Thoughts from a Novice Teacher

"On the count of three, you may open your letters! Ready? 1-2-3!" 

I remember ripping open the envelope, my hands not seeming to want to pry past the glue quite quick enough to satisfy my intense curiosity.

 "Where will I be placed for internship?" 

This thought had been lingering in my mind since I first started college. I always knew I wanted to be a teacher. There was a short hiccup in my certainty my sophomore year of college, but it was short-lived. (Instead of a mid-life crisis, I call it a mid-college crisis. What am I doing with my life? Etc.) I knew deep down that teaching was my passion and I was so eager to learn as much as I could to become a great teacher.

I unfolded the letter and scanned the page to find my two placements for student teaching. A sense of relief whelmed over me. Now I know the two schools that would become like home to me. Now I know the names of the teachers who would become mentors of the trade for me. Now I know the grades of the students I would love as if they were my own kids.

I remember this moment in my life so vividly. So many emotions raced inside me. Both of my placements were at schools that I knew not one person on staff, which scared me tremendously.

Would I make a good name for myself? 

Would I make friends? 

I was excited to begin planning for my new students. I was nervous of dreading teaching once I was completely submersed in what all is involved in a typical school day. I was overwhelmed with relief having finally made it to this point in college where the finish line is close.

The fall semester of my internship came and went in what seemed like an instant. I was challenged in ways I never knew possible. I experience more growth than I anticipated. I loved harder than I knew my heart could possibly love. I was validated in my decision to begin this new career.

Now that I have relinquished my title of "intern" and now welcome the title of "teacher", some of the same feelings linger that I felt the day I opened my student teaching letter. However, this time I am more at peace with this new journey I am about to embark on. Similar to my internship experience, I will be teaching at a school that I know not one person. I am at peace with this because I have been there before. It's okay to not know anyone, in fact, I learned that it is actually a wonderful feeling being in a new place with new people.

Whether you are still in school, about to begin your internship, a novice teacher (like myself), or a seasoned pro, there are things you hold near to you as your philosophy on how to be a great teacher. Some humorous, some more serious, here are ten things I have learned to be true through my experience:


1)  Get in Granny-mode and go to bed early!

I have commuted the past several months and will continue to drive long distances daily at my new job. Regardless if you have to wake up earlier to tackle the roads, getting your rest is a MUST. You know that Snickers commercial where they say you aren't you if you're hungry? Well you are also not you if you are exhausted. I don't mind being the 20-something year old that has a 9:30 bedtime. Invest in yourself so that you can invest in your students. Embrace your inner Granny!

2) $1 small ice vanilla coffees at McDonald's will give you a needed caffeine kick without breaking the bank.

College kids are on tight budgets, as are all teachers. I make sure to budget enough money to have my coffee in the mornings. Find little pick-me-ups that help put some pep in your step to start your day!

3) Throw kindness around like confetti!

I absolutely love this saying because I imagine myself literally twirling around throwing confetti in the air as I sing compliments to people. While you won't be doing this (and if you are, then go you!), the lesson is still the same: we should purposely shower kindness to others around us. Being a student teacher, I learned more about my students' lives outside of school on a more personal level. It was evident that school is the only opportunity some of them have adults to pour kindness into them. You may be the only person who will show kindness to your students all day. Pour kindness into your students because they too will want to pour kindness into others.

4) Know your kids and focus on things you can control.

It's so easy to become fixated on things you cannot control. I have a bad habit of doing this. Coming into teaching, I had so many grand ideas that I just HAD to do with my students. (I blame Pinterest and Teachers Pay Teachers for this.) I soon realized that though the ideas were great and would foster wonderful learning opportunities, they weren't a right fit for my students' needs for reasons that were out of my control. I quickly learned that instead of focusing on things that I cannot control, I needed to center my energy on things that I was capable of controlling. Classroom climate is one of those things that every teacher has a dominant hand in controlling. I choose to make my classroom climate a family-like area, where students love and support one another. In my experience, it has led to positive behavior and students become more eager for learning and helping each other. Figure out your goals, take a step back, and invest in things you can control. So pin your hearts out and save all those cute projects to your TPT Wish List, but always remember that you are there to best serve your students. Sometimes you have to take a step back to realize things just aren't quite the best fit.

