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My name is Sunnilee Chafin and I am currently in graduate school working towards my Alternative Masters in Elementary Education. I am not currently teaching but I hope to start once I complete my Masters degree. I am curious and excited about my first day as a teacher. I would like to know if any of you in my group have any advice for my first day. Also, are they any items that you think I should have that are essential to the classroom especially for the first day?
I am also in the Alternative Masters program too. I am student teaching at Spanish Fort Middle School and I know my first day in the room was terrifying! It took a few days to get used to, but my first day actually teaching was even more terrifying! But I overcame it. It got easier as each period went on for the day. My advice would be to just breathe and relax! It is scary at first, but once you get in the swing of it, it is so much fun! It is amazing when they ask me if I am teaching a lesson again today and I tell them no and they are disappointed. I think a Talents Unlimited board is very essential for the first day. I am Talents trained and I highly recommend to get trained! When you implement the Talents board, you are setting your kids on the path for structure and learning success. I highly suggest you make one. I made a rainbow and each talent was a pot of gold with the talents in the center and then I had a pot of gold on the other side of the rainbow and it said "Find the gold with Talents."
ReplyDeleteThank you for the great advice. I am not doing my student teaching until January so I am anxiously awaiting that step. I have not heard of the Talents Unlimited board but that sounds like an essential tool. I will make sure I get trained on that right away.
DeleteCan you post a pic of this? I haven't heard of it either.
DeleteI found some information on the MCPSS website but I am not sure if I can take the training since I am not a teacher but I will have to look into it. I googled Talents Unlimited and the first link was for the MCPSS.
DeleteFirst, let me wish you good luck student teaching. Mentally, I would advice you to keep an open mind, don't try to be perfect, and always have a back-up plan. No matter how hard I plan not every lesson goes the way I want it to go. I would go crazy if I tried to be perfect all the time. Here's where the back-up plan comes into play. As a tool, I use the Teacher's Daybook published by Heinemann. Here's the link if you'd like to look at it. http://www.heinemann.com/products/E04436.aspx I've found that it's a great planning tool for me at least.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for the link to the Teacher's Daybook. I loved this and will bookmark this for when I start teaching. What a great tool!
DeleteMy advice is to enjoy yourself. Get to know your students and lay down the law! Rules and procedures are the name of the game. They need to know on day one what they are expected to do. The first weeks are about repetition of the rules and procedures so that they catch on to their responsibilities of the classroom. Get to know your students, let them get to know each other, and let them get to know you! Once the first week is over, there is very limited time for this, so have activities that lean in that direction. Also, plan for more than you think you need. What you don't need is down time. You can always save something for the next day, but what do you do when what you planned takes them 30 minutes less than you thought it would take? Most of all, enjoy it! You only have one first day!
ReplyDeleteSuch good advice! I did notice in my daughter's kindergarten class the first week was spent on learning the rules and getting to know each other. I really like the tip to plan for more than I think I need. That is great advice. I think that will be one of my first tasks to get ready for my classroom. Thanks!
DeleteMy advice is to over plan for every day. You never know what might happen and you will always have something to do. You will be nervous the first week or so and might rush through some activities. Students love ice breaker games with incentives in class and having the rules posted and a disciplinary plan in place is very important in establishing your expectations and routines in your classroom.
ReplyDeleteDo not overwhelm yourself with grading either or put it off. It can become a tiresome task and it is one that many of us struggle with. Check out pinterest and the web for Interactive Notebooks and see if it is something you might be able to implement in your classroom. It has taken a tremendous load of stress off of me this year and reduced the amount of time I have spent grading. Highly recommend it!
Thanks for the advice. I will go look up Interactive Notebooks and see how they work.
DeleteI know exactly how you feel, being also one who has yet to teach. My advice would be to have a clear picture in mind as to what you are going to do for that day, and be prepared for any mishaps, because it is going to happen at some point. But above all, try to relax and have a good time with your students, because if you enjoy doing what you do, you’ll get better at it every time you try, without driving yourself crazy. As far as having an essential item in the classroom, carry a favorite item, a drink or something, for those moments when you just want to unwind.
ReplyDeleteDo the best you can, and if you really want to teach, don't quit.
ReplyDeleteIn moments of honesty, many teachers I talk to say something along the lines of, "My first year teaching was the year from hell." It may or may not be that way for you. Either way, know this: it gets better.
Thanks John! I have waited a long time to teach and I am so excited to actually be taking the steps to get there.
DeleteYes, essential is having name tags on every child until you remember their names. Wearing of name tags or lanyards might take a week or two, but this is essential to gain control of your classroom. Once you know their names its a cake walk.
ReplyDeleteFor your first day, have a schedule for yourself and a to do list. Know that it won't necessarily go as planned, but a written to do list is helpful. I actually make myself a to do list each morning. It helps me have a schedule in my mind before I start. I agree with the name tags for the kids the first day. It usually only take me a day or 2 to learn them all because you will see the same 20ish kids for 7 hours straight.
ReplyDeleteThere is usually a stack of paperwork to be distributed the first day. It is helpful if you already have this separated and stapled or put in a folder and ready to go home.
Be relaxed and give them clear expectations. Don't be the nice teacher until at least week 2! :)
I have yet to teach in a classroom, so I can't offer you any advice in that regard. But I do appreciate you posing this question, because the advice given here is helpful to me also.
ReplyDeleteHave evrything that you can planned. Overplan because downtime on the first day signals to the kids that it's an easy class. Also, I would have a seating chart ready the first day (you can change it later). This helps with names and lets the kids know you don't play.
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