Teacher Advice
Across the country, thousands of recent college grads and career changers are right now trying to prepare for their first year teaching, even if they don't know where it will be or what it will look like. If they're anything like I was, they've probably heard truckloads of advice on what they should and shouldn't do their first year.
Don't smile until Christmas.
Make sure the kids respect you. This is not about being liked.
Try to make the classroom fun. That's how you hook the kids, you know.
Don't try to grade everything.
And, if they're anything like me, most of that advice will go right out the window the first day they walk into their own classroom. Not because none of it was valuable, but because trying to keep up with it all is just too much. Teachers, friends, students: they all tell you things. But unless you're keeping a learning log to track it all and reflect on it later, there's a good chance you're not going to make use of most of it. Even more problematic, you're often not sure what is good advice and what's worthless.
But what if someone wrote all that advice down for you? Who in their right mind would take the time to do
Don't smile until Christmas.
Make sure the kids respect you. This is not about being liked.
Try to make the classroom fun. That's how you hook the kids, you know.
Don't try to grade everything.
And, if they're anything like me, most of that advice will go right out the window the first day they walk into their own classroom. Not because none of it was valuable, but because trying to keep up with it all is just too much. Teachers, friends, students: they all tell you things. But unless you're keeping a learning log to track it all and reflect on it later, there's a good chance you're not going to make use of most of it. Even more problematic, you're often not sure what is good advice and what's worthless.
But what if someone wrote all that advice down for you? Who in their right mind would take the time to do