GREAT EXPECTATIONS: HELPFUL HINTS FOR BEGINNING TEACHERS

No one knows better than a first year teacher that the beginning of the school year bristles with anticipation and not just for the kids. The weeks before school are often filled with unsettling visions: “When the door closes and all those faces are locking up at me, will I have something to say?” “Will I ever be able to fill all those hours until lunch?” “What if a parent comes to meet me and can only say, “You’re the teacher?”! “Am I going to be able to keep the vows I made to myself to treat my pupils in a fair and loving way?”

There are many scary, empty feelings to face just before your identity of “Teacher” comes true. To put those worries in perspective, take a moment and fantasize, picture your idea of a perfect first year. Imagine how you want to feel, the climate of your classroom, and some of the ideals you have set for yourself. This vision can be a big help in your personal goal-setting process.

Most beginning teachers want to be competent and creative in a classroom where pupils are inquisitive and on task. They envision themselves as flexible and fun, enjoying their job, respected by parents and looked upon as a valuable addition by their school staff.

There are great expectations and important ones. But it is also important not to let your expectations put undue pressure on you! Here are suggestions to turn your beginning teacher’s dreams into achievable goals. “I Want My Pupils to Behave”

Even though you know you have the ability to think of a dynamic lesson and design a terrific bulletin board, it’s hard to feel as confident about “managing” a roomful of pupils. More teachers than not, at some time, have reflected. “These kids must not like me at all because if they did, they would never act like this! “What am I doing wrong?” Beginning teachers are often torn between wanting to develop a friendly relationship with their students and fearing that doing so will ultimately undo their sense of authority. Not true! Your pupils need and want to believe that you’re responsible and in charge, but you can be very friendly, warm and personal and still be the “adult”.

You can create a warm and positive climate in your classroom by identifying and considering your students’ needs and interests. You can meet students’ needs for belonging and control by involving them in decisions that concern them. For example, allow pupils to choose which assignment to do first or even with whom they would like to work (as long as everyone stays on task). Simply being able to make choices may give some of your pupils a real boost of confidence and often improves the chances for cooperation. Plus, making choices is an important step toward developing individual responsibility.

Often beginning teachers feel insecure when other teachers walk by their open classroom door or the principal passes by their class in the lunch line. Sometimes it’s hard not to panic and think “I know I would look like a better teacher if my pupils were not so noisy”. It’s true that part of your competence as a teacher will be reflected by your students’ behavior, but certainly not all of it. Try not to jump to conclusions when other people probably have not. Your primary concern is the overall climate in which you and our pupils coexist.

A very important challenge for you will the ability to separate who your pupils are from the behaviors they exhibit, especially their negative or disruptive behaviors. In other words, can you still perceive the pupil as worthy of your attention and care even though she forgot her homework again, walked away from a mess he made, or even said your assignment was stupid? Your ability to recognize that the students are not their behaviors will allow you to accept them without necessarily accepting those behaviors.

Be sure too, that your pupils have pretty to do. Always have a set of “emergency plans”, quick and easy backups for when things don’t quite go as expected or take as long as you had hoped. Over plan! Undirected kids have a way of turning time on their hands into classroom disruptions.