Help!

[stan91]

I have taught for 15 years in upper elementary and middle school. I just moved to a new school (where my children attend) and I will be teaching 2nd grade. I feel as though I just stepped out of college. I need help with schedules, class room themes, organization of supplies.. pretty much everything.:eek:

[scrivener]

Hi Stan, and welcome to TTC.

First of all, congratulations on the big move. You should be applauded for your willingness to try this new job. I believe ('though I confess I can't say for sure) that you'll find that your fifteen years will come in very, very handy, even at this second-grade level.

Now take a deep breath. I think there are a lot of people here who have a lot of help to offer you, but you need to address them one at a time! Make a list of the most pressing concerns, and we'll see what we can do for you, okay? You've already taken a huge first step: You're asking for the encouragement and support of your colleagues around the world. We're here for you, buddy!

Now identify, specifically, what you'd like some help with. Make a list of, say, the top seven. We'll take it from there.

[stan91]

Thank you for your response. My list is growing quickly.
How do I tell my coworkers at my old school?
How do I keep those wonderful friendships?
How do I work at the same school where my children attend?
Morning procedures as they come in and before announcements?
How do I discourage tattle-tales?
I am coming from a school with no parental involvement to one with tremendous parental involvement. How can I make the transistion?
How picky should I be in handwriting?

[AAA Teacher Forum]

Thank you for your response. My list is growing quickly.
How do I tell my coworkers at my old school?
Stan,
Congratulations on your move! I just made a school move a couple of years ago and it can be tough. You are so excited (and nervous) about the new position, but at the same time you are grieving the loss of coworkers, possibly questioning your move, and just overall anxious. I have been teaching for 10 years know and the one constant thing about education is...change!

As for sharing your news with coworkers, you may want to visit with you principal about how he or she would like you to handle it. They may have a preference. My advice is to be as honest as possible. Ultimately, everyone knows that a change in jobs is really an opportunity for that person to continue their personal growth and life dreams.

How do I keep those wonderful friendships?
This is a tough one. I think you have to be very intentional about keeping in touch. Send emails, chat on the phone, get together for coffee/drinks. Another great thing to do is get your friends' birthdays, put them in your calendar and send them "Birthday Wishes." This is what a former teammate of mine does and even though we may not talk as much as we would like, getting that note on my birthday means a lot. Make time for the old friends just as you do for the new friends.

How do I work at the same school where my children attend?
I haven't personally experienced this, but here are a few thoughts. Always try to remain professional...don't look for special treatment for your own children...ultimately, allowing them to do things other students don't. I know there are times when they will get to do something "special," but you have to define that line. I also think it's important to honor their time...will they be coming early and staying late? This can sometimes be hard on teachers' kids. Make sure they get you as a parent and not just as teacher.

Morning procedures as they come in and before announcements?
For this question you will probably want to visit with your new teammates. Get in touch with them ASAP! There may be some standards that your new grade level and/or school already have. For any grade, I think it's important to great kids, get lunch count taken care of, homework handed in, and other "housekeeping" things (pencils sharpened, notes delivered to you, library books returned, etc.) done.

How do I discourage tattle-tales?
When I taught 1st & 2nd grade, I explicitly taught the difference between "reporting" and "tattling." You can do this through various picture books, role-playing, and class discussions. Students also do less tattling if they have the tools to work through their own problems. Kids knew that when the came to me with, "Mrs. Jensen, Johnny is..." I would say to them, "Is this reporting or is this tattling?" There were times that I maybe had to repeat this same question several times. After their answer, we could then work through the situation. I would often remind them to think about and use the problem solving strategies we had discussed. Set the standard early in the year.

I am coming from a school with no parental involvement to one with tremendous parental involvement. How can I make the transistion?
Start thinking about how you may want parents to help in your class. (As a parent yourself, think about what you like to do.) After you have thought about the type of help you want, create a form that includes the following: Parent's Information (phone, email, etc.), Days/times they are available to help, and share what you are looking for and ask them to tell you what area they would like to help with. Don't forget to include room parents for field trips, class parties, etc. This is an area you may also want to visit with your new teammates about. My school has a volunteer coordinator, so you may want to check in to that as well.

How picky should I be in handwriting?
I have found that buildings and/or grade levels often decide handwriting standards. You will want to visit with teammates about this one...it's important that you all have the same expectations.

Good luck and I hope you have a wonderful year! Be sure to ask for anymore advice...we have great people here on the boards.
Jennifer

[TeacherRW]

Wow, stan91, what an exciting adventure you are about to embark upon. Jennifer already gave you some good advice but I'll add my own two cents.


How do I tell my coworkers at my old school? Once you resign your old post (after signing your new contract), I would contact your old coworkers in some way to let them know that you will not be returning to "camp" this fall. An email, a call, a note-- something that let's them "hear it from you" rather than via the grapevine. This just happened with one of my colleagues. I found out that she had resigned her position through word-of-mouth from others in our building. I wish that she had contacted those of us that were colleagues at the same grade level as her.

