See Me After Class Part 1

SEE ME AFTER CLa.s.s.

by ROXANNA E ELDEN.

1.

What This Book Is ...

and Is NotSome teachers are naturals from the first day. They instinctively motivate students, set high expectations, and manage-not discipline-their cla.s.ses. They stay positive and organized, tracking progress in binders of color-coded data and planning lessons that address each child's unique learning modality. These teachers don't just teach-they inspire! They spring out of bed each morning knowing materials are laid out, papers are graded, and their cla.s.srooms are welcoming environments where all students can succeed. This book is not for them.This book is for anyone who wishes those teachers would stop telling you how organized they are while you stare at a growing stack of ungraded essays. It's for those of you who are sleeping less than ever before, raising your voices louder than you ever imagined you would, and wondering why kids take sooooo long in the bathroom and often come out covered in water. This is for any new teacher wondering whether to get out of bed at all.Read this when a lesson goes horribly wrong, when your whole cla.s.s "forgets" a major project, or when a parent curses at you in front of the kids. Pull it out at lunch on a bad day or on Sunday night as you battle those six-more-hours-till-Monday stomach cramps. This is meant to get you to school tomorrow tomorrow.But first, a few warnings ...

This Book Is Not Professional DevelopmentNo book can replace the difficult, necessary process of learning to teach. Read this after you have attended more than enough workshops, received so many lists of recommended books you get tired from reading the lists, and gotten plenty of advice about time-consuming things you could do to be a better teacher. I'm a.s.suming you've heard the terms benchmark, cla.s.sroom management benchmark, cla.s.sroom management, and data-driven instruction data-driven instruction. You also know which of these describes what you were doing wrong when your princ.i.p.al walked in.You may even be enrolled in a certification program, where you spend some of the longest hours of your life watching PowerPoint presentations on the importance of hands-on lessons, taking multiple-choice practice tests, and praying this isn't how your students feel while you're teaching.This book is meant to keep you from getting discouraged when it seems like all those fabulous ideas you learned in training don't work in your own cla.s.sroom: no one understands the directions, and it turns out you had no business giving those kids glue in the first place, and it also turns out the National Geographic National Geographic magazines you found cheap and felt great about became a gallery of nude pictures for your sixth-graders. It's also for the next day, when parents show up to complain-even though their kids are downloading much more graphic pictures on their home computers and bringing them to school ... which is why their printers ran out of ink ... which is why their projects aren't finished. magazines you found cheap and felt great about became a gallery of nude pictures for your sixth-graders. It's also for the next day, when parents show up to complain-even though their kids are downloading much more graphic pictures on their home computers and bringing them to school ... which is why their printers ran out of ink ... which is why their projects aren't finished.You, on the other hand, still have to prepare that sample hands-on lesson plan for your training cla.s.s tonight.

This Book Is Not Chicken Soup Chicken Soup for the Teacher's SoulIt's more like Hard Liquor for the Teacher's Soul Hard Liquor for the Teacher's Soul-new teachers need something stronger than chicken soup. Read this on the days when any book by a teacher who taught kids to play violin during lunch or took busloads of perfectly behaved fifth-graders on a tour of college campuses makes you want to beat your head against the wall until pieces of scalp and hair are all over the place.The basis for this book is an idea that worked for me: teachers willing to admit their mistakes are much more helpful to rookies than those who say, "Well, they would know better than to do that in my my cla.s.s." The stories in this book should be bad enough to make you feel better. cla.s.s." The stories in this book should be bad enough to make you feel better.The real reason to feel better, though, is that all the people who shared their stories in this book went on to become successful, experienced teachers. They're not administrators (who, don't get me wrong, do important jobs). They're not counselors (who also do important jobs). They're not presenters or auditors from a downtown office (who do ... jobs).They are teachers. In cla.s.srooms. And they love it-most days.

This Book Is Not Teaching for Dummies Teaching for DummiesDummies shouldn't be teachers. As a country, we need educators who have brains, dedication, enthusiasm, and common sense. We need people who want to change things in the schools where things most need to change.But we need you to stay at your jobs, and stay sane.Acting like a hard job can be done easily is a sure way to do it wrong. The knowledge teachers need is complicated, it's important, and it's way more than anyone can learn in one year. The great teachers of the future know they're not great yet. They know they're making mistakes, and some of those mistakes are big. They're sorting through a million pieces of advice, each starting with the words "All you have to do is ... ," until they want to lie on their backs in the school hallway and yell, "This is all the time and energy I have! Can someone please tell me what I should really spend it on?"If you can relate to the preceding paragraph, you were my inspiration. And this book is for you.

2.

The Ten Things You Will Wish Someone Had Told You"If someone had told me everything I needed to know before I started teaching, it wouldn't have mattered. I wouldn't have listened anyway. I was better and knew more than anyone. I was exactly the kind of new teacher I'd like to help. Talk about ironywouldn't have listened to myself even after I had been through the school of hard knocks. Still, maybe other new teachers aren't as stubborn and hardheaded as I was."-16-year teacherDon't misunderstand. We need to need to be stubborn. If you've watched any movies about inspiring teachers, you know part of our job description is making the impossible possible-and that's just before lunch. be stubborn. If you've watched any movies about inspiring teachers, you know part of our job description is making the impossible possible-and that's just before lunch.But then we need to line up the cla.s.s for lunch, and someone in back keeps pus.h.i.+ng, which makes other kids whine, and you can't tell who's talking in the front, but one of his or her friends just started kicking the door, and the noise level keeps going up until, "THERE IS NO WAY WE ARE LEAVING THIS CLa.s.sROOM UNTIL YOU CAN LINE UP THE RIGHT WAY!" Hey. That wasn't in the script.It's important to set the bar high in education, but as a new teacher, I was desperate for someone to break the "stay positive" code and say, "Yes, this happens in my cla.s.sroom, too. There are no easy answers, but here's how I deal with it." I was waiting for others to admit they had doubted their own abilities, made their own mistakes. I am still waiting to see an "inspiring teacher" movie in which the teacher actually grades papers.In interviews for this book, there were ten main things teachers wished someone had told them earlier. No doubt you have heard some of these, but they are worth repeating. If you haven't heard them all, you will be glad you're hearing them now.1. A Lot of the "Advice" You Get Will Make You Feel Worse, Not Better"I went to an in-service where the presenter said, 'Well, we all know yelling doesn't work,' like it was the most obvious thing in the world. I saw other teachers nodding, even some who I had heard screaming at their students. At that point in the year the only way I could get my cla.s.s's attention was by yelling at the top of my lungs. I had to yell louder and louder as time went on until I was losing my voice. I asked a teacher with a perfectly behaved cla.s.s how she got kids to be quiet without screaming. All she said was 'They know I mean business.'"You will hear lots of advice your first year. Some will be good, but you won't be able to put it into practice right away. Some will be bad, but you won't realize that until you have more experience. Either way, advice will come from three main sources: - [image]Professional development As you attend training sessions, you will learn that if your students are not using "learning logs," your entire year may be a waste of time. Some of the kids may even "unlearn" everything they have learned in their lives. No, wait! Kids can't understand what they read unless you have done pre-reading activities with manipulatives. No, sorry, that's wrong, too. Research has shown that any sentence beginning "Research has shown ..." can end in many contradictory ways, especially if someone is trying to sell something. As you attend training sessions, you will learn that if your students are not using "learning logs," your entire year may be a waste of time. Some of the kids may even "unlearn" everything they have learned in their lives. No, wait! Kids can't understand what they read unless you have done pre-reading activities with manipulatives. No, sorry, that's wrong, too. Research has shown that any sentence beginning "Research has shown ..." can end in many contradictory ways, especially if someone is trying to sell something.

