First Year Teaching Experience & Lessons Learned

and she turned around and grabbed her desk and flipped her desk around and threw a at the student and then they just started fighting hey everyone welcome back to my channel my name is Samantha rose and today I'm coming to you all with a teaching video I decided to speak to you all about my first year teaching experience so before we get into that make sure that you like they subscribe and let's get right into it so my first year teaching was not the typical experience I was hired as a lead replacement so the woman that I was replacing she was going on maternity leave and the plan was that I was going to shadow her for about a week before she went on maternity leave and she was teaching two different preps at the time it was US history for 11th graders and also 12th grade participation in government but that did not go as planned I get a call from the principal Sunday afternoon saying that that teacher had already gone into labor over the weekend and I needed to start on Monday without shadowing her like thrown in completely so I remember obviously not being able to sleep the night before because I was freaking out I thought that I was going to have like the smooth weigh-in it's already intimidating when you're going in there when someone already has like their structure set up the way that they teach when they already know the kids I believe this was maybe like the second week of school so it wasn't like it was fully emerged into the school year but it was enough where now I learned that like the first days of school matters so much when it comes to building routine and also just relationship with the kids so anyways move forward I go into the school building and the principal who was so sweet she ends up like handing me huge binder of everything that that teacher had done the year before and was pretty much like here you go teach the class and I remember like freaking out but of course also feeling like challenge accepted you know and so I'm looking through this binder but I have no idea like where she left off what was the last thing that they spoke about like we were supposed to do all of that that week that I started so I remember walking into the room and this is so many years ago it's kind of creepy that I even remember but I remember walking into the room and it was the room of all juniors and one of the male students who ended up being like one of my favorites at the end of the year but he was like a tough kid pretty challenging and I remember introducing myself talking about who I was where I came from blah blah blah and he has said something along the lines of like oh you're pretty do you have a boyfriend and I'm worried like yes I do I am engaged and he was like oh well do you want a boyfriend and of course the whole class I thought was funny and I was like oh my god it's kid like came on to be pretty strong um and so I remember debriefing with the principal and she was like how was your first day and I told her what this kid had said and she suspended him for saying that to me I think that she was just highly offended and I think she even felt disrespected at the comment but that was one of the worst things I know in her heart she was trying to help me but that was one of the worst things that she could have done because when that boy came back to class he didn't think like oh the principal suspended me he thought like I told on him and I got him suspended and so that caused even more conflict between him and I and I would ask him to like put his phone away or to start an assignment and you would just look at me or like leave it there or crumble it and it just it was such a rocky road moving forward with that kid and I wish so badly that that have happened I wish that I didn't even tell her what happened because she never asked what I thought should be the consequence she just did it and again I know that in her intentions were good but it really did end up backfiring because this was that kids first impression of me like I say one thing and you got me suspended and it was like oh great like not the way that you want to start so unfortunately I started off on a really difficult foot because I couldn't plan prior and so that night Monday night I remember like going to sleep really really late because I was planning these powerpoints thankfully I did have like the worksheets that she had used in previous years but when I went to college my concentration was a European history and so I knew so much about European history about kings and queens and I was just fascinated with that time period and then to have to teach American history and government I was out of my league so to say so I remember just like having to learn so much information having to teach myself so much stuff before I could even like bring it before the kids so that first year just to wrap it up was the hardest year of my life I cried so much I would literally go to my car after having like a really difficult class and just like cry and then be like oh my god but I still have to teach southern period like I still have to go back in the building I have to pull myself together I have to shake that off and I had such a hard time because I didn't know the type of teacher that I wanted to be I didn't know what rules I wanted to put in place I was so young I was only 22 at the time and so I looked like a baby and it was just really hard I felt like I didn't know how to gain respect I felt like I didn't know how to be taken seriously and I remember also that years so many fights have in my classroom boy fights girl fight I remember this one student she okay it was like five minutes before class was about to end and the student that was sitting behind her I think made a comment about her hair and she turned around and grabbed her desk and flipped her desk around and threw it out the student and then they just started fighting and it was like chaos and I remember I was too far from the door and I remember just screaming at the other students like get help get help get help like screaming for them to go into the hallway and finally I was able to like get to the door and I just scream like there's a fight there's a fight there's a fight and someone who wasn't even like a part of security he's like the tech guy her school he comes in and he's like trying to break up the girls he gets hit in the face his glasses are all twisted and broken like it was crazy and that by far was like the most traumatic experience as a first-year teacher of course there were many more fights to come later on I remember just being like wow wow this is intense and even the fights would make me cry because one you want your classroom to be safe and to know that that stuff kept happening again you feel like you're being disrespected even though it has nothing to do with you but it was almost like they think that they can do that here like they think they can get away with that kind of behavior in my room and that was rough and also you know you grow to love these people and to see them fight or like harm each other like that that is like it's really emotional and I experienced that a lot my first year um I had again at least four fights that year and so fast forward I I have this teacher comes back and I was supposed to have gotten let go because I was only there as a temporary position just for three months but the school liked me so much and they didn't have a position available and so they just kept me around and they helped I helped like with testing accommodation rooms which was for the special ed department so again my school is very small actually still worked there until this day but I'm just so blessed that the principals saw something in me because when I look at my first year I think that I was a hot mess but um I guess because I just cared about my job and I cared about doing well that she was able to see that and I'm so grateful and then in June one of these social studies teachers ended up leading the school and they had offered me the position and ever since then like ever since that year um I've been working there full-time the first thing learn to say no no no no no no can I eat no can I go to bathroom no no no no no my dog you sleepy I'm eat because I'm it ha ha ha