How do I keep those wonderful friendships? Don't be a stranger. Keep in communication with them. Don't be shy.

How do I work at the same school where my children attend? We have a couple of teachers at have their own children attending there. Just make sure that you address how you want to be greeted while at school. I am assuming that they will not be in your classroom so that should alleviate many of the situations that you might have for uncomfortable interactions. That kind of sounds wrong, what I mean to say is that when they address you in the halls, they should probably just say "Hi" and smile rather than being formal and calling you, "Mr. __stan91__". When I grew up, there were three girls in my classroom whose mothers were teachers. All of the kids in our "class" knew they were the "teachers' kids". So, there wouldn't have been any shock if they had called their parent "Mom".

Morning procedures as they come in and before announcements? Just as with your upper grade kiddos, your 2nd graders are going to need plenty of direction from you. You will need to establish and practice your procedures for a couple of weeks before they "get it" and apply. Make sure that you are out in the hallway reminding them about what to do next. Drill and practice.

How do I discourage tattle-tales? There are several books that you can read to your students and discuss about tattling. Once they understand what tattling is, you will be able to curb it.

I am coming from a school with no parental involvement to one with tremendous parental involvement. How can I make the transistion? Ask parents through a questionnaire how they would like to help out in the classroom. Or, at least give them the option to help out. Talk to your colleagues about how they utilize those helpful parents. As they have experience with the grade level and level of parental participation, they can direct you a bit. Also acknowledge your limited experience with a lot of parental help. Then, the parents won't be so worried about why you aren't having them in the classroom as much as they would like to.

How picky should I be in handwriting? Personally, I would be very picky. They are still in the infancy stages of handwriting as far as I am concerned. We need to make sure that students at this level are correctly forming the letters. It does no good to let them start slipping at this tender of an age... too many bad habits start when we are not diligent in enforcing proper writing habits. Additionally, there is the addition of cursive writing in either 2nd or 3rd grade typically depending on the style you use. If we are allowing poor habits to form before we start cursive, the addition of cursive will be that much more confusing and frustrating for both the child & teacher.

[happyteacher]

Morning Routines,
Have some quick work for them to do as they come in the door. This helps to eliminate all the noise while you call role. Then do pledge and other business. I usually put a sentence for them to fix, math problems, or a journal starter on the board so they can know what to do everyday. I also have a morning message for them to read as they come in telling them events for the day. I teach 1st grade so after the first month I have things for them to fix in the message.
I hope this helps.
Melinda
1st grade teacher.

[stan91]

Thanks so much for all the help! I feel I am some what settled and once I meet with my new coworkers I will feel even better.

This has been a wonderful learning experience. I hope each of you have a terrific year.

Irene

[scrivener]

When's your first day with the students, Irene? Let us know how it goes!

[Lin]

Sounds like you got excellent advice. I would like to address only one issue--working in the school your children attend. I had my daughter in my school K-5, and actually taught her in 4th grade. I find it's less likely that teachers favor their own children and much more likely that they actually expect too much from them. I also find that other teachers and principals hold teachers' kids to higher standards than their classmates. Be aware of this and be prepared to discuss it with your colleagues if it becomes a problem. I also had problems with teachers who would stop by my classroom during the day while I was teaching, with their entire class lined up in the hallway, to discuss some very minor problem about my child with me. I finally learned to ask "Would you call a parent at work about this issue?" when it happened. Your work is just as important as any other parent (more so!) and deserves to be respected.

Also, the other kids know that's your child, so when he/she calls you "mom' they'll be fine. My daughter called me "mom" in class all the time and there was no problem.

Good luck!

Lin

[melissae]

Hi Irene!
I know what you are feeling! Five years ago I began working where my children attend school. It is very rewarding and scary at the same time. My three children are in sixth, fifth, and second- and I teach first.

I love being on the same schedule as them with the same breaks as far as vacations, snow days, etc. It is great to be there for them if something is bothering them or just need to see me at lunch.

The one negative is that sometimes co-workers think they can pull me out of class or send my children to me when they might forget homework, etc. I have had to tell them that my children need to follow the same routine as everyone else. It's tricky!

Stay strong and enjoy it!

I liked what Melinda said about morning work when the children arrive. I do that as well. My students have a morning notebook that they have to journal in every morning. I have the date on the board and they copy it. Then they draw me a picture about whatever they want to tell me about and then they write sentences (as well as they can at the beginning). After announcements I call the students up to me and my aide and they read it to one of us. This gives them time to share and they love to share in first grade.

Good luck on your school year and keep us posted!
Melissa
First grade teacher

[javamomma]

Bighug You will do fine!
Once a teacher always a teacher no matter what grade.