- [image]Other teachers Experienced teachers generally have the information you need. Unfortunately, some coworkers have trouble explaining their techniques. Others give advice based on what they think they should be doing instead of providing honest answers. This makes you feel inadequate without helping you at all. Experienced teachers generally have the information you need. Unfortunately, some coworkers have trouble explaining their techniques. Others give advice based on what they think they should be doing instead of providing honest answers. This makes you feel inadequate without helping you at all.

- [image]Nonteachers For some reason, people who work with other adults are eager to tell teachers what they would do For some reason, people who work with other adults are eager to tell teachers what they would do if they were if they were teachers. This is unfortunate. After a long, unrewarding day, suggestions like "Let them know you care" or "Try making it fun" from people who've never taught will make you want to rip off your head-or theirs-and roll it down the street like a bowling ball. Remember, they mean well. teachers. This is unfortunate. After a long, unrewarding day, suggestions like "Let them know you care" or "Try making it fun" from people who've never taught will make you want to rip off your head-or theirs-and roll it down the street like a bowling ball. Remember, they mean well.

2. Your Cla.s.sroom Is Your First Responsibility"To prove myself, I signed up to teach night school, tutored on Sat.u.r.days, and sponsored the volleyball team. I was at school for 12 hours on a short day and still had to bring papers home. I spread myself so thin I was ineffective in everything"Unless you were specifically hired to run a program or coach, don't take on other responsibilities until you have a firm grip on teaching. Managing a team or planning a camping trip is beautiful, but these things can become your worst nightmare when grades are due the next day and you still have to track down parents who haven't signed permission slips. Be sure you can walk before you try to run-or before you sign up for anything that involves selling candy bars.3. You Can't Change Everything Your First Year, and You Shouldn't Try To"I've seen some rookies enter the cla.s.sroom determined to correct all the mistakes committed by teachers before them. They are sure they will fix what is wrong with education. This just isn't gonna happen! If you start out trying to fix every problem, you will quickly burn out. We lose a couple of new teachers every year before Christmas. Sometimes a teacher who came in talking about changing the system will just up and quit during a cla.s.s-just get up and walk out. This is the worst thing teachers can do to their students."When I was interviewing teachers for this book, the saying "Pick your battles" came up too many times to count. As a fresh observer, you will certainly notice some imperfections in the way your school operates. You may see some things that are unfair or inefficient, and some that even slap common sense right in the face. Still, resist the urge to fight the system your first year and focus on making yourself the best teacher you can be under the circ.u.mstances. One part of being a great teacher is learning to function in a dysfunctional environment. Save your fighting strength until you have enough experience to be taken seriously, and until you know which battles to fight.4. Ask for and Accept Help"I thought using the textbook was a sign of laziness, and using other Teachers' ideas showed I couldn't think of my own. I believed I was going above and beyond by doing everything myself. In fact, my pride in my originality kept my students from learning everything they could have."As rookies, we often feel the only way to be a good teacher is to come up with original lessons every night, create our own worksheets, collect real-world examples, write reading materials ourselves, or buy books and cover them with homemade paper. While you will probably create some of your own learning tools, be open to using ideas from the professionals around you. If you have textbooks, understand that they, too, are written by professionals who have taught your subject. Use other people's work as a starting point. Creativity and effort are important, but reinventing the wheel is not the best use of either one.5. Your Students Are Kids, No Matter How Big They Are"This huge, thuggish-looking kid walked into my room like he would just step on me if I told him to do anything. He turned out to be a nice, hardworking student. My biggest behavior problem that year was a kid who was about 4'11."If you are an average-sized adult in a high school or middle school, expect that some students will be taller, wider, and physically stronger than you. Don't let your students' sizes intimidate you or make you forget they still need you to teach and care about them. As part of a well-run cla.s.sroom, kids of any size will listen to you.6. You Are Not Your students' Friend-They Don't Even Have to Like You at First"Everyone tells you not to try to befriends with students, but for many young teachers, it's hard to play the role of a nerdy or uptight adult. At some point, you will be tempted to let cla.s.sroom management slip because you want kids to like you-or at least recognize you as the cool teacher you know you are. Unfortunately, freedom is easier to give than to take away, and getting the students to like you is a losing effort anyway, because they won't ever like you the way they like their friends. You're an authority figure. Act like one, and the kids will grow to respect you and like you-as a teacher."If you are too worried about students liking you, they will pick up on this and be very sweet at first, then run around your room like animals and cause property damage the rest of the year. You, meanwhile, will turn into the incarnation of evil as you try to tighten the reins. At the end of the year, the kids won't even like you. They will like the teacher who was "too strict" for a few months and had the luxury of showing a human side once things were under control.7. Make a Schedule for Paperwork"It would have been helpful if I had known to set aside specific times to grade and not think I would 'just get it done.' I didn't. I hate grading, and I need a schedule to force me to do it."Beginning teachers often feel they need the entire night to plan the next day's lessons, so ungraded papers can pile up fast. You begin by telling yourself you will catch up over the weekend. Unfortunately, just because you bring student work home doesn't mean it will come back graded. In fact, the larger a pile of paper is, the less you want to deal with it, so you may just spend your weekends staring at it or separating it into smaller piles. Meanwhile, students continue to hand in work. Now throw in some seemingly useless district a.s.sessments-due two days ago-and you begin to hear the ticking of a paperwork time bomb. There are two things to remember about paperwork: First, it is a much larger part of your job than you imagined it would be. Second, it is never completely finished. One of the best presents you can give yourself as a teacher is to make a schedule for grading and stick to it.8. Teaching Is Physically Exhausting"At my first job, roosters in the schoolyard made their first noises as I walked into school. For a while, I thought I was waking them up."As a first-year teacher, you often drive to and from work in the dark. You stay on your feet most of the day. Your remaining energy is drained by the feeling that kids will hurt themselves or others if you turn your head for a second. When you finally get home, all you want to do is sleep, but you have to plan or you won't know what you're doing the next day. You are never really done working. By Friday, you feel like falling asleep on the drive home.9. Lock Your Door When You Leave the Room"Some of the newer teachers at my school leave their doors open because they are 'just stepping out for a minute.' I always warn them a lot can happen in a minute."Wear your cla.s.sroom keys around your neck or wrist. If you can't find your keys easily, you'll be tempted to leave your room unlocked. Elementary school teachers probably think this advice applies only to high school. Grade school kids are little and cute, right? They'd be terrified of going into a cla.s.sroom when they weren't supposed to, right? I mean, it's not like two of your sweetest, best-behaved fourth-graders would sneak out of line at the end of the day, hide in the boys' bathroom, sneak back into the room, open your desk drawer, steal an expensive toy belonging to their cla.s.smate, and let you come back into the room with the girl's mother to find a $100 toy inexplicably missing, right? Wrong. Lock your door.10. Things Will Get Better"Don't give up on your students. They will grow and mature during the school year. Most important, don't give up on yourself. For whatever reason, you decided to become a teacher. No matter how difficult your teaching a.s.signment is, that reason is still valid. Explain, explain, and explain again. Be patient with your students. Check for their understanding to be sure they are with you. If they don't get it the first time, it doesn't mean you 're failing as a teacher. You simply have to keep trying going, and reflecting-and you will improve. This means your students will improve."At some point during this year, you may wonder whether you would have considered being a teacher if you knew what was ahead of you. The answer is yes. The reason so many people have done this for so many years is that certain moments in this profession more than make up for your worst days. When these moments finally come, you will understand why everything else was worth it.

