It's common knowledge that first-year teachers face an enormous learning curve as they begin careers in education. Even though every teacher had a first year once, it can be hard for newcomers to feel successful when surrounded by more experienced veterans in the field. There are, however, plenty of ways to cope with the challenges as a first-year teacher. In fact, it is possible for new teachers to avoid some pitfalls and truly flourish...or at least experience something beyond plain old survival mode. Here's how.
Get organized. Meredith Nourie's manifesto on her biggest mistakes as a new teacher highlights one very fixable problem: the sin of being disorganized (2011). There are plenty of things beyond your control as a teacher--you cannot control a student's relationship with his parents, or a difficult class dynamic during third period. You can control whether you are prepared to teach, so getting sorted with materials and lessons plans matters. Even the least perceptive student can see fear in the eyes of a scrambling teacher--don't let this happen to you (more than you can help). Ask your fellow teachers what their strategies are for anything and everything, since part of this challenge is knowing where to begin. Borrow systems from people you trust and see how they work for you.
Show some humility. Researchers at the University of Nebraska at Kearney found that hiring officials value candidates who are self-starters, have a passion for teaching, and feel "willing to reflect on their teaching methods and adjust their philosophy if necessary" (Ziebarth-Bovill, Kritzer, and Bovill, 2012). So you have a huge passion for Reggio-inspired environments, your team has used Rubbermaid storage bins for decades, and there is no budget for the hallowed wooden storage box? You are the newcomer. Do your best to pick your battles in your new school, even if it means adjusting your expectations. After you prove yourself as a valued, flexible team player, then you can start to pioneer some new ideas. Arrive with criticism, and you're borrowing trouble.
Be real about your privilege. Odds are, teaching will connect you with students and families who are different than you, no matter who you are. But particularly if you are a person with a whole lot of privilege, then you have some work to do in shifting any deficit thinking you may have toward your students. A perspective of "color blindness" ultimately marginalizes students of color by denying their problems exist, which many preservice teacher end up doing (McDonough, 2009). Do your part in gaining cultural competency by learning about the community where you teach. If parents are not native English speakers, learn how to greet them in their first language as a gesture of kindness and respect. Is a child's name difficult for you to pronounce? Spend time getting it exactly right, no excuses. Name and claim the areas you need to grow, and don't be shy about it.
Keep your time in check. The social narrative on Millennial work ethic is not always flattering. If you expect to leave your classroom at 4:15 p.m. every day, you are going to fulfill bad stereotypes and you're also not going to get your job done. On the other hand, if you don't leave until 10 p.m. three nights a week, misery is inevitable. Do your best to stay balanced while drinking from the newbie firehose. If you find yourself working so much your relationships, sleep, and/or health are suffering, ask for help from your administration or fellow teachers.
Be a connector. Principals hire self-starters "who can develop positive relationships within the teaching community" (Ziebarth-Bovill, et al., 2012). Be proactive by inviting people in for observations and by asking to visit other classrooms in your school. How does that third grade teacher manage such slick transitions? How can you tighten your teaching during literacy block? Don't be shy about asking for help, because you'll build trust and find friendship by risking a little vulnerability.
Make lavish communication a priority. Research shows that "just about all families care about their children, want them to succeed, and are eager to obtain better information from schools and communities so as to remain good partners in their children's education" (Epstein, 2010). So give the parents what they want, and what they need to be a partner with you: regular, professional, personalized updates on how their kids are doing in school. Quick anecdotal emails can establish rapport early, and by building trust in the beginning, a foundation is set if and when more serious conversations need to happen about behavior or academic concerns. Joyce Epstein's research also supports the value of in-person conferences and emphasizing the need for open communication flowing both directions--not just teacher to family (2010).
The truth is your first year of teaching will likely leave you with some battle scars, but there are ways to set yourself up for success on many fronts. Try to apply the good pedagogy and practical wisdom you learned during training, and keep the perspective that "this too shall pass." Don't forget that the education of these students falls on many shoulders--you cannot take all the credit and you cannot take all the blame. Educational researchers Henderson and Mapp, of the National Center for Family & Community, sum it up this way: "The responsibility for children's educational development is a collaborative enterprise among parents, school staff, and community members" (2002). It takes a village, and you are only a first-year villager once.
References
Epstein, J. (1995). School/family/community partnerships: caring for the
children we