5) Give students control of something.

My good friend and previous roommate (and now fabulous 1st grade teacher) shared this tidbit of wisdom with me during her first year of teaching. She shared that most of the kids in her class did not have much to call their own outside of school. She made sure they had belongings to be responsible for in her room. She explained that this gave them something to control. When we give our students control over something, we are also fostering their responsibility skills. We can't control everything in life. Things happen and we are presented with circumstances that are often time not ideal. What helps keeps us grounded is to cling to things we do have control of. We learn that though we cannot control everything around us, we take responsibility and pride in the things we can control. This is true for kids of all ages. Let your students take the lead. Give them roles in the classroom. Provide opportunities for students to take ownership of belongings and of their education. When we give students control, we are teaching them how to be responsible (future) adults.

6) No two kids are the same. 

It wasn't until my fourth grade general classroom placement that I fully grasped how easy it is to forget students' individuality. I was responsible for students all with a wide range of needs and interests. Knowing the unique needs of my class, I felt well-prepared to service the students because of my background in special education. While my knowledge of special education proved to be beneficial, I remember catching myself forgetting that no two kids are the same. I was so busy trying to get through my day, to keep my head above the water, I briefly lost sight of my students' unique needs. Though one method may work for some students, do not feel defeated if that method does not click with another student. Embrace individuality and strive to meets the unique needs of each student.

7) Differentiated Instruction should be your middle name. 

When instruction is differentiated, it is specially tailored to cater to the students' unique needs. Content, method, processes, environment, and so many more things can be differentiated. Whether you are in a general classroom setting or in a special education classroom like the one I will be in, your goal should be to first get to know your students and then find ways to modify and accommodate to best suite their individual needs. Some may view this as giving some students "special privileges" or "singling them out". The fact is that we need to meet our students where they are and each child brings with them different life experiences that impact how they absorb new content.

8) Am I describing the disability? 

When we are serving students of all ability levels, it is easy to become fixated on characteristics of the particular disabilities. It's valuable to know characteristics of the disabilities so we can best serve the needs of the students. Even when we know characteristics of the disability, we are often still surprised when those tendencies are displayed. For example, research indicates that individuals with learning disabilities have frequently cited attributes in areas such as hyperactivity, impulsivity, and memory or thinking disorders. If we know these are attributes of the disability, why is is it a surprise if we have a student with an identified learning disability that may have trouble focusing on an solitary activity?

Or acts without displaying much forethought?

Or has trouble staying organized and remembering facts from previous lessons?

It is necessary to know and understand characteristics of disabilities because it helps you understand if a behavior or tendency is or is not manifested from the disability itself. Once you determine if the behavior is a manifestation of the disability, you are able to target ways to better serve the student.

9) Teachers should never stop being learners. 

I told my fourth grade students during my internship that we would all be learning together. I included me in that statement to them because I sincerely meant it. I wanted them to understand that learning is an ever-going process. We are always building upon what we already know and refining that knowledge. I wanted them to see that it's okay to make mistakes, and to understand that even teachers are prone to error. However, sometimes we must put our pride aside and admit our faults. When we do so, we are cultivating a learning environment around us. Though I am no longer a student, I will always be a learner. If I want my students to love learning, I too must love it!

10. Before all else, love your students. 

They always told us in college that if anyone asks you why you want to be a teacher, never ever ever give the the "because I love kids" answer. I understand my professors' distaste in the answer because let's face it: love for kids will never be enough to keep you in this profession. However, lacking a love for kids is enough to keep you away from teaching. You can learn all the newest and best research-based methods of teaching, go to the most coveted professional developments, have the most Pinterest-inspired, immaculate classroom... but if you lack love for your students, you will never be able to fully reach them. You will always come up short. Always struggle to effectively teach them. Loving kids is something that cannot be taught. From my experience, love is as natural as breathing but at times a tough thing to execute. Think of a person you just really can't stand. That person was at one time a child. So loving your students can sometimes be difficult. Choose to see the good in others. Choose to show love to your students daily. Choose to show tough love when appropriate. But always make sure that they leave your room knowing you are an advocate for them.

 

Who could not love these lil' pumpkins and peppermints though?!