3.

First DazeYou know the first day of school is the most important, right? Of course you know the first day of school is the most important. You received multiple copies of a 337-page book on the importance of the first day of school. You spent months planning for the first day of school and ... you messed up the first day of school. Now what?This chapter addresses the three questions most new teachers have about the first day of school: "Where do I start?" "What should I expect?" and, most important, "What if my first day doesn't go as planned?" (because it never does).Where You StartFirst-Day Shopping ListThe rookie-teacher shopping instinct is to buy every object you might use for any possible lesson you might think of one day. When I cleaned out my fourth-grade cla.s.sroom, I found a strange collection of toys, magnetic letters, and dollar-store puzzle books, still unopened in a cabinet after two years. I had also spent my own money on supplies the school later gave us for free. Yet my first day I didn't have a stapler or rubber bands-two things I needed badly. The following is a list of supplies you may want in stock before school starts, but check what your school provides before buying anything on your own.BEFORE-SCHOOL SHOPPING LISTSSupplies to Buy at Dollar or Discount StoreHit the cheap stores first. You will blow a high enough percentage of your puny salary on cla.s.sroom supplies this year-you don't need the best-quality staples.

- [image]Manila folders (one for each student and at least 100 extra).

- [image]Colored computer paper (buy white paper only if your school does not provide it or you have to slay an evil dragon to get 20 sheets of paper).

- [image]Colored pens for grading.

- [image]Staplers.

- [image]Staples.

- [image]Paperclips.

- [image]Rubber hands.

- [image]Sticky notes.

- [image]Scissors.

- [image]Scotch tape.

- [image]Clear packing tape.

- [image]A three-hole punch.

- [image]A digital kitchen timer.

- [image]Dry-erase markers or chalk for the board.

- [image]Wet-erase or overhead markers if you use a projector.

- [image]Chalkboard erasers.

- [image]A spray bottle.

- [image]Paper towels.

- [image]Tissues.

- [image]Hand sanitizer.

- [image]Spray cleaner or disinfectant wipes.

Supplies to Get at an Office Supply StoreOffice supply stores are a little more expensive, hut they offer a big, professional-looking selection. Don't forget to ask for your teacher discount.

- [image]Anything on the preceding list you couldn't find at other stores.

- [image]File boxes (if you have no file drawers or plan to use hanging folders for student work).

- [image]Hanging folders (if you buy the file boxes).

- [image]Stackable trays to organize incoming papers (at least six if you plan to use the system described in Chapter 5 of this book).

- [image]A box of presharpened lotto pencils (to lend to students as needed).

Supplies to Get at the Teacher Supply StoreTeacher supply stores are the most expensive, but they sell things you can't find at other stores, like pictures of animals making inspirational statements. Keep in mind that the teacher supply store the week before school starts is like Toys "R" Us on Christmas Eve. It can get ugly.

- [image]Something to cover your walls: Most schools supply paper for your bulletin boards. Some provide the border that goes around them, but if you want the fancy stuff with pictures on it, you probably have to buy it yourself. You may also want posters or decorations to make your room feel like a real cla.s.sroom.

- [image]Sticky stuff to put up posters: Sticking decorations to your cla.s.sroom walls for the whole year usually takes more than tape. There are many options, but I recommend double-sided foam tape.

- [image]E-Z Grader: This tool helps you quickly calculate percentages on a.s.signments. It costs about six dollars, and you'll know why it's worth it when you grade your first 17-question quiz.

- [image]Stickers: This is one area where the teacher supply store usually has the best value. You can get packages of 800 stickers for less than five dollars.

- [image]A whole bunch of other stuff you didn't know you needed: You'll see what I mean.

