| O.K., so you're feeling overwhelmed trying to get | | | | help you along: |
| prepared for a new year of teaching in the | | | | Stay as organized as possible. I am not one to |
| classroom. It doesn't matter if you are a new | | | | brag about my own organizational prowess but I |
| classroom teacher or a veteran we all feel that | | | | know that it is a cornerstone of being an |
| way. Too much stuff gets thrown at us at the | | | | effective teacher in the classroom and staying |
| beginning of the school year. I myself just finished | | | | calm. Get yourself a teacher planner with a |
| two days of textbook training with two new | | | | weekly and yearly calendar. Ask your |
| book adoptions. Each publisher provided about | | | | administration because many times they have |
| four hours of ample confusion to start off the | | | | them in the office. Fill it out as best you can with |
| school year. Teacher editions, PowerPoints, exam | | | | all the known dates for the year. This will help you |
| generator software, enrichment guides, standards | | | | feel like you're at least ahead of the game and |
| practice material, assessment materials, | | | | know what is coming up. Then plan a week ahead |
| benchmark testing, CST support, skills practice, | | | | to get your head above water. You can plan |
| web access codes, student enrollment | | | | further in advance as you begin to get in the |
| procedures, teacher logins, and more. That was | | | | rhythm of your year later on. Don't worry about |
| just a small sample of the first four hour session | | | | all the other stuff, just get your classroom ready |
| to be followed up by the second publisher who | | | | and plan for a week. Make any copies, buy any |
| provided their own version of all the same stuff | | | | classroom supplies you need and write down your |
| but yet somehow managed to make it just | | | | lesson plan for each day of the week in your |
| different enough that it's a whole new process. | | | | fancy new teacher planner. That is really the |
| Then, no doubt, you will have several days of | | | | most important part of it all. The other stuff will |
| orientation, staff development, staff meetings and | | | | work itself out as the year goes along. You can |
| department chair meetings before the students | | | | go back later and start to prioritize, arrange and |
| arrive. Upon which you are given curriculum road | | | | complete everything else as needed. |
| maps, calendars, previous year test scores to | | | | If you're a new teacher, just focus on the basic |
| analyze, student rosters, first week procedures, | | | | core tasks, focus on the students and try to file |
| school goals, mission statements, behavior policies, | | | | all the other stuff in your "I'll get to it when I can" |
| staff guidelines, school protocols, safety training, | | | | file. Believe me every teacher has a BIG one of |
| health training, material distributions and a partridge | | | | these files on their desk. So go to the meetings, |
| in a pear tree. Then you remember that you still | | | | gather all the materials, smile and then go back to |
| have to get your classroom ready. Arranging | | | | your classroom and plan for a week. When you're |
| desks, decorating walls, organizing files, creating | | | | done make sure to stop and take time to relax. |
| student worksheets, lesson plans, student | | | | Remember inch by inch life is a cinch and yard by |
| handouts, completing your teacher planner, buying | | | | yard life is hard. Nobody expects you to have it all |
| classroom supplies, setting up technology in the | | | | done. If you're afraid your administration is |
| classroom that never works quite right, inputting | | | | watching you with an eagle eye I would venture |
| students into your grading programs, creating | | | | to say they have more compassion and |
| seating charts, making benchmark tests and | | | | understanding then you may realize. I bet they |
| copying, copying, copying. Not to mention the | | | | feel just as overwhelmed as you. |
| million or so things I forgot but you will no doubt | | | | All teachers feel overwhelmed at times but the |
| discover. | | | | better you can get at creating a workable |
| So how do you keep from feeling overwhelmed | | | | classroom management plan the more relaxed |
| as a teacher? | | | | and calm you will feel during the year. Take the |
| Stop for a moment and take a deep breath, | | | | time to learn how to create and implement a plan |
| picture a happy place and go there. Then when | | | | and it will pay you back with relaxed and happy |
| you mentally return find comfort in the fact that | | | | days of teaching. Take it one step at time, focus |
| you are not alone. Everyone feels this way to | | | | on your procedures and your students; |
| some degree. A new teacher usually feels this | | | | everything else will work itself out in time. |
| way times ten. Don't panic because you will get | | | | Have a great school year! |
| through it, I promise. But here are a few things to | | | | |