20 Tips and Tricks for New Teachers

Being a new teacher can be exciting and overwhelming all at once (trust me, I am fairly new to this wonderful career too!), and I would love to share some tips and tricks that have helped me as a teacher.

1. If you're currently completing your degree, go into as many different grades and schools as you can. From here, you can develop your own ideas and opinions of what you like and don't like. You will also find which grade levels interest you. While completing my degree, I was able to teach Grades K-4, and visited a number of schools in three school divisions in my area. I enjoyed going to different schools in different divisions, as I was able to see which divisions I would want to apply to work for upon completing my degree.

2. When it comes time to apply for jobs, a subbing position would be a great way to get your foot in the door. Subbing will allow you to see and experience different classrooms, get ideas for your own classroom, gain teaching experience, and have a bit more flexibility with your work schedule. If you are wanting your own classroom right away (like I did), be open to moving. This does not mean that you won't be able to get a teaching contract in your home town right out of university, but being open to moving may make it easier to secure a contract. Out of university, I applied for about 5 teaching positions that would require me to move. Out of those 5 positions, only one of them called. I was interviewed in June 2017 and was hired that day. I moved to a small town of 2,500 people 3.5 hours away. At the time, my boyfriend was working out of town and it was only a year long contract. Because of this, the decision to move was an easy one for me. I loved that little town and the year that went with it. During that first year, the superintendent came to observe my classroom. He then offered me a permanent position in another city. In 2018 I moved again (this time only 2.25 hours from home) and taught there for 2 years. I learned and grew so much as an educator and worked alongside many talented and amazing teachers who are now dear friends. I was very transparent from the beginning with my administrator and superintendent on my hopes to eventually return home. They were my references. I worked hard in order to prove myself and build my reputation as a teacher. I applied back home each year. Finally, this Spring I was offered a full-time permanent teaching contract back home and began my new position this Fall. What I am trying to say is, you may not get the position you want right away, but keep applying, keep interviewing, and keep working hard and you will get there.

3. Always be prepped for the next day before leaving school. Things happen in the morning. Your car won't start, the roads are bad, you're sick, etc. If you are set up for the next day before you leave, you will have a much more relaxed morning and feel at ease if you wake up sick and a sub has to fill in for you. This year is the first year that I am planned (or at least try to be) a week ahead. It has taken me 4 years to get to that point. Before then (and sometimes still) I survived planning day-by-day, but I was ALWAYS prepped for the next day before I left the school.

4. Don't be afraid to ask for help. Seriously. For the most part, teachers love sharing ideas, resources, lesson plans, etc. I love collaborating with other teachers and planning lessons together. If you need anyone to talk to, I am here!

5. Avoid being negative. I can't make it any more clear. This does not mean you cannot vent about work, but if you're around coworkers that are negative, or always complaining, you won't enjoy your job and it will ultimately affect your teaching. If I get tired, or overwhelmed, or frustrated, I first remind myself that I am truly in the best career, I am so lucky to have a teaching contract, and then I talk to my "Teacher Bestie" which brings me to my next tip...

6. Find a "Teacher Bestie!" They get it. Teaching can be tough and draining. Teaching can be rewarding and exciting! I love my non-teacher friends, and they truly are so supportive, but no one understands the career like another teacher. This can be a friend, a coworker, or even someone you met through your Teacher Instagram. Find someone who can relate to you and your job. It helps!

7. If you're wanting to build a classroom library go through the racks at thrift stores such as Value Village, or garage sales. Books are super expensive, and I have had good luck finding great titles in like-new condition for a quarter of the price! You can also ask friends/family if they have any books to donate to your classroom library. I also love Scholastic. It is cheaper than book stores like Indigo. If you send home book orders with your kids, you can build a bonus bank by receiving credits based on how much money your classroom spends.

8. Keep a book of kid quotes. I wish I did this from the beginning of my teaching journey. Honestly, I am not very good at this. I try to share my "Kid Quote of the Day" on my Instagram highlights and a lot of the time I end up forgetting what was said if I don't write it down right away. Seriously, you'll look back on these and laugh. Maybe I will write book about them one day.