What to Include in Your First-Day Lesson PlanPlease don't take your first-day cues from any movie where the teacher stands on a desk. The first day of cla.s.s should be the most structured day of the year, not the most exciting. It's all about setting the tone so that you can teach with minimum drama the rest of the year. Your first-day lesson plan is really more of a checklist, and it should include the following elements (most of them will take less time than you expect): - [image]Meeting students at the door and quietly directing them to an a.s.signed seat.

- [image]Taking attendance and processing no-show students while the cla.s.s works quietly.

- [image]Arranging paperwork for the office while the cla.s.s works quietly.

- [image]Learning as many of your students' names as possible while the cla.s.s works quietly.

- [image]Collecting parent contact information before students realize they don't want you to have their parents' contact information (while the cla.s.s works quietly).

- [image]Explaining expectations to older students and practicing procedures with younger students.

- [image]a.s.signing homework you plan to collect and grade, even if you are only asking students to get papers signed.

Papers You May Want to Give Out the First DayStudent Information Sheet Schools require parents to fill out emergency information cards, but you will still want to make a form of your own. Older kids can fill this out in cla.s.s. Younger students should take it home. This paper should include any information you might want later in the year, like home languages or after-school activities. You should also collect as many forms of parent contact info as possible. You can put these in a binder or tape them to the front of manila folders to create the record files described in Chapter 5. Schools require parents to fill out emergency information cards, but you will still want to make a form of your own. Older kids can fill this out in cla.s.s. Younger students should take it home. This paper should include any information you might want later in the year, like home languages or after-school activities. You should also collect as many forms of parent contact info as possible. You can put these in a binder or tape them to the front of manila folders to create the record files described in Chapter 5.Student Interest Survey The student interest survey serves two purposes. First, it helps you get to know your students as people. Second, it keeps students busy and quiet while you juggle the demands of the first day. Ask questions that require long answers, but don't expect the survey to take up too much time. A two-page survey can take as little as 10 minutes. The student interest survey serves two purposes. First, it helps you get to know your students as people. Second, it keeps students busy and quiet while you juggle the demands of the first day. Ask questions that require long answers, but don't expect the survey to take up too much time. A two-page survey can take as little as 10 minutes.Parent Letter or Syllabus A letter to parents or a syllabus can explain your expectations, rules, supply list, grading scale, and what you plan to cover in the cla.s.s. Don't go into more detail than you can be sure of. Students should have their parents sign the letter or the last page of the syllabus and return it for a grade. A letter to parents or a syllabus can explain your expectations, rules, supply list, grading scale, and what you plan to cover in the cla.s.s. Don't go into more detail than you can be sure of. Students should have their parents sign the letter or the last page of the syllabus and return it for a grade.Supply List If your list of supplies is too long to include in your parent letter or syllabus, send it separately. Talk to coworkers for an idea of what families are used to sending. For younger grades, include cla.s.sroom supplies like tissues and hand sanitizer-a cla.s.s of 30 runny noses and 60 dirty hands goes through these things quickly. If your list of supplies is too long to include in your parent letter or syllabus, send it separately. Talk to coworkers for an idea of what families are used to sending. For younger grades, include cla.s.sroom supplies like tissues and hand sanitizer-a cla.s.s of 30 runny noses and 60 dirty hands goes through these things quickly.Procedures Make a list of procedures you expect students to follow. Write at a level they can understand. Make a list of procedures you expect students to follow. Write at a level they can understand.Long Writing a.s.signment or Activity Packet If your students are old enough to write on their own, have a long writing a.s.signment prepared for the first day. A well-planned prompt can help you get to know your students, their writing, and their motivation levels. More important, it will take up at least half an hour of cla.s.s time. If you have other things planned and don't get to it, that's fine. However, if you are stuck with an empty half hour after you finish your first-day plans, trust me, you will wish you had a writing a.s.signment. If students are too young to write, make an activity packet based on the letters of the alphabet to keep them coloring for a while. If your students are old enough to write on their own, have a long writing a.s.signment prepared for the first day. A well-planned prompt can help you get to know your students, their writing, and their motivation levels. More important, it will take up at least half an hour of cla.s.s time. If you have other things planned and don't get to it, that's fine. However, if you are stuck with an empty half hour after you finish your first-day plans, trust me, you will wish you had a writing a.s.signment. If students are too young to write, make an activity packet based on the letters of the alphabet to keep them coloring for a while.First-Day Tips from Experienced Teachers"Always start tougher than you really want to be. Try to give consequences early and make an example of the first student who tests a rule. You can always ease up later, but if you hesitate to give consequences for breaking rules, kids will sense that.""Try to learn names as soon as possible. You can give students an index card and ask them to write their names, seat numbers, one identifying detail, and one thing they would like you to know about them. You can use these to call on students for the rest of the day, and to memorize their names as they work.""If you don't think your cla.s.s list will be exact, you may want to label desks with numbers instead of names. I tape playing cards to each desk-ace through nine of each suit-which divides the cla.s.s into four teams. When the kids come in the first day, I hand them a card and say, 'Good morning. Your seat is the one that matches this card. The rest of the directions are on the board.' I make seating charts once I know kids better, but this system keeps kids from sitting with their friends or collecting in the back of the room on the first day." desk-ace through nine of each suit-which divides the cla.s.s into four teams. When the kids come in the first day, I hand them a card and say, 'Good morning. Your seat is the one that matches this card. The rest of the directions are on the board.' I make seating charts once I know kids better, but this system keeps kids from sitting with their friends or collecting in the back of the room on the first day.""Relax, it's the second, third, and fiftieth days you have to worry about."Preparing Your Room and Yourself for StudentsYou may have already had your first totally-unprepared-teacher dream. I still have this dream near the end of every vacation, and most teachers I've discussed it with know exactly what I'm talking about. It changes, of course, but it always goes something like this:(Scary music begins.) You have somehow slept through a week's worth of alarm clocks and it is now your first day of school. You get lost or stuck in traffic, so you show up late, and have to walk past your princ.i.p.al in your pajamas / underwear / clothes-you-went-out-in-last-night. Your cla.s.sroom / subject/cla.s.s list has been changed without warning, so you walk in completely unprepared to teach a huge rowdy cla.s.s that includes every bad child you have ever seen-even bullies from your own school days. Then your princ.i.p.al walks in to observe you ....You wake up sweating and realize it was just a dream, but then a thought hits you: school starts in two weeks, and you're not prepared. (Scary music returns.) Your to-do list swirls into a mental tornado. How will you find time to finish all this stuff?Ten-Day Countdown to the First Day of SchoolEvery district has a different time line, but the