Remember the first time you realized you were riding a bicycle by yourself? Probably not. But what about when you first got to drive solo? Your parents trusted you enough to give you the keys and go out on your own! It was a great feeling. If you’re like most people, you were so scared of messing up that you were nervous and overcautious. Do you ever see the “Student Driver” cars where they put their turn signal on two blocks before turning and check the mirror seven times before changing lanes?

For many of us, teaching was once like that.

For some, it still is.

Fast forward
What happened after a few years? You began to drive like a pro! Some of us pretended to do it the first time and ended up having to call mom to come bring us gas or worse. But eventually, you got to the point where it just became another thing you do. All the advice in the world won’t make you a better cyclist if you don’t go out and fall down a few times.

Hopefully it doesn’t take a series of car wrecks to get you moving, but it does take some humiliating mistakes! I had a friend in high school who ran out of gas at least three times a month for about 8 months. But eventually she figured it out.

I’ve come to realize that the same thing happens with teaching. You can collect all the advice in the world (and you’re clearly here because you are seeking out advice…good for you!). You can go to all of the seminars and take as many classes as you can find. But the true knowledge of teaching comes from just going out there and messing up a time or two or three…or fifty.

I’m on the downhill side of my ninth year, and I am by no means through all of the mistakes I’m going to make. I’ll make at least five this week! I just acknowledge the failure and move on. Dwelling on the past doesn’t help a thing. Ya gotta move forward. You need to actually embrace the failures. Once you start doing that, you’ll begin to focus less on them and then you get to really have fun.

Do you know what happens when you embrace your failures?
You free yourself to take calculated risks.

Do you know what happens when you free yourself to take risks?
You unleash your passion for teaching.

Do you know what happens when you teach passionately?
Kids will fall in love with learning.

And do you know what happens when kids fall in love with learning?
They get excited about coming to your class every day.

The first sign of this is when they are sad that they have a sub. When that happens, you know you’re starting to experience a breakthrough!

Denise comments:

I am in a teaching program, half way through and I just completed my first to “teaching” classes.  Now I have this hugh feeling I’ve made a BIG mistake and that teaching isn’t what I thought it was or that I’m not cut out for it. Not to mention the outlook for finding a job looks bleak. Seems like the writing is on the wall…  Problem is I have been a stay at home mom for 13 years and don’t know what else I could do?  I really do not want to finish the program because I feel I am wasting my time, my money and my heart isn’t in it anymore.  I have always wanted to help people and I thought teching would be perfect for that need and for my family, but I am really doubting it now.  Any advice?

I wrote her back and asked her for some more details and got permission to poll the readers for some suggestions. Her response:

I am having a lot of anxiety about my decision to become a teacher, because honestly I just can’t see myself doing it.  I volunteer in my child’s classroom and I see everything the teacher has to do and I don’t think it is what I want.  I have friends that have also stated that they don’t seem as a teacher, they don’t see me doing it.  I think I thought that since I am a mom of three I could do it, but it feels like I’m sticking a square into a round hole. I also think I might of started the program for the wrong reasons, like summer vacation with my kids etc. Can you tell me anything about different teaching positions such as ESL or reading teaching?  I think I might like working with a smaller group of students.  I would appreciate any information and/or advice so I would like it it if you could post it.  I am very confused about what I should do. Thank you for responding.

So I’m once again turning to my loyal readers to do what you do best. Help her figure out what she should do.

I have been asked to participate in the Reform Symposium and will be hosting a session this afternoon called 10 Things I Wish Someone Had Explained Before My First Job. Feel free to join at 4:30EST today. I don’t normally do these online training things, so hopefully this works. Go to the link here.

A lot of these things are topics I’ve covered before, but here is what looks to be the outline for now.

KMB writes:

I’m starting student teaching this Spring and would really like some advice, tips, and resources to help me out. I’m sure 12th graders are very bright, and I don’t want to bore them. I also want to appear knowledgable and professional. Anyway, please contact me if you have any suggestions. Websites with lesson plans, blogs, the latest technology, etc. would all be helpful.

As a middle school band director with limited experience coming up with lesson plans and really has lost touch with edublogs lately, I’m throwing this one out to my readers. Leave links and answers in the comments.