9. Keep your own special read aloud books separate from your classroom library. I used to have all of my books in the classroom library for the kids to use. But in my second year of teaching I attended a PD and the speaker said to keep your special read aloud books separate from your classroom library. I love the idea of giving kids access to as many books as possible, but since keeping a small collection of books separate, it makes planning lessons easier. I have some books set aside for when I want to teach connections, questions, or visualizing strategies, etc. I also have some diversity books, some character education books, and some of my favourite read alouds in my personal collection. If kiddos want to read them, they can, but I keep them when they are done.

10. Keep a professional portfolio with a current resume, certificates from any PDs you've attended, lesson plans, pictures of your kiddos learning, etc. Even if you think you won't want to move divisions or change positions, it is important to have this growing and changing document of your professional growth.

11. Stay organized. I am naturally an overly organized person so this comes easy to me. I was requested to share organization tips (weekly, yearly, digitally, hard copies, etc.) so I will likely make a separate blog post in regards to this. Stay tuned! :)

12. Be prepared to put in a lot of time planning, prepping, and drinking coffee! I'll be honest, you'll be exhausted.

13. Create meaningful and authentic relationships with your students and their families. Get to know your students. Ask them about their likes and dislikes, connect with them, and check in on them. Let them know they are important to you and that you care. At the beginning of the year, make sure your first contact with families is a positive one. Whether this is sharing something funny a kiddo did, how kind or helpful they are, a new goal they reached, some amazing work they did, etc. Having that first contact be positive sets the tone and relationship with the families for the year.

14. Have a strong and clear classroom management plan. At some point I will create a separate blog post about my classroom management plan. A resource that was given to me at my first school and has had a big influence on my classroom management strategies is How to Reach and Teach Children with Challenging Behaviour by Kaye L. Otten and Jodie L. Tuttle. I encourage you to check it out.

15. Make a year plan. Most administrators will require one. You can make it as simple or as detailed as you want. I make mine pretty detailed, as I use it to guide my instruction and keep me on track. I print my year plans out on large paper and tape it to the inside door of my cupboard. I then highlight the outcomes as I cover them. Make sure you know the grading system your school/division uses and what resources are available to you. This will help with planning.

16. Before you make your year plan, make sure you know the curriculum you are teaching. I printed out a paper copy of the entire curriculum for my grade. I did this because I like highlighting things and making notes in the margins. This is not necessary. I also found a curriculum checklist for my grade/province on Teachers Pay Teachers and printed that out. (If you're teaching Grade 1, 2, or 3 in Saskatchewan.... run and grab Heaps of Firsts' curriculum checklists! They are amazing and so helpful!) Also, check with your division. They my have curriculum rubrics and "I Can" statements already made. There is no need to reinvent the wheel if it isn't necessary.

17. Have some sort of positive reinforcement system and use it often. There are so many great ideas on Instagram and Pinterest. I will include my positive reinforcement strategies in the Classroom Management blog post.

18. Have clear communication with families. Each week I send home a weekly update that highlights what we have learned that week, along with a "Coming Up Next Week" section to give parents a heads up on any special days or things to remember. Students use day planners/agendas for printing practice and daily communication between home and school. I use Class Dojo as a way to instant message parents, as well as share pictures and videos. I share all the learning targets/I can statements for each unit with families and send home a classroom calendar each month. I also send home reading level updates, sight word updates, assessments, and letter identification and sounds updates a couple times each term. Keep families updated on their child's progress. Do NOT wait to tell families that their child is having challenges until reporting period.

19. Don't compare yourself to other teachers. Do what works for you. No one is perfect and social media is a highlight reel.

20. Learn to find balance. I'll be honest, I haven't been good with this. In my first 3 years of teaching I spent SO much time at the school in the evenings and on weekends. I would often be (and still am) the first one to arrive and the last one to leave. For me, I was okay with this. I lived away from family and friends and lived on my own. It was what kept me busy and happy. Now that I am home with family and friends, I have gotten better at finding balance. Most days I arrive at school 1.5-2 hours before classes begin to get some prepping and work done. Because I do this, I have yet to come into the school on the weekends this year. This is how I am learning to find balance.

If you have made it to the end of this, thank you so much for reading my very first blog post! Your requests of tips & tricks for new teachers have given me many ideas and inspiration for future blog posts! I feel like the real-life, teacher version of Gossip Girl.

XOXO,

Elle