following example will help you plan your own schedule to make the most of the time you have left.Ten ... Plan your discipline strategy in as much detail as possible, including rules, incentives, and consequences. Type your rules poster, procedures, and first-day forms. If you feel you don't know exactly what to say, force yourself to type anyway. Revise later. Start avoiding people who say you chose the wrong career or want to explain why they didn't become teachers themselves. ... Plan your discipline strategy in as much detail as possible, including rules, incentives, and consequences. Type your rules poster, procedures, and first-day forms. If you feel you don't know exactly what to say, force yourself to type anyway. Revise later. Start avoiding people who say you chose the wrong career or want to explain why they didn't become teachers themselves.Nine ... Write lesson plans for your first week. Once again, they don't have to be perfect. They just have to be ... Write lesson plans for your first week. Once again, they don't have to be perfect. They just have to be done done.Eight ... Start preparing other cla.s.sroom forms you think you will need: checklists, signature sheets, and so on. Print your rules poster, along with quotes or pictures you want on your walls. ... Start preparing other cla.s.sroom forms you think you will need: checklists, signature sheets, and so on. Print your rules poster, along with quotes or pictures you want on your walls.Seven ... See your cla.s.sroom before the weekend if possible, and find out what supplies your school provides. Check whether you have a working computer and printer in your room and plan accordingly. Get Teachers' guides for the textbooks you will be using, and ask for the curriculum you will need to follow, if any. Meet your princ.i.p.al's administrative a.s.sistant, who you will probably deal with more often than the princ.i.p.al. Check with him or her to be sure you are on a 12-month pay schedule, unless you have another way to support yourself over the summer. Meet the other staff who will affect your quality of life: custodians, zone mechanics, and security. Start arranging your furniture and think about how to organize and decorate. Then head to the stores with your first-day shopping lists. ... See your cla.s.sroom before the weekend if possible, and find out what supplies your school provides. Check whether you have a working computer and printer in your room and plan accordingly. Get Teachers' guides for the textbooks you will be using, and ask for the curriculum you will need to follow, if any. Meet your princ.i.p.al's administrative a.s.sistant, who you will probably deal with more often than the princ.i.p.al. Check with him or her to be sure you are on a 12-month pay schedule, unless you have another way to support yourself over the summer. Meet the other staff who will affect your quality of life: custodians, zone mechanics, and security. Start arranging your furniture and think about how to organize and decorate. Then head to the stores with your first-day shopping lists."I finally made it to room 19, where I flipped the 'call office' b.u.t.ton instead of the light switch three times. I found the lights, apologized to the irritated voice coming over the speaker, and looked around the room. It seemed both huge and tiny at the same time, like the length of the school day. Huge when I thought about how I would be responsible for filling it, tiny when I thought about how much I would have to fit into it effectively."Six ... Finish shopping. Laminate your posters. Make sure the room is arranged the way you want it, and request any furniture you still need. Then start planning. Add specific textbook pages to your lesson plans, and collect materials for your first week's lessons. Try to map out your unit plans for the first month of school. ... Finish shopping. Laminate your posters. Make sure the room is arranged the way you want it, and request any furniture you still need. Then start planning. Add specific textbook pages to your lesson plans, and collect materials for your first week's lessons. Try to map out your unit plans for the first month of school.(Weekend) Try on your first-day outfit. You probably already know you should dress like the professional that you are, but if you are just starting to buy teacher clothes, there are a few other things you should remember. First, find comfortable work shoes!!! Really. You might not sit down for seven and a half hours. If your feet have blisters on them after 20 minutes, it will feel much longer. Second, make sure your clothes cover what you want them to at all times. Lift up your arms and check your reflection. Do you see stomach or back? Lean forward in the mirror. Is this what you want showing when you bend over to help? If you teach, say, kindergarten, imagine sitting on a chair while the children sit on the floor listening to you read. Change outfits as needed. Try on your first-day outfit. You probably already know you should dress like the professional that you are, but if you are just starting to buy teacher clothes, there are a few other things you should remember. First, find comfortable work shoes!!! Really. You might not sit down for seven and a half hours. If your feet have blisters on them after 20 minutes, it will feel much longer. Second, make sure your clothes cover what you want them to at all times. Lift up your arms and check your reflection. Do you see stomach or back? Lean forward in the mirror. Is this what you want showing when you bend over to help? If you teach, say, kindergarten, imagine sitting on a chair while the children sit on the floor listening to you read. Change outfits as needed.Five ... Welcome to the special h.e.l.l known as new-teacher orientation. Instead of working in your cla.s.sroom like you want to, you will spend two days in a downtown auditorium listening to the various ways you can get fired. A continental breakfast will be provided. ... Welcome to the special h.e.l.l known as new-teacher orientation. Instead of working in your cla.s.sroom like you want to, you will spend two days in a downtown auditorium listening to the various ways you can get fired. A continental breakfast will be provided."The first day of new-teacher orientation, they played a video montage of different teachers in their cla.s.srooms with 'Wind Beneath My Wings' playing in the background; later they played another 'inspirational' montage set to 'I Hope You Dance.' All I could think was, 'If I'm able to pa.s.s on anything to my students, I hope I can train them not to be taken in by such sentimental dreck.'"Four ... Continue orientation. If you can't get to school afterward, prepare as much as possible at home. This is a good day to create the behind-your-desk filing system described in Chapter 5. Once school starts, setting up files won't feel like much of a priority. ... Continue orientation. If you can't get to school afterward, prepare as much as possible at home. This is a good day to create the behind-your-desk filing system described in Chapter 5. Once school starts, setting up files won't feel like much of a priority.Three ... Prepare to be blindsided with at least one meeting or training session, but you should still have several hours to work in your room. The good news is your school is now full of veteran teachers whose ideas you can beg, borrow, and steal. You should meet your mentor teacher and the rest of your department today. Ask coworkers about their supply lists, forms, and first-day plans. Make copies of these or revise your own work as needed. Also ask about department-wide discipline systems and procedures. ... Prepare to be blindsided with at least one meeting or training session, but you should still have several hours to work in your room. The good news is your school is now full of veteran teachers whose ideas you can beg, borrow, and steal. You should meet your mentor teacher and the rest of your department today. Ask coworkers about their supply lists, forms, and first-day plans. Make copies of these or revise your own work as needed. Also ask about department-wide discipline systems and procedures."I had some plans in mind for cla.s.s discipline, but I wasn't quite sure how to get started. I went next door and found other teachers on my grade level preparing discipline folders and cutting out tickets for a department-wide system that had worked for years. All I had to do was join the group and prepare my own folders."Two ... Allow time for a few meetings. Finish any forms you haven't finished yet. Make as many of your first-day copies as you can; then start decorating. You may notice your cla.s.sroom seems empty compared to those of other teachers. Don't feel bad-they've been collecting decorations for years. ... Allow time for a few meetings. Finish any forms you haven't finished yet. Make as many of your first-day copies as you can; then start decorating. You may notice your cla.s.sroom seems empty compared to those of other teachers. Don't feel bad-they've been collecting decorations for years.One ... Finish your copies. Allow time for a few more meetings. You will probably get your cla.s.s list today, along with some idea of the school's first-day procedures. Revise your first-day plan to include office requirements. Arrange forms and a.s.signments to help your day run smoothly. Stay as late as necessary to get your room ready for the kids. ... Finish your copies. Allow time for a few more meetings. You will probably get your cla.s.s list today, along with some idea of the school's first-day procedures. Revise your first-day plan to include office requirements. Arrange forms and a.s.signments to help your day run smoothly. Stay as late as necessary to get your room ready for the kids.