Ramona writes:

I am a first year teacher struggling with classroom management at the elementary school level. I have some logistical challenges because I don’t have my own classroom and travel between classes and schools with a cart. I also have almost 300 different students I see every week. But mostly my problem is that I don’t like to humiliate children and make them feel bad, which seems to be what most classroom management looks like. Of course a child feels embarrassed if you administer some kind of punishment to him or her in front of the whole class. But it seems like if I don’t do that, the kids will walk all over me and I will quit (sooner rather than later) out of frustration and exhaustion. But is my own survival in the profession more important than kids’ feelings? This is the kind of thing I am struggling with.

Any thoughts?

I have learned that one of the best punishments is to withhold compliments. I attended a clinic about beginning band at the Texas Music Educators Association clinic a few years ago taught by Charles Menghini. Since I can’t seem to find the clinic handout anywhere at my house or anything, I’ll paraphrase to the best of my ability.

He described how he listens to beginner band students play one at a time:

Student 1 plays: “Oh wow, that’s an excellent sound! Fantastic job, Johnny!”

Student 2 plays: “Amazing! I can really tell you practiced this week. I really enjoyed that.”

Student 3 plays (not so well): “Oh, that’s good.”

Students 4 plays: “Wonderful…”

The point being that the worst complaint the student has is, “My teacher said I did a good job!”

I used to be really mean and make the students call home during the middle of class and try to embarrass them or whatever, but then it struck me:

Fear motivates people to do enough to get by. Encouragement motivates people to do their best.

How do I manage my classroom without humiliating the students?
So how then do I do it? For me, it’s a combination of a number of factors:

1. Stay personally engaged in the class the entire time (be on top of your game)
2. Nurture a culture of encouragement
3. Compliment, compliment, compliment
4. Be prepared (students, especially middle school students, smell fear)
5. Have a backup plan
6. Have a backup plan for the backup plan
7. Choose your words mindfully
8. Create a sense of urgency — I have created the habit of beginning every class by telling my students, “Get set up quickly, we have a lot of work to do today”
9. Keep the students engaged for as much of the class time as possible
10. Be aware of what’s going on in the classroom; often misbehaviors will have early warning signs
11. Don’t take yourself too seriously
12. Have fun
13. Avoid stress
14. Avoid burnout
15. Read the comments below

There are surely tons of other nuanced things that I do from day-to-day, but hopefully this list will help get those of you struggling with this issue started. Did I miss something? Add it in the comments below.

This year I am in the position to be able to work relatively closely with two first-year teachers and a second-year teacher. I also am working full time with a third-year teacher. One of my primary objectives this year is to be able to talk through some of their challenges and hopefully offer some suggestions for how they can better grow as teachers through the process. I see them making a lot of the mistakes that I used to make. In my discussions with some of the more experienced folks around me, I hear them refer to these as rookie mistakes.

We all make mistakes in our jobs on a daily basis. Some mistakes that we make are more normal than others. As I spend more time in the education field (I am now in my ninth year of teaching), I find that some of these “rookie mistakes” are pretty common for the younger teachers. Some of them are things I’ve even advocated on this blog in its early days.

It’s interesting to see how the light switch has slowly been flipped in my mind and how my approach this year is drastically different from anything I’ve done in the past. I started to see the shift early last school year but didn’t fully experience it until the beginning of summer band this July. WOW, is all I can say!

Needless to say, I have been staying busy with these new folks and marching band and doing everything else that is involved in my little band director world, but over the next few weeks/months, I plan on walking through my evolution of the first nine years of teaching. From pushover to dictator to bully to facilitator to inspiration. Or at least something like that…

So what are some of these rookie mistakes?

• Impatience
• Being boring
• Too much energy
• Trying to be too nice
• Trying to be too mean
• Spending too much time on one concept
• Not realizing when the students are completely lost
• Busy work
• Yelling
• Empty Threats

What are some others that I’ve left off the list? How are some of the ways you have addressed these and other common rookie mistakes?

Shelly Sanchez Terrell is an English teacher living in Germany. She is also the co-organizer and co-creator of the educational projects, Edchat and The Reform Symposium Conference. Find more of her challenges on her education blog, Teacher Reboot Camp or in her free e-book, The 30 Goals Challenge. Find her on Twitter, @ShellTerrell.

 

I remember having a lesson observed for my teacher certification. The lesson didn’t go well and my observer made it a point to let me know how miserably I failed. I have gotten critiques before, but this one was different. I felt like a failure. My observer had not liked one thing I did in my lesson. I felt as if I wasn’t a good teacher. No teacher likes that feeling. Actually, no one likes to feel like a failure.

