| Well, it's a new year, and with it comes new | | | | teacher coach, supportive colleagues and a |
| hopes, new dreams, new possibilities and for new | | | | supportive principal. The more these work with |
| teachers, this means doing something different | | | | you, the better you will feel, no matter what time |
| and potentially rewarding with your classroom | | | | of day and how bad a teaching day you will have. |
| management or teaching plan. While all teachers | | | | Understand all deadlines and responsibilities. Each |
| can adjust their instruction and teaching style at | | | | school and each course has varied deadlines and |
| any point during the year, the beginning of a new | | | | responsibilities; multiply these by more than one |
| year is always a great time to do this because it's | | | | course, perhaps more than one school, and you |
| a psychological reminder that we can do things | | | | quickly can be overwhelmed. Make a master list |
| different and better. | | | | of the "must-do" deadlines and responsibilities, then |
| Take a few minutes to consider a few teaching | | | | check it daily-you never want to lose control of |
| tips to help you start out the new year as a | | | | what must be done and when. |
| more successful and confident teacher: | | | | Honestly evaluate your teaching efforts from |
| Become organized. Notice I did not say "Super" | | | | 2008 to see how far you have come as a new |
| organized but when you consider all the areas of | | | | teacher. |
| responsibility from following-through classroom | | | | New teachers often don't know what they are |
| assignments, lesson plans and discipline related | | | | doing right in the classroom and most of the time, |
| issues, not being on top of the ball can cause | | | | they think they aren't on the right track at all. The |
| great havoc. Add to this the issue of following | | | | only way to mature as a new teacher is to |
| through quick adds to extreme pressure. Whether | | | | honestly evaluate your teaching efforts from |
| you use a traditional teacher planner, software, | | | | 2008. use the following questions to help you |
| file cabinets, find a way that works for you and | | | | pinpoint your successes and areas where you |
| stick to it. | | | | need to improve: |
| Don't check every assignment. Don't plan to bring | | | | - What worked? |
| all classroom tasks home unless you full intend to | | | | - What didn't? |
| mark assignments over the weekend. Stick to a | | | | - What's next? |
| routine that you can manage and more | | | | Use these questions to determine your future |
| importantly, avoid the temptation of taking every | | | | actions. You can also use these questions to keep |
| assignment to mark. Students need time to | | | | a log of where you feel you need to improve. |
| process information and by evaluating every | | | | Experiment with one new activity or teaching |
| assignment, you are not honestly giving enough | | | | approach this year. You may be satisfied with |
| opportunities to practice in class. | | | | what is going right, but it can quickly become |
| Create a supportive teaching environment. Do you | | | | boring to you and possibly your students. Think |
| have a supportive teaching environment? Making | | | | outside the box with an added activity, strategy, |
| sure you have one or more of the following | | | | approach, etc. |
| support systems intact; a teacher mentor or | | | | |