lae.org Instructional Advocacy New Teacher Guide

Monthly Teacher Tips

August

• Plan the drive to school. If you plan to drive to school each morning, drive at least once to check traffic patterns, find the best route, and determine how long it will take to get to work.
• Learn your way around. Familiarize yourself with the building. Locate exits, principal’s office, gym, nurse’s office, cafeteria, supply room, faculty lounge, media center, and the custodian’s station.
• Introduce yourself. Meet the teachers and school staff around you. They can be of real help in the first few weeks of school. Take the time to say “hello.” Get to know the librarian, counselor, school nurse, cafeteria workers, and custodians.
• Visit your classroom. Set up student desks, work stations, and your own desk.

September

They didn't tell us this in college!

Expect the unexpected! Try to be flexible and adaptable in responding to those unexpected behaviors they never told you about in your teaching methods classes. Ask your mentor and colleagues for suggestions on how to deal with the following situations.

What will you do if . . .

• A student cries?
• It rains at recess?
• A child wets his/her pants?
• A student refuses to do what you ask him/her to do?
• You are called to the office in the middle of a class?
• A student has an allergic reaction to a bee sting or medication?
• A fight breaks out in the hallway and you are the nearest faculty member?
• A student is verbally abusive?
• You can't get the materials you need for your lesson?
• A student threatens you and the class with physical violence?
• You have a student and his aide in your class?

October

Effective parent communication:

• Start off the school year with a letter home introducing yourself, explaining your goals for the students, and letting parents know how they can contact you.
• Send a handwritten (or photocopied) note home to parents on a regular basis, letting them know what their children are learning and how they can reinforce those lessons at home.
• Send “success notes” to parents, applauding the positive things their child has done. Don’t wait until a conference to let parents know about any problems or accomplishments.
• When you communicate with parents in writing, be sure to proofread for spelling and grammatical errors. Avoid education jargon; write clearly and neatly. Make a copy for your records.

November

Evaluation

• Make sure you know who your evaluator is. Know what his/her expectations are. Check with other teachers who have had the same evaluator for advice and tips on what to expect.
• Make sure your lesson plans are in order. Know what format or style is required and write your plans accordingly.
• Know the curriculum for your grade or subject area. Be sure your lessons correspond to the curriculum.
• Before you have your first observation session, ask your mentor, colleague or association rep to come in and watch you teach and provide you with feedback. Ask if you can observe one of their classes.

December

Take time for yourself during the holiday

• Put problems behind you. Use the new year as a fresh start if need be. Focus on the future and what you want for yourself and your students.
• Write in a time on your calendar for regular exercise. It’s a great stress reliever.
• Get plenty of sleep. Leave your classroom issues back in the classroom. Don’t lie awake worrying about how you should have handled Johnny or Susie in class. Tomorrow is a new day.
• Observe good eating habits. Organize a regular eating plan.
• Keep a “to do” list. Review it daily and try doing at least one or two things you can check off. It will bring a real sense of accomplishment.
• Reward yourself for your professional achievement. Celebrate your accomplishments.

January

• Let parents know that you believe that a working partnership with them is best for students. Communicate this in a letter, e-mail, newsletter, etc.
• Send messages home about what parents can do to support learning. Use letters, notes, e-mail messages, newsletters, or a Web page.
• Mail a postcard home once a week to a parent with a positive note.
• Call at least one parent a week to share a positive comment about their child.
• Invite parents to join the class and help with school projects.

February

Homework-How Can Parents Help?

Here is a list that you can provide to your parents.

• Provide a study area.
• Set aside a specific time to do homework.
• Monitor homework.
• Give positive support.
• Check your child's work habits.
• Let your child understand that it's his/her responsibility to ask for help.
• Make sure your child understands that you will answer questions if you can but you will not do the work.
• Talk with teachers early in the school year to find out what their policy is on homework.
• Contact the teacher as soon as possible if you suspect your child has a homework problem.
• Find out what extra support the teacher and the school can give your child if there is a problem.

March

Build a Tip Sheet

By now, you're probably making your own list of survival tips to make your job easier that you didn't get in college. Hopefully, your mentor has helped by sharing with you his/her own secrets.

• Create a list of books, videos, museums and other learning resources that you can suggest to parents when they want to know how they can help support their children's learning.
• Keep parents informed of any curriculum changes or when you introduce a new and potentially controversial lesson.
• Watch yourself at off-campus and on-campus parties. Set a good example for parents and students.
• Keep important and confidential material under lock and key.
• Stay in your professional role and keep personal details to yourself. Students and their parents look to you as role models.

April

You want to have a field trip. Don’t forget to evaluate your field trip destination by going over these questions:

• How does this field trip tie into your curriculum goals?
• When is the site open?
• How far is it from school? How are you going to get there?
• Does the site offer any special events you can take advantage of?
• How much time do you need for this trip?
• Do you need to bring any special supplies or equipment?
• How much will this trip cost each student and who is paying for it?
• How many adults will you need as chaperones?

May

Professional Development

• Become aware of professional organizations in your discipline or area of interest. Membership benefits usually include regular publications and staff development conferences. If you are not familiar with these organizations, ask your more experienced colleagues.
• Familiarize yourself with professional journals.
• Check your building/district professional library.
• Begin license renewal immediately.
• Find out about free or low cost professional development opportunities provided to you by your local association, LAE, NEA, and the Louisiana Department of Education

June

Reflection. Teaching is a profession filled with beginnings and endings; teachers begin and end school years, semesters, grading periods, units of study, chapters, and vacation periods. In the lives of teachers, there are opportune moments which can and should be used for both reflection and for planning. Unfortunately, the pressures to plan may frequently outweigh the tendency to reflect on past practice. Yet, appropriate planning can occur with reflection as a backdrop. Reflection can take a variety of forms: personal journal, weekly observation forms, professional dialogue with other teachers. Some suggested questions for reflection are:

• What has been successful?
• What would you like to have done differently?
• What would you like to try?
• What encourages you?

July

Collaboration. Early in your professional career, try to develop the perspective that teaching is a cooperative and collaborative undertaking. Be willing to ask questions and to exchange ideas with other teachers. It is advantageous for you to seek out a professional colleague who has a similar teaching assignment and use this handbook with him or her. This person should be an experienced, effective teacher who communicates well and is willing to share knowledge and insights with you. Your school district has a New Teacher Mentor Program in place. They will assign a mentor teacher in the first few weeks of school. Be sure to utilize this valuable opportunity to work with another teacher. Some topics you might consider addressing are:

• Behavior Management.
• Time Management.
• Working with Parents.
• Developing Your Own Teaching Style.