I cried to a friend who is a principal. He has never seen me teach, but he told me, “Don’t think you’re not a good teacher. I know you’re a good teacher because you’re passionate and I rather have a passionate teacher because I can teach them the rest.” By the end of the conversation I managed to smile a little and have a little bit more faith in myself. My friend planted a seed of belief in me.

Are you surrounded by those who believe in you?
In the same way, this series is meant to plant a seed of belief in you. As an educator you will have many plant seeds of disbelief in you. Parents may blame you for their child’s failure. Administrators may say you’re not doing enough to raise your test scores. Students may disrespect you. The government may say they don’t have enough money in the budget for you. Even the President may say you deserve to be fired if you can’t get your students to pass standardized tests. All these are seeds of negativity and disbelief. I often see great teachers who have lost their belief in themselves. They teach without passion and without the belief that they can make a difference so they don’t inspire their students.

Time to tune out the negativity…
Instead, find friends, mentors, educators online, and friends who will plant seeds of faith in you and your abilities. When we remain passionate versus defeated we impact our students in a positive way. We come to classes motivated to give our all and this reflects in how we instruct and how we interact with our students. We show interest and excitement in our subject and students become curious why we are so passionate about our subjects.

How about the students?
From the Bible, I adopted the belief that having a mustard seed of faith could move mountains. I believe if I plant a mustard seed of faith into the mind of every student, then they will believe that they can achieve their dreams and goals. If students believe they can go to college, then they will strive to complete high school. If students believe they can have successful careers, then they might work towards earning the credentials for that career.

What is more powerful than belief is hopelessness. There are too many students who do not believe in themselves and they live in poverty, join gangs, commit crimes, or resort to addictions. Their children feel their hopelessness and often repeat the cycle.

Approaching the school year with a new attitude…
Everyday, we walk into the classroom we plant seeds in our students. When a student struggles we can choose to say, “Yes, I believe you can do this. I will help you.” We also can choose to ignore the student or believe the student is lazy and just does not want to learn. When students disappoint us we can believe in them enough to challenge them to do better or we can give up on them.

It is not easy believing in every student, but we must muster this for our students. Trust me, your worst behaved student is probably the one most teachers and people did not believe in. Therefore, your belief could be the one seed of faith ever planted in this student.

Challenge:
Show each of your students this year you believe in them.

This guest post was written by Atticus from www.atticusparker.com/education

I was chuffed earlier this month when Joel asked me to write guest post for his edublog SYWTT. I was however also nervous. Joel has created an enviable web presence with SYWTT through an obvious passion for teaching, hard work and obvious dedication. I didn’t want to let him down.

The topic he suggested was ‘How To Make This Year The Best of Your Career’. Wow, I thought. A topic like that calls for an action plan. A list. So I have resorted to an old favourite of blog readers – the list article.

Many blog articles today feature a list. Do Lists. Don’t lists. They are attractive because they are so definitive. I think they are popular not only because they are easy to read or scan but also because they offer a clear path towards our goals or a solution for our problems.

My list is a list with a twist. Think of it as a checklist or a reappraisal form. It is a list I am going to follow myself.

1. Change of Subject or Consolidate
   I changed subjects this year from English to Multimedia. I was burnt out from heavy marking loads and bored with content I had spent a decade teaching. I needed a change. Multimedia provided that change without the need for me to quit teaching. Now I have a new teaching area, a new focal point for my energy and I am more motivated than ever. My year is shaping up nicely already. If you can’t change to another subject area perhaps changing to a different year level can switch things up enough to revitalise your teaching.

    

   But what if you are happy with your subject area? Consolidate. Bed down your units and re-resource them. Teach them better than ever. It is almost impossible to teach a unit very well the first time. Each time we teach a unit we get better at it. We tweak our lessons and consider them from new angles. Our teaching experiences and subsequent reflection make us better at what we do second time around.

2. Put My Hand Up or Just Say No
   My school has a weekly session where we take a class of students for an activity. Most teachers sit back and wait to be told which activity they have to take. Then they complain about the activity and the behaviour of the students. This year I put up my hand and chose my own activity. I thought about it carefully and chose an activity that I liked. My interest was contagious and proved popular with students as well.