(Final weekend) If you weren't able to get your copies done at school, head to a copy shop so there's no room for first-day surprises. It's also possible you will want to go back to school at this point. Many schools are open the last weekend of summer for all the people who need more than ten days to complete their "ten-day" countdowns. If you weren't able to get your copies done at school, head to a copy shop so there's no room for first-day surprises. It's also possible you will want to go back to school at this point. Many schools are open the last weekend of summer for all the people who need more than ten days to complete their "ten-day" countdowns.You won't have the totally-unprepared-teacher dream the night before school starts-that's because you won't be able to sleep until 20 minutes before your alarm clock rings. You'll probably be running on caffeine and adrenaline your first day, but to be responsible, I'll also pa.s.s on some good advice: the best thing you can do is get up early the day before school starts, exercise during the day, and wind down early so you have some chance of sleeping through the night. At least one of us has to.Frequently Asked Questions About Starting SchoolQ: Should I tell students this is my first time teaching?A: No. No.Q: Won't they know anyway?A: Probably, so don't lie about it. Just add this to the long list of personal questions you try to avoid completely, which also includes questions like "How old are you?" "Do you have a boyfriend?" and "Is that a tattoo?" Probably, so don't lie about it. Just add this to the long list of personal questions you try to avoid completely, which also includes questions like "How old are you?" "Do you have a boyfriend?" and "Is that a tattoo?"Q: I really just have one rule in my cla.s.s: "Respect everyone!" Isn't that enough?A: No! First, it's No! First, it's not not your only rule. Don't you want students to come prepared? On time? Without candy and gum? Second, the word your only rule. Don't you want students to come prepared? On time? Without candy and gum? Second, the word respect respect itself can be open to interpretation. Does it mean "No cursing"? "Don't interrupt"? "Don't smack your lips and curse under your breath when your teacher reminds you not to interrupt"? Respect is important in a cla.s.sroom, but you will also need specific rules that are easy to enforce. itself can be open to interpretation. Does it mean "No cursing"? "Don't interrupt"? "Don't smack your lips and curse under your breath when your teacher reminds you not to interrupt"? Respect is important in a cla.s.sroom, but you will also need specific rules that are easy to enforce.Q: My racial/cultural background is different from that of my students. Will they still listen to me?A: There is both good and bad news for you: The good news is that great teaching crosses cultural lines. Teachers from every culture have successfully taught children from every other culture. Kids need role models who look like them, but they also need to work with and learn from people who are different. The bad news is that race and culture do make a difference. You are likely to have a few incidents that would have played out differently if you looked or sounded more like your students. No paragraph in any book will change this. Your job is to be the best teacher you can possibly be, and hope the differences between you and your students fade into the background. There is both good and bad news for you: The good news is that great teaching crosses cultural lines. Teachers from every culture have successfully taught children from every other culture. Kids need role models who look like them, but they also need to work with and learn from people who are different. The bad news is that race and culture do make a difference. You are likely to have a few incidents that would have played out differently if you looked or sounded more like your students. No paragraph in any book will change this. Your job is to be the best teacher you can possibly be, and hope the differences between you and your students fade into the background.Q: Can I count on my cla.s.s list to be accurate?A: Most public schools are still processing new students the first week, so kids may show up who are not on your list. Plan to have s.p.a.ce for new students and time to write down names and sign schedules. You should also know how to get more desks and think about where to seat kids if you can't get desks right away. Most public schools are still processing new students the first week, so kids may show up who are not on your list. Plan to have s.p.a.ce for new students and time to write down names and sign schedules. You should also know how to get more desks and think about where to seat kids if you can't get desks right away.Q: Should I start planning on my own or wait until I meet others in my department?A: You may be told that your department does something called collaborative planning, in which teachers meet to plan ahead, share ideas, and make sure everyone is on the same page. Though many new teachers hear of this legend, few experience it. Teachers who have taught a subject before have already made their plans. Some are possessive about the work they've put in. Others have little interest in changing their style or already work together informally. As a result, so-called collaborative planning sessions tend to be disorganized meetings that involve neither collaborating nor planning. It is possible that you will receive a curriculum or benchmark calendar your school wants you to follow. Your plans should be flexible enough to adapt to a school calendar, but you can't go wrong planning your own first week in detail. You may be told that your department does something called collaborative planning, in which teachers meet to plan ahead, share ideas, and make sure everyone is on the same page. Though many new teachers hear of this legend, few experience it. Teachers who have taught a subject before have already made their plans. Some are possessive about the work they've put in. Others have little interest in changing their style or already work together informally. As a result, so-called collaborative planning sessions tend to be disorganized meetings that involve neither collaborating nor planning. It is possible that you will receive a curriculum or benchmark calendar your school wants you to follow. Your plans should be flexible enough to adapt to a school calendar, but you can't go wrong planning your own first week in detail.Q: Should I try to plan my whole year now?A: Time is scarce during the school year, so you'll be grateful for any planning you've done ahead of time. Planning the entire year in detail, however, is not the best use of your time and is probably not even possible. This year will be filled with surprises that could throw off your schedule. A better idea is to start with a general sense of what students should accomplish by the end of the year. Then break it into four segments of nine weeks each. Plan your first week in detail and antic.i.p.ate what you will be teaching the first quarter. If that seems to be working, look ahead to winter break, then to the end of the year. Some teachers recommend planning eight out of every nine weeks and using the ninth week to review or make up for lost time. In any event, your long-term plans should be simple overviews, not day-by-day lessons. Time is scarce during the school year, so you'll be grateful for any planning you've done ahead of time. Planning the entire year in detail, however, is not the best use of your time and is probably not