Do you fear that you won't be good at your job? My ST was awesome, but I'm afraid that'll be different once I get my own room! I will be working in an ID program, so I'll be busy-11 kids!! I will have tons and tons of LPs, so I hope I can differentiate appropriately! I'm a perfectionist, and I'm in high gear all the time.
I am always wondering about how I can improve. Being afraid of not being good enough at my job is always a passing fear, but I generally maintain enough confidence to last me through those times. That and getting support when I need it.
I am entering my first year too, and I am terrified of doing a horrible job. I feel overwhelmed already at times! I just keep reminding myself that all teachers continue to grow, and that I will be a more experienced teacher on the last day of school than I was on the first day of school. I also keep telling myself that if I successfully survived college, student teaching, and other personal struggles, then I can be tackle being a first year teacher with the knowledge that I will survive it too!
Just work as hard as you can, continue to learn and ask lots of questions. Pace yourself and be sure to make time for you. Enjoy!
My student teaching was a nightmare. I was called the b word and the c word on a daily basis. My CT wouldn't allow me to reprmand or discipline them because "punishing them might hurt their feelings." It got to the point where I wasn't eating or sleeping. I was throwing up on a daily basis. My supervisor just happened to be at my college one day when I nearly passed out before a seminar class and asked me what was wrong. I told her and she got me out of that school and some place better within 45 minutes. The rest of my ST went smoothly, the CT I had was an amazing supportive woman. Her letter of rec was slightly weak because she had never wrote one before, but she was an amazing woman and I'm SO grateful for her help, but I always fear that I'll have classes like the ones I first encountered--or I'll have to encounter that CT again and that she will try and ruin my career. It's the type of thing that keeps me up at night. I'd LIKE to believe that when I'm in charge 100% and the only teacher in that room they know is me that things will be better because they know I handle their grades, but some kids just don't care. I agree with everyone else. As new teachers, we are just getting our feet wet and learning. Every year we will discover something that works and something that doesn't. Some years what didn't work might work and what worked might not. Just remember that teachers who have been doing this a long time still make mistakes. Nobody is a perfect person--much less a perfect teacher. We can all do our best though.
Just do as much planning and prepping as you can this summer, and that will work wonders for your year. The hardest thing for new teachers to master is classroom management, so you want to make sure you have a very specific plan for your room. The younger your students, the more you need to think about procedures. Everyone suggests Fred Jones for the little ones (and even middle school). A lot of teachers on this board also use the Whole Brain Teaching system for classroom management. You can check it out an this site (there's a subforum) and there are videos on youtube that show it in action with all age groups (K-college!). Check those out. After you have a good idea for classroom management, just make sure you know your curriculum inside and out. If you can, you need a good plan for your instruction, at least through the first grading period. Call your department chairs or curriculum principals and get as much information from them as you can! You're going to make mistakes, but unless you are violent or cruel, you aren't going to do anything that's going to do permanent damage to the kids. You'll be fine!
I agree, do as much as you can this summer. It will be stressful! Remember, all great teachers had a first year as well.
My first year was awesome. Ignorance is truely bliss. I shut my door and taught, totally unaware of the other responsibilities placed on a teacher. I find each year I uncover more areas of this job. This year was my first year teaching grade 1, and I do wonder how effective I've been. I know deep down I have taught them and they have learned. Spend the summer prepping. Learn your specific learning outcomes inside out. Map out the year. Research resources. Come up with a classroom management plan. You won't have time to do these things well once the year starts!
I think this is a normal feeling for many first year teachers. I have said this many times here, but my first year I felt like a fraud. You are just feeling your way through it all, and you hope you do a good job. As long as you reflect and make necessary changes, keep a positive attitude, and are confident (not cocky), you will do just fine. You will learn as you go, so just be open to trying different things, modifying, and collaborating and you will end the year having grown. By my second year I already felt so much more prepared and ready than my first. At the same time, I feel like it is important to continue to grow and make changes regardless of how many years one has teaching. I am sure you will do a great job!
I am trying to prepare as much as possible. I do not have any IEPs yet, so I don't know my students. I am in the process of getting whatever information I can right now. My classroom management skills are good, so I am not concerned about that aspect.
The summer before my 1st year, I spent time reading books, understanding my curriculum, planning my lessons and browsing the internet for classroom management ideas and other stuff. I tried to mentally prepare myself as much as I could. I will be doing most of this stuff again this year as I am moving schools and grades, so it's like I'm a first year teacher all over again.
You'll do fine. Like others said, this year will be a great learning experience and you can only go up from here. You will have the advantage of planning as much as possible in advance. In my first year of teaching, I was hired two days before the start of the school year, and I still survived!
Research and prepare over the summer. Do you have family/friends who are teachers? Ask them for their best tips and advice. Be sure to read http://www.amazon.com/The-First-Days-School-Effective/dp/0962936022 . Be sure to take time for yourself. You'll do great!