but be comfortable with saying no if you don't like to say that word if you feel weird saying it Hey no but if you don't feel comfortable saying it look in the mirror have someone that you're really close to ask you questions and then just save a word you have to be comfortable saying no and the biggest reason is because your kids will try to push your button I remember my first year of my classroom was a revolving door can I go to the bathroom yeah can I do this yeah yeah yeah yeah I didn't know how to say no I didn't know how to be firm I didn't know how to stick with the school rules and it was all because I didn't know how to say no confidently because it sounded so mean to have to say no but it is necessary and so one of the biggest statements that I also learned if you don't like just say no the first prompt is I understand but the answer is still no that's it don't say sorry after don't blame it on the school and the school rules own your position in the classroom also learn to say no when it comes to after-school activities when it comes to clubs when it's your first year you want to show the school that you are just so about the community and the light but honestly if you say yes to everything you will be exhausted you are probably already exhausted and you're not doing any of those extra things so learn to say no of course pick and choose sometimes students will ask a miss that game and of course show up for a few minutes you do not have to stay the whole time and then leave but learn to put your foot down learn to say no for your sanity and also for the structure of your classroom number two try to plan for the entire week because day to day planning is exhausting now depending on your school they may already require you to plan a week ahead but again every school is different and so if this doesn't apply to you it doesn't apply to you but definitely make sure that you are planning a week ahead if you're trying to go day by day you're gonna be exhausted you're always going to be scrambling to make copies to make things to PowerPoint try to be as prepared as possible so for example on Sunday if I'm teaching the French Revolution I know okay well a rough idea Monday Tuesday we're doing the third Estate's Wednesday we have to talk about economic issues and we also have to define what social issues are Thursday we're going to talk about the Palace of Versailles and the war expenses and everything that was an economic issue Friday we're gonna review Monday through Thursday and we're also gonna talk about louis xvi and marie antoinette have your week planned out so that at least you know what you're doing the worst thing you can do is the day before be like so what am i doing tomorrow I don't even know what I'm doing time that will make you so tired try your best to plan ahead now will that take time yes will it probably take an entire day to do so yes but it will minimize how exhausted you feel throughout the week if you dedicate a few hours on a Saturday or a Sunday to just plan your week before it starts number three whatever your students need to know learn double what mall towns are the people in the back whatever your students need to know learn double if you're looking at their textbook if you're looking at certain things from the state or the school learn that and or because your students are going to ask questions and there's only so many times you can say I don't know before you start to lose credibility and also don't make stuff up if you don't know you don't know but don't lie to the kids because then in the future you may have to actually teach that thing and then they're like wait a second you said it and then you lose all credibility and you're not really the expert in the room so just be prepared learn extra they're gonna ask questions but you don't want to get caught with a question that you cannot answer and of course it will happen but you want to minimize how often that happens learn double what your kids need to know number four probably the biggest thing that I learned creates a routine your classroom has to have a beginning a middle and an end every single day your students should know what to expect when they walk in the room have an agenda on the board we're gonna do our due now we're gonna take some notes we're gonna have a group activity we're gonna color we're gonna whatever and then we're gonna recap always have structure they need the structure they want this juncture now for me and my classroom I structure it the same almost every day we haven't do now I start I have someone Rebane I have someone read the objective for the day this is what you will be able to do this is how this connects to yesterday now let's answer the do now question whether it's something that relates to them whether it's recap from the previous day so again aim objective do now usually we take Cornell notes for about 10 minutes then I model the assignment for them or maybe I'll show a video that reinforces what we just learned then I will model then I will put them either in pairs or groups and then we read as a classroom and then there is an exit ticket there is always structure do I break the structure some days absolutely you want to be creative and you want to change it up but definitely creating a routine will minimize the issues in the classroom and will minimize idle time again I cannot stress this is probably the most important thing create a routine number five the last thing I learned was to ask for help although with teaching you are surrounded by so many people you quickly realize that it can be extremely isolating everyone is worried about their own agenda and what they have to do for their classroom or to meet deadlines just because people don't ask you how you're doing doesn't mean they don't pare they're just so consumed with everything else that they have to do but you need to learn to ask for help ask for help with lesson planning ask for help with students that are giving you a difficult time there may be a teacher or a guidance counselor that has a really good strategy or ways to approach that student that are helpful but if you do not ask you will never know sometimes someone is struggling with the same thing that you are and that can be reassuring to know okay it's not just me but definitely reach out and ask for help because eight out of ten times someone is able to give you the answer or to aid in helping you find the answer but you have to make yourself vulnerable you have to reach out to people and you must ask for help and the last thing I learned but it is not one of my points is that you are doing way better than you think if you are watching this in your first year teacher and you already feel overwhelmed and you are already losing sleep and you are already crying you are on the right track like please know that you are doing way better than you think that it does get better and try to appreciate the good moments when you have a class period ma may not even be the whole day but even when you have one period that goes well be thankful for it appreciate it remember it write it down so that you can reflect and remind yourself that you have had really high moments in your classroom and it just allows you to move forward and be thankful and appreciative for the job that you have because we do teach the future and so hopefully you all like this video again if you did like subscribe also write down below things that you learned as a first year teacher that you also think will be helpful to everyone else watching this video and if you have any other suggestions of things that you would like to see put that down below as well so thank you so much for watching and I will see you all in the next video

Channel: Amanda Rose

Views: 73,108

Rating: 4.9647102 out of 5

Keywords: first year teacher, advice for teachers, teaching high school, nyc teacher, first year teacher lessons, 5 things i learned as a teacher, how to stop student fights, first year teaching experience, 5 lessons as a first year teacher, how was my first year teaching, advice for first year teachers, high school teacher, tips for teachers, pocket full of primary, how to be a teacher, becoming a teacher

Id: aozxbt_LKtI

Length: 18min 30sec (1110 seconds)

Published: Sun Oct 14 2018