Advice

[JBBallard]

I'm always interested in learning from veteran teachers. My question for you guys is "What's one thing you know now that you wished you would have known as a new teacher?"

THANKS!

[Boxcar]

Picking battles...

Knowing when not to give in and when to bend...

These are two of the most valuable lessons. At least in my opinion...

[dtrim]

I wish I had good systems set up before I started my first year. It took years for me to develop my grading system, my absentee system, my calling-on-kids system, my substitute teacher system.

I had great teacher prep on content and theory, but the systems were what I lacked most.

[Ms.Champion]

I would say to create a discipline system and stick w/ it.

Also another poster said about the picking battles. That is huge. By the mid-ending of my first year, I was just giving pencils away...as long as they did the work, I could care less if they kept the pencil.

[hweber]

Procedures, Procedures, Procedures. Procedures for everything, bathroom, pencil sharpening, answering questions, getting their attention when they are working on something, every possible scenario you can think of needs a procedure to accompany it. You really do need to pick your battles, but that is hard to figure out before the year starts. I too was just giving out pencils left and right. Rules for the big stuff. Write them out and write out the consequences. Practice the procedures all the time. When they get off track, simply state - what is the procedure? then have them repeat the procedures and practice it if applicable. Procedures and practice.

[JBBallard]

These are great guys; keep them coming!

[Ms.Champion]

I Totally Agree w/ hweber. That was my down fall this past year (my first year too). I am def. going to do what s/he says in the post the second time around. Great advice!

[hweber]

Thanks Ms. Champion. I really never realized how much work it is to keep a class in control and focused on learning. The veterans make it look sooooo easy, but it isn't. It is constant work! That is what I have to keep in mind too.

[dsmms]

College does not teach you how to organize all the "stuff." This was the most overwhelming thing for me. After two years, I am still picking up bits and pieces of helpful organizing information. I would pay good money if someone would just come in and tell me how to set everything up. I am fed up with stacks of paper on my desk. Every time I need to find something, I waste valuable time hunting through piles of paper!:mad:

Donna