. Green.
Be a Leader, Not an Authoritarian
I recognize I can be wrong, rules can be wrong. That is very clear when looking at how I adjusted my behavior and rules from year one to year two. So humanize yourself. Apologize when it is appropriate and share personal mistakes. When a teacher is open to hearing why students don’t appreciate certain rules (ie bathroom rules) and open to modifying rules and providing flexibility it models productive ways to exist in communities, families, and organizations. Students will also have a model of positive leadership behaviors when they do not agree with said classroom rules.
Pushing for compliance is unnecessary. I don’t want to be the end all be all authority. I am also here to learn. I want to be the leader in their learning journey. I want them to want to come along for the ride. I want them to be excited to come to class. All of that is possible.
Plan to inspire students to want to be a part of the classroom community. Be positive about how much they will learn and grow. Remind them where they came from and where they are going. Lead them on a journey.
Go Easy On Yourself
The one thing “everyone” gets right about the first year is that it does get easier. Everyone needs to go through the first year to develop a plan that will work for themselves. I knew I wanted to prevent students from using phones in my class. I did not know what the best way to do that was until I became desperate for something different due to the failure in my attempt the first year. I didn’t know how big of a disruption kids going to the bathroom would be. I didn’t know what it would feel like to have a student become aggressive in his tone and words. I didn’t know I would respond the way I did. The first year is a learning year.
Reflect, Reflect, Reflect
Who I planned to be, who I thought I was as a person, and how I acted out my first year was not even close to the same person. I also experienced a deeply stressful life event in September of my first year. That personal stress carried through everything I did that year. When the stress settled that summer, I was able to reflect and refocus. I was able to jump start my journey to become the teacher I envisioned.
I did take time to write reflections during my first year. I struggled to make effective evaluations and adjustments with the cloud of stress challenging my typical thought process. I wish I could have heeded my above advice to go easy on myself. I can do that now when I reflect back. I am also grateful for all of the notes I wrote at the time. They are a reminder of how far I have come.
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