By WEAC Staff
Teachers who are about to join a district for the first time shared questions with veteran educators this summer in preparing for the new school year. Here are some the responses:
“How do I setup my classroom?”
Iris Leske
Madison Metropolitan School District (bilingual teacher, Leopold Elementary)
Edgewood College
“Debbie Diller’s “Spaces and Places” has good ideas for designing classroom layouts for those teaching PreK-5th. In addition, she has step by step hints for organizing materials for whole group instruction, small group instruction, classroom libraries, and literacy work stations. The book is sprinkled with lots of photos (some before/after).”
Lori Cherf
Hillsboro Elementary School
“The children will create an atmosphere that you will need to adapt to. Depending on your needs and use of electrical outlets, pods and pairs usually are nice to start, unless you have tables. No. 1, make sure that your expectations and daily objectives are clearly understood. Good luck!”
Angie Serwas
Rosendale Intermediate School
“Highly recommend “Classroom Spaces That Work” by Marlynn Clayton published by Responsive Classroom for ideas to set up a classroom that fits your students’ and your needs.”
Mary Kreul
Richards Elementary School, Whitefish Bay
“What is the first thing you say to students as they enter the room on the first day of school?”
Kim Nordlie
Muskego-Norway Schools (Bay Lane Middle School)
UW-La Crosse
“I always begin with a big welcome and a smile. It will break the tension that students feel as they walk into the room. Once everyone is sitting and ready to begin, I start out telling a little about myself, including my interests and hobbies. I like to hunt, and that will often make a connection with some students that might not be too excited to be in class. Then I do an activity to help the students get to know one another. I tell the students they will be randomly paired with another student and they will interview each other. They will then be introducing each other to the class. We brainstorm what some good questions might be and I put them on the board. I mix up a deck of cards with pairs and hand the cards out. Students move around the room until they find their partners and then find a place to sit together with paper and pencil. They take about 15 minutes to interview each other and write down a few notes. Then the students get up in front of the class in pairs and introduce each other. It is not so scary because two people are standing together rather than one student standing alone in front.”
Kim Jordan
New London Intermediate School
“For me this is not a first day, one day occurrence. I try to stand in the hallway and great students by name as they enter the room. The first couple days if I do not know who they are, I introduce myself. I may not get everyone each day but over time it helps me to learn their names. As the year progresses this greeting evolves into short conversations on topics that I pick up from the students. This whole process is intended to show interest in the students and what they are doing outside the classroom, and build a sense of familiarity with them.”
Paul Gilbert
St. Croix Falls Middle and High schools
“How do you get parents involved from day one?”
Sara Bradley
Viroqua Area School District (first-grade teacher, Viroqua Elementary)
UW-La Crosse
“I teach high school. Many parents like to be informed although they may never enter my room. I collect parent emails at the beginning of the year. Throughout the rest of the year I send brief classroom notes, updates, and reminders. When possible I even send A+ test reports. Simple, but I've had an overwhelming positive response.”
Stephanie Call
Big Foot High School, Walworth
“I have sign ups at Open House that ask for parent volunteers. I offer a variety of times and activities that the parents can help out with in the classroom. I also have offered things outside the classroom for parents to do too in case they are unable to come in during school time.”
Heidi Beatty
Madison Teachers Inc.
“As a middle school teacher, I think the phone call home is a great tool to connect with families. Always be positive about their kid – they are sending your their best.”
Lynda Eicher
North Cape School
“Are their common things that first-year teachers tend to overlook or forget their first year, that if remembered would make everything run smoother?”
Tracy Davis
School District of Wisconsin Dells (kindergarten teacher)
UW-Platteville
“Your first year can be overwhelming, but if you are organized it can save you time. Sometimes the ‘paperwork’ of your job can be more overwhelming than the ‘teaching’ part of your job. Keep a pen/pencil in your mailbox so when you need to fill out paperwork, you can do it in the workroom rather than taking it to your classroom and risk losing it. Touch a paper only once; don’t create a pile on your desk. File, recycle it, pass it on, but don’t let it sit on your desk until you have time to take care of it. If you have a system for organization, use it. If you don’t, create one because it will save you time.
“Reflect. It is important to reflect on your teaching, not just at the end of the week, but daily. If you are teaching the same subject material, more than once a day, reflect after each hour. Learning to adjust a lesson from one hour to the next can prevent a lot of frustration. Don’t expect to be perfect the first, or even the second time; don’t be afraid to change from one hour to the next. Ask for help. There are veteran teachers around you willing to help. They have spent time adjusting lessons and classroom discipline tactics. Talk about what is and isn’t working. They will learn from you and you will learn from them. College couldn’t, and didn’t, teach you everything you need to know about running a classroom. A large part of our job is learning through ‘trial and error.’ Don’t be afraid to make a mistake; be willing to take advantage of an opportunity to learn a lesson.
“Never be afraid to tell your students that you don’t know the answer to one of their questions. They will trust you more if you are honest with them. Use this as a teachable moment; show them that you are always learning as well. Either work together to find the information or offer students an extra learning opportunity and give them extra credit if they bring the answer to you the next day. It shows them that you are human and willing to reward them for their inquisitive nature.
“You will take the job home with you but you need to remember to take time for yourself. Teachers are notorious for talking about work when they are in a social situations because, let’s face it, we have great stories, but try to set aside a least one night where you aren’t working and/or talking about school.”
Lisa Glaser
Muskego High School
“How can I keep my school and home life balanced?”
Emily Schwanke
Appleton Area School District (Fox River Academy Environmental Charter School)
St. Norbert College graduate
“Maintaining a balance in one’s life is often a very difficult task when one is first starting out in the teaching profession. A new teacher not only has to juggle the challenges of preparing curriculum on a daily basis and meeting their other school duties but also trying to maintain the semblance of a private life as well. There is a certain reality to the adage that a teacher’s work is never done. Given the enormous responsibilities that teachers have, bringing work home is a realistic expectation, especially as new teachers struggle with trying to stay on top of everything. There simply is not enough time in the day to get everything done.
“The key to maintaining a balance between school and home life, however, is to stay organized by focusing on the most important tasks/activities that you would like to accomplish in both areas of your life. This may sound rather simplistic, but it can work quite effectively if you take the time to plan how you will spend your time. While you need sufficient time to complete your school responsibilities, you also need to make sure that you build in private time for family and friends. To reduce your level of stress it is also critical to build in time for exercise and eating healthy.
“Creating organization in one’s life is, of course, not as easy as it sounds. As you become more familiar with school responsibilities and learn new approaches to become more efficient, the process will become easier. Don't hesitate to ask your mentor or other colleagues how they balance their job and private lives. Veteran teachers have been in the same position as you and they are a great resource as you grow as a professional.”
Arthur Anderson
Shorewood School District
Do you have more tips to share with new teachers? Please enter them in the comment section below!