   On the other hand teachers get saddled with an inn-ordinate array of jobs, all in addition to their core teaching. Sometimes we just need to say no. Some of my colleagues are very good at this without being rude. It is amazing how saying no can empower us to do our job better than ever.

3. Enrich my Personal Time or Just Chill
   I am a serial hobbyist. I always have a new interest on the go whether it be running, bonsai, or riding a motorcycle. These activities give me energy and a focus outside of my teaching. When I do go back to work I am refreshed and ready to tackle the day.

   My wife on the other hand needs chill time. Whether it is reading, watching TV, or hanging out with friends she needs ‘down time’ to just chill. This approach recharges her batteries for teaching.

4. Integrate or Refocus Your ICTs
   ICTs are a great motivator in the classroom. Students respond to them very well and they can make your units more appealing. Even more importantly they help students learn and keep your teaching practice modern, relevant and up to date. I find ICTs reduce my workload and make my teaching more efficient. This saved time and energy can then be applied elsewhere in my job.

   On the other hand if you are anything like me you already apply ICTs throughout your units. Perhaps too much so? This year I plan on reducing the number of ICTs I employ and spending more time developing a chosen few. This year I plan to focus on and develop my classroom Wiki more. Perhaps deeper use of ICTs can be more beneficial to me and my students than a cursory knowledge of many ICTs.

These four strategies, or options are going to make this year the best year of my career. I will be a better and more motivated teacher for my students. My personal life will be all the better for it too. I hope yours will be too.

This is a guest post by Pat Hensley from the blog Successful Teaching. As we gear up for the upcoming school year, So You Want To Teach? is featuring articles about making this school year the best year ever.

I have been teaching about 30 years now and I still love teaching! I have taught all grade levels including the university level and I still feel the same way. After teaching special education classes for 28 years in public schools, I now teach teachers getting their master’s degree in special education and write a blog called Successful Teaching. I really appreciate Joel for giving me the opportunity to be a guest writer on his blog.

Of course, at the beginning of the year, I have butterflies in my stomach and I promise myself that “this will be the best school year ever!” I’m sure that you have hoped for the same but I thought I would share 10 tips that have helped me have a great year.

1. Drink lots of water. Staying hydrated helps me keep the stressful pace that I know I will have every day. Sometimes I will even end up missing my lunch time because I am so busy but I will not skip drinking water.
2. Use the bathroom when I need to and don’t put it off if I don’t have to. I can’t tell you how many kidney infection I suffered from when I was a new teacher.
3. Stay ahead of the game. I tried to run off papers I needed at least 3 to 4 days in advance if at all possible. It never fails that when I wait until the last minute, the copy machine will break down and I’m ready to pull my hair out.
4. Don’t take people for granted. Remember to thank people for the little things they do for me because they will remember that I appreciated their help. Then if I ever need help with something bigger, they will be there for me.
5. Establish a rapport with my students’ parents/guardians. Life will be much easier for me in the long run. This means contacting them on a regular basis and finding things that their child does right. Positive words go a very long way.
6. Don’t get behind in paperwork. If something is due in the future, I try to get it done as soon as possible so it isn’t hanging over my head. This also allows me to make changes if necessary before the deadline.
7. Develop a support system with other educators. This can be people at my own school, district, state or even online. Knowing that I can talk to people who understand my worries, rants, or thrilling moments can really help me feel good about what I do.
8. Keep a little memo pad and pen or voice recorder in my pocket. It is great for writing down things I don’t want to forget when I am nowhere near my computer or paper.
9. Listen to those who offer advice. Many times they have made mistakes and are trying to help you from making the same mistakes. I need to be open to what they are suggesting and the possibility that they really know what they are talking about. This information may actually make my life easier.
10. Trust my gut feeling. Even though I said I need to listen to experienced teachers, I need to also trust myself. If it doesn’t feel right or comfortable, I don’t need to do it just because they recommend it. This is the time to use critical thinking skills. I need to think about where this person is coming from because if they are angry and resentful about something, I may not want to do what they suggest. But if they suggest something that has worked successfully for them in the classroom, this may be something that I would be willing to try.

Our schools start back the second week in August so it is time to start gearing up. I hope my tips help you as much as they have helped me. It is time to plan on having the best school year ever!