even possible. This year will be filled with surprises that could throw off your schedule. A better idea is to start with a general sense of what students should accomplish by the end of the year. Then break it into four segments of nine weeks each. Plan your first week in detail and antic.i.p.ate what you will be teaching the first quarter. If that seems to be working, look ahead to winter break, then to the end of the year. Some teachers recommend planning eight out of every nine weeks and using the ninth week to review or make up for lost time. In any event, your long-term plans should be simple overviews, not day-by-day lessons.Q: Should I let parents come into the room on the first day?A: Standing up to parents the first day is hard-after all, they mean well, and you want to keep them on your side. Still, unless you teach really young children, think of a polite-but-firm response to parents who try to question you, fill you in on their children's personal problems, or inspect your room for safety hazards as they drop off their babies. This is a great gift to your students also. Kids deserve a clean slate with their peers, and Mommy coming into the room to "kiss her big, brave ninja good-bye on his first day at his new school" puts a child at a disadvantage. Standing up to parents the first day is hard-after all, they mean well, and you want to keep them on your side. Still, unless you teach really young children, think of a polite-but-firm response to parents who try to question you, fill you in on their children's personal problems, or inspect your room for safety hazards as they drop off their babies. This is a great gift to your students also. Kids deserve a clean slate with their peers, and Mommy coming into the room to "kiss her big, brave ninja good-bye on his first day at his new school" puts a child at a disadvantage.Q: Should I let students help create cla.s.sroom rules to show I value their opinions?A: New teachers often receive this advice. It looks great on paper, but it's usually not worth the cla.s.sroom management risk it creates. Let's face it-cla.s.sroom rules are pretty standard. Students are not likely to come up with ingenious new rules on the first day; they are much more likely to make ridiculous suggestions to test you, or repeat rules from past cla.s.srooms where the teacher wrote the rules anyway. Also, just because one student suggests a rule doesn't mean another will follow it. Rules seem less official when they're made up by peers. Even worse, any rule-making activity takes place, by definition, in a rule-free cla.s.sroom. On the first day you need to show that New teachers often receive this advice. It looks great on paper, but it's usually not worth the cla.s.sroom management risk it creates. Let's face it-cla.s.sroom rules are pretty standard. Students are not likely to come up with ingenious new rules on the first day; they are much more likely to make ridiculous suggestions to test you, or repeat rules from past cla.s.srooms where the teacher wrote the rules anyway. Also, just because one student suggests a rule doesn't mean another will follow it. Rules seem less official when they're made up by peers. Even worse, any rule-making activity takes place, by definition, in a rule-free cla.s.sroom. On the first day you need to show that you you are the leader in the cla.s.sroom. are the leader in the cla.s.sroom. You You make the rules. If you want to show students you value their input, ask a question on your interest survey about how the rules should be enforced. make the rules. If you want to show students you value their input, ask a question on your interest survey about how the rules should be enforced.Q: Can I really not smile until Christmas?A: "Don't smile until Christmas" is a sound bite of wisdom pa.s.sed down through generations of teachers. It's not really about smiling. It's about breaking character and letting your guard down too early. Some teachers are strict the first week but relax the second week because the kids seem to be behaving. By the time they realize it's too soon, it's too late. This advice should really be "Don't smile-and don't let kids know you have a first name, curse, cry, like kids, want them to like you, or do anything besides eat and sleep when you're not at school-until Christmas." Just remember: the first few times you think your cla.s.s is under control and it's okay to relax, you're probably wrong. "Don't smile until Christmas" is a sound bite of wisdom pa.s.sed down through generations of teachers. It's not really about smiling. It's about breaking character and letting your guard down too early. Some teachers are strict the first week but relax the second week because the kids seem to be behaving. By the time they realize it's too soon, it's too late. This advice should really be "Don't smile-and don't let kids know you have a first name, curse, cry, like kids, want them to like you, or do anything besides eat and sleep when you're not at school-until Christmas." Just remember: the first few times you think your cla.s.s is under control and it's okay to relax, you're probably wrong.What Happens If the First Day Doesn't Go as Planned?If your first day didn't go as planned, try to regain control the next day. Today, comfort yourself with the following first-day memories from experienced teachers:"I vividly remember my first day of teaching. I was introduced to the school and my department head by my princ.i.p.al. I was informed of all the wonderful activities in which students were involved. My department head was so energetic and told me she would be in my cla.s.sroom the first couple of days to help me get adjusted. What I wasn't told was that my 'cla.s.sroom' would be the media center. There were four other cla.s.ses of 35 students each, sharing this one large room all day! Let's add to this madness for a minute: I had no books, and my department head didn't visit me one time my first year." add to this madness for a minute: I had no books, and my department head didn't visit me one time my first year."-Still teaching after 10 years"My first day was wild. I had a book thrown at me and a student told me this was her her 'f*&king' cla.s.sroom." 'f*&king' cla.s.sroom."-Still teaching after 12 years"I had these 'community building activities planned. The kids were supposed to fill out surveys about their favorite activities and what-not, and then we would share as a group. Well, the students were all boys who had been in the same cla.s.s for years and hated each other. Several of them had diagnosed behavior disorders. When I called on the first kid to introduce himself, other kids made fun of him before he even opened his mouth. He was a little overweight, and as soon as I read the first question-' What is your favorite activity?'-all the other boys started yelling 'Eating!' They did this for the next few questions. I stopped the activity before we got to question number seven, 'What is your favorite food?' Needless to say, not much of a community was built."-Still teaching after 7 years"I started a month into the school year, so my cla.s.ses came as overload students from existing cla.s.ses. It took teachers a while to send students, so in the beginning I would psych myself up and be disappointed but also a little relieved when no one showed up. Then I got one new student. I had to make a judgment call about what to do, and I ended up teaching this kid a lesson I had planned for the entire cla.s.s. Other teachers laughed at me for that one."-Still teaching after 3 years"All I remember are papers flying everywhere."-Still teaching after 14 years"I had come into teaching after 17 years as an accountant. Maybe for this reason, I expected students to be sitting quietly at their desks, ready to listen to whatever I had to say. When the bell rang that first day, not one single student was sitting down. Asking them to be quiet, telling them to be quiet, even threatening them with being sent to the office all met the same response: they would close their mouths for one or two seconds, and then at the exact moment I resumed doing whatever I was doing they started talking again. The loudest my old office got was maybe having a conversation with two people with the dot-matrix printer running in the background. My cla.s.sroom, by comparison, was like being on a runway with jets constantly taking off or landing. I couldn't think about teaching. The only thing on my mind was 'How do I get these kids to shut up?'"-Still teaching after 16 years"The first day for me was great! It led me to the irrational conclusion that the rest of my year would be as grand, but the joke was on me."-Still teaching after 5 years

