First-Year Lessons: Quarter 1 Edition
First-year of teaching has been one of those experiences that is hard to put into words but not because I haven’t learned anything, but because I have learned so much, I could talk forever about the changes that occur during the first quarter. I have now completed my first quarter of teaching, and here are five points that stood out to me the most about teaching that I didn’t expect to stand out.
1. Pour into the students that give you the most push back.
Invest. Invest. Invest.

Day one, I knew which class was going to be the class that was going to push back the most. By day two, I had been called names and reality it that I needed to do something different with this class. I needed to take a step back from the academic side of things and get to know these students as people. They needed to know I cared about them and wanted them to succeed in life, not just in my classroom. So I did my research. I rearranged my schedule so I could be at some of the guy’s first home football game. I made an effort to talk with them in the hallways. I started to play a different student 1v1 in basketball on Friday morning. How quickly I saw a return on investment was crazy.
2. Listen to the veteran teachers, but don’t let them run your classroom or ruin the relationships you have with kids.
I am lucky enough to work in a place where I was given probably the best mentor a new teacher could ask for. My building culture has a good vibe, and I enjoy going to work. One thing as a new teacher I struggled with was what information to take into action and what advice to listen to and store for random knowledge. My class of 8th graders had a reputation for them, and I heard horror stories about things they had done in the past. I was struggling with what information to take into consideration and what to forget when interacting with kids. I quickly realized that giving these kids a clean slate to start on was going to be the best thing for the relationships to grow from both sides at the same time. Veteran teachers truly can be a god-sent when it comes to many things in the classroom, but in all reality, it is your classroom, and you need to do what makes you feel comfortable.

3. Don’t be afraid to do things that are a little goofy and silly.

Gaining and keeping middle schooler’s attention has put up quite a challenging fight this semester. Within the first couple of days, I realized that trying to act cool and fit in is not going to have them buy into my class. I am going to need to capture their attention in a way that will make them want to come back the next day and the day after that and the rest of the semester. I had to take my pride into my own hands and say who cares what they think; they are 13 and 14-year-olds, do what you want to do, and if they laugh at yat least, they are paying attention to you. In all reality, they are going to respect and look up to you more for doing something funny because you are trying to teach and engage them. You are putting forth an effort, unlike other teachers, may just be teaching boring, dry content.
4. The first semester makes sure to take a break for your sanity.
There will always be that stack of papers you need to grade and that extra article you could read for your already well-planned lesson that week but take a break from the school work. Take a break from the grading, the planning, the organizing, the cleaning, and take some time for yourself. Whether that is going on a walk outside or going out with some friends. Being able to take an hour or two off from school things will allow you not be become burnt out on your passion. This will enable you to keep investing the time and energy into your students every week.

5. Take in every moment. You will never be a first-year teacher again.

Mistakes will happen. There will be tears. There will be laughs and smiles. There will be new friendships. It’s your first year, and all of these things are new, and it’s all an adjustment. Take the mistakes you make and evaluate them. Learn from them, so you don’t make the same ones next semester. The tears… don’t deny it; it will happen sometime within your first year. Whether yours was the first day like me or halfway through the semester (also like me), embrace it. This is a whole new ballpark, and you are adjusting to a new lifestyle. Give yourself some grace. The laughs and smiles. These are the moments that maybe get forgotten because they are the small things that can bring light into a dark day. That one kid that says something in class, and it gets everyone laughing. There will be that one kid that changes the entire outlook on your day because they walk up to you on a rough day and tell you how much they love you as a teacher. EMBRACE THESE MOMENTS. The friendships. I couldn’t have made it this far this first year without some of the people on my 8th-grade team. They are my rocks. The other friendships I have made through coaching and teaching have transformed my outlook on the teaching profession.
Remember to take this year for everything it is. Although it may be tough at times, it is a time for growth in every aspect of life. You are shaping the future.