Been working as a paraeducator for a while and just got accepted into an alternative certification program. Really excited and really nervous. I am going to be certified in elementary.
Looking for other teacher's perspectives on their first year.
I dont have anything of substance to add but i just wanted to say congratulations! Proud of you.
Congrats and good luck. I did 7 years full time teaching (high school social science) and some subbing. I wasn't very good at imparting content knowledge that first year, but I had a lot of energy, so the students liked me because I was present and excited about the content. Finding another teacher who acted as a mentor (in my case, my hall neighbor who was also my union rep) was an amazing help. He helped me find holes in lessons and knew what the students responded to. Actually, having the whole department as a support group was great. At our first dept meeting (a month into the year), I basically said I regretted taking the job, because of just how demanding it was, and the department helped me get through the low points. I stayed at that school for seven years, so the first month regret wasn't lasting.
My greatest strength as a teacher was probably that, like students, I recognize that school kinda sucks. Most people don't really want to be there. With that in mind, I think I made it clear to my students that I just wanted what was best for them and was available to help them achieve as high as they wanted. I also put a ton of effort into creating my content and making it accessible and interesting for all students. This involves more work on your end, but the students can tell, and appreciate you for it. Really, basically give every piece of content a dry run before you expect students to do it. It'll find the holes.
Administration basically just gets in the way, but the less you bother them, the more they like you. If your behavior management involves calling the office every time a student is defiant, they'll stop picking up.
Schmooze the support staff as much as you can. Kind words, treats, remembering their stories/kids' names, etc. they'll be there for you when you need a favor.
Parents, I rarely dealt with parents cuz it was high school in a very low income/immigrant community. If I had to deal with a bunch of nosey white parents who constantly questioned my teaching, I probably would have quit years earlier. I also learned quite a bit of Spanish, which the students' families appreciated.
One difficulty I had (that ultimately led to me changing career paths) was that I was too committed to the job. I was in teacher brain mode 24 hours a day, and my personal life and relationships always came second to work. Burnout is real.
Don't accept extra duty assignments unless you're really ready for them. People love to dump projects/dying clubs/etc on new blood because the veteran staff know to steer clear. Just say it's your first year and the workload is sufficient.
That's all I can think of at the moment. Good luck and lmk if you got Qs