4.

Maintaining and Regaining Your Sanity, One Month at a TimeDuring my first year of teaching fourth grade, I would open a cabinet, pretend I was looking for something, and silently mouth every curse word I knew. The good news was that I felt somewhat better and was able to keep from yelling curse words at my students. The bad news was I had to find something useful-looking to take out of the cabinet to keep from blowing my cover.People constantly tell you to choose your battles in teaching. What they don't tell you is that some of the battles not worth fighting are with yourself. Being harder on yourself is not the answer to every problem. In fact, sacrificing your own happiness, sleep, and general will to live probably won't benefit your students as much as being a mentally healthy teacher who wants to be in the room with them.You will realize that some parts of teaching make you very happy, while others make you very unhappy. You have the right to focus on the parts you love as often as possible, forgive your mistakes, and give yourself credit for what you're doing right. It's also okay to accept that some things are not under your control and to focus your efforts on the things that are. When all else fails, cursing into a cabinet works surprisingly well.Month-by-Month Mood Swing CalendarAugust/September (Antic.i.p.ation)"Everything is important, but not everything is equally important."-Abena Osei, Program Director at The Breakthrough CollaborativeUp to this point, you've had the luxury of judging other teachers by what you learned in training. Now that you've jumped into the pool yourself, you realize that teaching is harder than it looks. In fact, some of the mistakes you saw experienced teachers make are completely out of your league-you won't even be able to get those details wrong until you have the big things under control. Don't be paralyzed by the belief that you need to be perfect. Just find the next thing that you need to do, and get it done."I was weaned from my mentor teacher after about ten days. I was teaching with no certificate in a rough high school after having worked with college students. I actually did okay the first week, then discovered I had nothing left. I said, 'Oh! That's why we need lesson plans,' but I didn't know how to make one. I lived holiday to holiday until the second half of the year."October (Survival)"Some days, doing 'the best we can' may still fall short of what we would like to be able to do ... Doing what we can with what we have is the most we should expect of ourselves or anyone else."-Fred Rogers, Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood Mr. Rogers' NeighborhoodThis month you start to dog-paddle. You will probably have a few moments in which you feel like you've finally gotten the hang of this whole teaching thing, like it's not that hard after all, you're actually pretty good at it, maybe better than some of the other teachers in your school, absolutely incredible by any standard .... followed by moments that will knock you off that ego trip so hard your tailbone stings. Let the kids who want to help you help you. Get your subst.i.tute folder in order, just in case."On a bad day, I remind myself that, when I look back on my own experience as a student, I don't remember specific lesson plans. In the end, we remember teachers, but the individual days fade into the background. Forgive yourself for those rough days and bad lessons, and keep trying-because that's what the kids will remember."November (Disillusionment)"Oh, you hate your job? Maybe you can join our support group. It's called 'everybody' and we meet at the bar."-Drew CareyYou became a teacher because you thought you were a certain type of person with specific things to offer your students. There will be days this month when you aren't so sure. Sometimes you will get the feeling that everything that makes you who you are has gone away and your normal personality has been replaced by this struggling, unconfident rookie desperately counting the days until Thanksgiving. Once you have made it that far, you can rest over the long weekend and come back knowing there are only a few more weeks until winter break. November tests new teachers like no other month. Just remember, tests are part of the learning process."Other teachers warned me November was the worst month, but I hit my own low point one day early. I was so tired I didn't realize it was Halloween and couldn't figure out why kids were bouncing off the walls. I kept punis.h.i.+ng the cla.s.s with extra homework, knowing only the good students would do it anyway. At the end of the day, another teacher asked me what fun activity I did to celebrate and I realized I was the Grinch Who Stole Every Holiday from My Students. I broke down crying in my car and had to pull into a Burger King parking lot on my way home. I still can't totally explain this, but that's okay. You won't be able to totally explain your version of this either."December (Endurance)"You have to have a lot of patience to learn patience."-Stanislaw J. LeeNote to self: your students are not really demons put here to terrorize you and each other. Maintain cla.s.sroom management as much as possible, but understand that you'll have to reteach procedures anyway when you come back from winter break. Use the first half of your break to rest and have some fun. Use the second half to plan for a fresh start in January. Don't be afraid to come back as the teacher you wish you had been on the first day of school. Students can forget a lot in two weeks."I was proud that I had gotten my Christmas newsletter proofed, printed, and into the kids' backpacks on time. As I was waving good-bye to the kids on the buses, my mentor teacher asked me if I had changed the letter from what I had given her to read. I told her no, it was the same one. She handed me her copy and told me to read it aloud. It was supposed to say, 'We will be making Christmas cards and placemats for the annual Christmas dinner' What it actually said was 'We will be making Christmas cards and placentas for the annual Christmas dinner' Moral of the story, never trust spell-check completely"January (Rejuvenation)"The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails."-William Arthur WardTime for your new-teacher comeback! It will go about 70 percent as well as you hoped it would, but that's still enough to make it a turning point. You will still have some bad days, but those days will no longer feel like they are 80 hours long. Your school is now preparing to take the FCAT, TAKS, MCAT, GMAT, SARS, KMART, or whatever multiple-choice test is supposed to prove you are teaching the curriculum using fabulous lessons that appeal to all l