5. Know the School’s Emergency Procedures
No matter where you teach, there are already emergency procedures in place. Ask an administrator or mentor to review all emergency procedures with you before the first day of school, so that you’re prepared.
Often educators forget to tell new teachers about emergency procedures because they are the “norm” and become a habit for veteran teachers. Don’t be afraid to ask for help!
4. Familiarize Yourself with the School’s Discipline Norms
I remember what it was like to be in high school and middle school when students were sent to the principal as often as they were sent to the bathroom. When I began teaching, I was blessed to be placed in a school that had little-to-no discipline problems, and because of this, students were rarely sent to the office. The school almost had the philosophy of it’s the teachers responsibility to handle most discipline issues.
The first time I had a discipline issue, I called the principal down to my room to speak to the student. He was very kind and spoke to the student and helped me resolve the issue. I later spoke to my grade-level team, and they were very surprised that I had called the principal for such a “small” issue. But no one had ever sat down with me and explained the school’s discipline norms.
Sit and ask your mentor or co-workers what the discipline norms or procedures are before you get started. It’s almost always best if you’re able to handle a classroom issue in the classroom, especially if that’s typical for your school.
3. Use the Knowledge of Other Teachers
There are three types of teachers that are very beneficial to new teachers: veteran teachers, teachers in your grade level, and teachers that teach the same content area as you. It is vital to establish a good relationship with each type of these teachers.
Being the “new kid” on the block can be very difficult and overwhelming. I was blessed to find that many veteran teachers possess a wealth of knowledge. Most know about the school norms, its culture, and discipline procedures. Even if they don’t teach in a middle school classroom, valuable information can be learned from them.
Teachers that teach within your grade level are, of course, another wonderful resource. You’ll spend the bulk of your time with these teachers, so try hard to establish a good, professional relationship with them from day one. They’re the experts on scheduling, grade-level field trips, middle school culture, planning meetings, and your students. Remember that with your new grade level team, you are the student, so try learn from them.
You may be lucky enough to have another teacher at your school that teaches the same class as you, or you might be like me in that you just have teachers that teach the same content area as you. Regardless of your situation, find teachers that teach at least the same content area as you. Ask them to share grouping strategies, writing strategies, class structure, standard tips, and testing strategies. Don’t be scared to share any ideas and strategies that you may have with this group as well.
2. Start Building a Relationship with Every Staff Member
It’s important to not just build a relationship with teachers but every staff member at the school. As a new teacher it can be very overwhelming, but focus on building a relationship with everyone you come in contact with. Yes, this includes staff members such as the janitor, office staff, bus drivers, pre-school teacher, ANYONE and EVERYONE!
All of these individuals are working toward the same goal as you: to help create an environment where students can succeed and thrive. A great place to start is to simply speak to everyone you come in contact with. You will present yourself as friendly and confident which will help you grow professionally.
1. Create, Find, or Steal a Classroom Management Plan and STICK WITH IT
I left this tip as the last and number one tip for a reason: it is the most important. Spend time researching and talking to others about classroom management techniques and select one before the first day of school. It’s important to not only take the time to select a classroom management plan that will work for you, but it’s even more important to STICK TO IT.
As a new teacher, trial and error will help you grow as an educator. If you pick a classroom management plan and it doesn’t seem to work just right, change parts of it but don’t change the whole plan. Students respond well to consistency and if every other day you have different set expectations, they will become frustrated and additional behavior issues are bound to arise. My own classroom management plan is based off of a points system with rewards to help promote good behavior (more on that in a future post).
–Morgan Bruce
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