This is a guest post by Kathryn Laster, who teaches math in a suburb of Dallas, TX. She writes:

This year was my 20th year of teaching, so my humble opinions qualify as part B of your “call for guest bloggers.” I really started working on my formal philosophy as a grad school assignment, and I have been slowly tweaking it for several years. Since this was a milestone year for me, I thought it would be appropriate to really re-think and re-visit my philosophy, and your call for guests inspired me to do so. My brief resume: this year, I taught ESL algebra 1, pre-calculus, and AP calculus AB, and this is also my 10th year to sponsor StuCo. At school, I am our campus staff development leader, mentor new teachers, participate in our school leadership team, and work on the AVID site team. I must confess that I have never before contributed to a blog (but I am a regular reader of lots of blogs!) and I just last week joined facebook and Twitter. (I’ve always been so worried about the whole student/teacher line…)

I’m glad she contributed and proud of her for stepping out of her comfort zone! I’m sure you will get much out of her wisdom as I know I sure did!

My views of education are constantly evolving, so I have learned that teaching is actually all about lifelong learning. H. Jackson Brown’s book Live and Learn and Pass It On has inspired meaningful discussions in my Student Council Leadership class; we have presented essays on some of the things we have learned and wanted to pass on to others. Therefore, I felt it was very appropriate to use the format in Mr. Brown’s book to reflect on my years as an educator and to offer a few words of wisdom to those new to education.

Students learn best in positive surroundings
Make your classroom one of your favorite places. I want students to walk into my classroom and feel a nurturing, comfortable, and encouraging learning environment. Posters highlighting kindness respect, character, and citizenship cover my walls. My shelves are decorated with photographs of current and former students, and my windows are covered with college pennants, donated by past students. How do you encourage your students? How do you make them feel comfortable in your classroom?

It’s important to “keep it real”
Not all of your students will love your class and/or subject, so I have learned I have to make some connections with the students on a level that may not necessarily require your content area (math, in my case). For that reason, I like to attend school sporting events, fine arts programs, or sponsor club activities. I enjoy running into students who are working when I’m grocery shopping or eating out. I want students to know that I’m interested in their hobbies or extra-curricular activities. When students are struggling in math, I want to see them experience successes outside of the classroom. Seek out students at their jobs, performances, and even in the halls to make those connections!

It’s important for a teacher to occasionally sit in a student’s chair
Several years ago, I returned to school for a master’s program. Attending classes on the weekends and in the summers, taking tests (and having test anxiety!) writing papers, studying vs. spending time with friends—all reminded me of some challenges my students face. I love being a “life-long-learner,” and each time I am student again, I know I am a much better teacher. Keep learning, either online, or during school or district professional development, or state/national conferences, or graduate school.

You must know your subject
Be prepared to answer difficult questions! If a student does not understand a particular topic or question or objective, I want to be able to find another way of explaining something to him/her until I see that “light bulb” appear, until I see that wonderful expression of comprehension, or until I hear him exclaim, “Oh, now I get it!” I hope that my students are inspired to ask the types of questions as “Why does that work? Why does x⁰ = 1?” or “Why is a negative times a negative a positive?” (And this is another reason why it’s important to keep learning!)

It’s also not always just about the math
I hope to be a role model to my students and exemplify only the best character traits. I expect my students to follow the “Golden Rule” in our classroom and treat all others—adults and peers—as they wish to be treated. Furthermore, I have high expectations in my classroom, and I often must teach students to take pride in all that they do. I hope this attitude transfers to other classes, outside work, and in their future. Students learn about responsibility, a good work ethic, and respect for themselves when they take such pride in their work. Kindness, caring, and respect rule in my classroom! What else are you teaching in your classroom? What kind of role model are you?

Teachers need to take care of each other
Teaching is a difficult job, so it is crucial to help others whenever you can, whether it is helping someone with his/her computer, teaming with other teachers to create lesson plans, or just listening when someone needs an ear. As a new teacher, it’s also important to ask for help! There are people in your school who are willing to mentor you, either formally or informally. Seek out those who can help you with your classroom, content, or other struggles.

I must do whatever it takes to ensure that students have a successful, positive year
As Benjamin Disraeli wrote, “The greatest good you can do for another is not just to share your riches, but to reveal to him his own.” I teach to share my knowledge of mathematics, to instill a love for learning in my students, and to model kindness and caring in my classroom. I also want my students to experience successes, to encounter those “Ah-ha!” moments, to feel confident enough to question, and to discover their strengths and gifts. When I teach, I hope I help “reveal riches” in each and every one of my students. What do you want students to experience in your classroom?