A Teacher’s Perspective: Five Things I Wish I had Known as a First Year Teacher
By Guest Blogger and First Grade Teacher Blaine Dunsmore
When I first began teaching, there were so many things I wish someone had told me about the profession. Here are the top 5 things I wish I had known before my first year of teaching:
- Find a mentor. Finding a mentor is important because when you walk into a new school you are going to need someone to show you the ropes. When I first started teaching, I was too scared to ask someone to guide me through the school year. My first year would have gone so much smoother if I had overcome my pride and just leaned on someone. I would even ask administration when you are hired to help you find a teacher who would make an excellent mentor.
- Make a personalized classroom management plan. Making a classroom management plan is vital to your success as a first year teacher. As a teacher, you sometimes spend just as much time managing a class as you do teaching. Once you have made this amazing classroom management plan, stick to it and go over your rules often, especially at the beginning of the school year. Another tip I would offer is to make sure your classroom management plan is in line with your school’s plan by showing it to a school administrator or your mentor.
- Learn how to create detailed lesson plans. In the beginning of my career, I would not use enough detail in my lesson plans or create a set of differentiated lessons. Now, I always plan more activities in detail than I think we will cover in the lesson and I plan a challenge activity for my early finishers. That being said, be flexible! Don’t feel like you have to cover everything you planned. If you see your class needs more time to complete a lesson, then make sure to give them the extra time to complete the assignment. Also, save all of your lesson plans and make notes about how it went after a lesson, so you can remember what worked in the classroom.
- Build great relationships with classroom parents. As a first year teacher, your parents are going to have lots of questions about you because you are new to the school. Be sure to make them feel at ease by building a great relationship with them. Invite them into the classroom often and attend school events. Parents like to see you outside of the classroom and attending a school event shows you are investing in the school’s extracurricular activities.
- Know what a teacher’s schedule looks like. Most people think a teacher’s work day is when school starts to when school ends. That is so not the case. A teacher’s day begins very early and ends late. My first year of teaching, I felt like I was working a lot of hours, but making a list of the things I needed to accomplish in the classroom helped get me home earlier. Also, having students help clean up activities saves you time once the school day is over. Since teachers work long hours on their feet, remember to get a wardrobe you feel comfortable in and be sure to look at your school’s dress code before you go shopping.
All in all, teaching is one of the most rewarding professions in the world. Remember to stay positive and rely on teachers and administrators for advice. Also, use the online community to inspire and keep you motivated all year long! Please feel free to comment below with any questions or concerns you might have about your first year teaching!
Blaine Dunsmore has been working in the education field since 2004 as a tutor, mentor, curriculum writer and educator. She obtained her Bachelors Degree at Freed-Hardeman University and Masters of Education at Concordia University. Upon completing her Bachelors, she taught English as a Second Language in Berlin, Germany and Rome, Italy. In 2015, she worked at Space Academy for Educators, where she taught teachers ways to implement Space Education into their classrooms. Currently, she is working as a multi-subject first grade teacher at Oakridge Private School in Orange, California.
For more tips and inspiration just for new teachers, check out our New Teacher Pinterest Board. To get excited about entering the teaching profession or to simply remember why your work is so very important, check out our collection of educator perspectives at:
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