I am so scared about opening house and the first day of school coming up next week. I have finally completed my behavior management plan. However, I don't know what else is pertinent to make sure is ready for the first day of school. I have been told to not stress over planning right now but I don't know what else to do for the first few days. I'm assuming all new teachers go through this stress. I'm not sleeping good and I want to completely pull it together before that first day. Can anyone give me some advice? Thanks...
I'm in the same situation! I just got hired two days ago and I have only been able to spend 3 hours in my classroom so far. I can't get back in until Monday, and I'll have Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and half of Thursday to finish up. Last year, there was a long-term sub in the classroom and she took maternity leave the last 6 weeks of school. So another sub finished out the year. So today I walked into a classroom full of stuff! There are 16 year old Encyclopedias, a Language curriculum from the 80s, folders full of stuff that are so old they are disintegrating...binders full of old technology training stuff...ugh. I spent three hours in there today and all I got accomplished was moving the desks around to make enough room and clearing off about 30 shelves of old books and stuff. You wouldn't believe the cobwebs, dead hornets, used tissues, candy wrappers, etc.! What a mess! And I still have a file cabinet, some more shelves, four metal cabinets, and some carts to sort through! It's crazy! I feel like I can't breathe in there for the clutter!!!! Plus I feel so clueless. We just got a new Reading Curriculum and I am not sure what to do with it. It's all still in boxes. And I'm not sure which textbooks we're even supposed to be using this year because the ones that are grouped together look really really old...I have so many questions...some seem so stupid!! I found safety patrol belts in one cabinet and I don't know who is in charge of that...I don't know what I'm allowed to dispose of...I don't know when to start actually using the curriculum, what to do the first week or two...and on and on and on... You are NOT alone. At least in thoughts and well-wishes! At some point this weekend I have to make a serious list of needed items and just go out and purchase everything I need and make everything I need to print off on the computer, etc. Once I get my room set up, I think I'll feel some better... Good luck to you!!!
You might want to develop an information sheet for parents to fill out regarding their child. Mine is fill in: name, mailing address, contact numbes(home, work, cell), after school plan(bus to home or daycare, pick up, walking), siblings and teachers currently in same school, and a section where I ask parents to share any pertinent information they think I should be aware of when working with their child this year. I find it helpful to have items labeled or tags made for: desk, mailboxes, check-in, work folders. These are some things I like to take care...not sure if this is what you we looking for. Good luck!
IRAEnglish-I feel for you! I don't know WHY teachers who leave are not required to CLEAN OUT their mess! You are hired to teach for the next year-not be the cleaning crew!!!!!! A teacher left our school this year and did the same thing to the new girl coming in. She filled an entire dumpster with stuff!
I'm in the same boat! This is my first year teaching.... School starts tomorrow and I still feel COMPLETELY CLUELESS!!!
I am in the same boat as everyone! This thread has made me feel better about my situation. I thought I was the only one! My class was a MESS. My classroom is mostly finished...after working every day this entire week from 8-3. Open house is Wednesday night and Thursday is the first day. I feel for all the other new teachers out there! Keep your heads up!
To you new teachers... We have all been there. Don't stress... although I know that's hard to hear. Your best laid plans will likely fall apart anyway. Have plenty of things on hand for them to do the first couple of days... these boards have so many ideas. If all else fails, read a story to them. And don't be afraid to ask any other 2nd grade teachers at your school. We all get pretty absorbed in our own classrooms and forget to check on the new teachers... but I always make time if someone comes to ask for something. Enjoy!
I came into a classroom like that this past year... WHAT A MESS!!!! Don't be afraid to toss it... too often teachers hold on to the old stuff and it ends up in a cluttered mess... feel free to let it all go... once I did that I felt like I had a clean slate to work with and made my classroom my own. I only had like 3 days to get it ready and I spent one day cleaning it out. Just get it as ready as possible and especially in your 1st year, you will be changing and rearranging all the time!! GOOD LUCK!! And don't stress, we've all been there!
Today I pulled out my "first-day" file from last year (my first year teaching) and laughed at what I had written. KNOWING that this year would be much easier, I had written a little note to myself that said, "SMIIIIILE-it could be worse-it could be your FIRST year again!" GOODLUCK EVERYONE! I start back tomorrow.
