First Day = complete
Found this prayer this morning… I really want to print it and hang in a not so visible spot (thank you public schools) so that I can remember it EVERY day.. not just the first.
I found it here at technology rocks seriously… but she did not write it. If you know the original poster, let me know!
The first day was great. I enjoyed my kids, LOVE my schedule, and over all had a pretty relaxing day!!
A few tips for new teachers on the first few days/weeks of school:
1. Relax! You will be FINE. Even if you wear two different shoes to school…. cough cough… Kara! 😛 Your kids are getting the first impression of you, but if you’re nervous, they will see that and think that maybe you don’t know what you’re doing…. which you do!!!
2. Smile! You do not need to be strict. I think even in very hard behavior schools, being mean/strict/scary that first day is not going to make them anymore excited to be there. I believe that if the students know YOU are excited and that YOU are there to help them and lift them up, they will be more ready to learn from you.
3. Pretend its on the lesson plan 😉 Even if you end your first day speech 15 minutes early, or you run way over.. it will be okay! Just have extra things to do, or have them pull a piece of paper and have them write about themselves or their goals, or about their summer. If you go way over, its only the first day, you can spend a little while the next day finishing what you started. Its okay, you’ll be caught up again before Friday!
4. Have someone to talk to! I am SO lucky to have two good friends that are also brand-new teachers at my school. Today we got together for chips, salsa, and Diet Coke (<3) after school to tell someone about our day. People that wouldn’t judge us or laugh at us (definitely laugh with us though!). As much as I love and adore my husband, he just can’t take more than 15 minutes of me talking about school because there is always a backstory.
5. Be positive! Even if your classes change sizes every hour, you find out a student is assigned to alternative school for the first week of school, you mess up the attendance, whatever happens! It IS fixable and it will get taken care of. If you are negative, your students, your co-workers, and especially your administration will notice that. The more positive you are, I really believe the happier you will be. Getting upset about things like that only makes you look like you can’t handle too much.
6. Befriend everyone on campus. You cannot imagine the things that can be taken care of quickly for you when you are friendly with the secretary, custodians, and lunch staff. They are AMAZING! I am always smiling and thanking them and when I need something done.. even if I don’t need it done for a week or so, it gets done as soon as they have a free minute. (Thank you for moving my filing cabinets and putting a door stop on my door!)
7. Leave school at a decent time. Your to-do list will NEVER be finished. For myself, sometimes decent is getting to school at 7:30 and leaving at 6:30, but I try to be home in time enough to hang out with my hubby and relax.
Enjoy a wonderful year to all of my teacher friends!!!!
Here’s my obligatory first day of school post! Thanks Melissa for reminding me and taking it for me 🙂
Math with Morrison 