| With the end of August just days ahead, I am | | | | 6. This brings me to the sixth point: New teachers |
| thinking about all those new teachers starting out | | | | are often intimidated to talk about their success. |
| the first day of school year and truthfully, it gives | | | | I've been guilty of this one time and again. A |
| me the shivers. Only teachers can understand the | | | | teaching staff can greatly benefit to new ideas all |
| mistakes of each new teacher. Every new | | | | the time. Value your own experiences and realize |
| teacher has to start out somewhere and find the | | | | that it is important to share your early success. |
| style of teaching that speaks to him or her. Don't | | | | This will help raise your confidence level. More |
| beat yourself if you've still learning the ropes of | | | | experienced teachers can always learn new ideas. |
| classroom management. | | | | The saying: "You can't teach an old dog new |
| 1. New teachers sometimes fail to overlook | | | | tricks is not really true especially for teachers. |
| discipline problems - Students can smell an | | | | 7. New teachers don't always record their early |
| organized lesson straight from the start. But they | | | | experiences. Keeping a teaching journal is a great |
| can also smell out a new teacher. It is usually the | | | | idea especially in the early years; it helps with the |
| lack of a classroom management plan that makes | | | | reflective and planning process. |
| a new teacher appear vulnerable. It just part of | | | | 8. New teachers are often afraid of their |
| the students' nature - they love to test the limits. | | | | principals. I've been guilty of this one too, time and |
| 2. New teachers don't have a balanced life - They | | | | again. New teaches sometimes think their principal |
| often take tons of papers home and stress out | | | | is "out to get them" because of discipline |
| leaving little time to catch their breath. Yikes! It's | | | | problems A supportive principal will encourage you |
| true: there is too much to do but an unbalanced | | | | and is there to help you through. Don't be afraid |
| life will make a stressed unhappy teacher. | | | | to share your success. Ask for a meeting if you |
| 3. New teachers take home too much work to | | | | find yourself short of time at the end of the day |
| mark. New teachers are often under the | | | | and share your insights. |
| impression they need to mark and mark every | | | | 9. New teachers tend to teach a class not |
| single piece of classwork, homework, project, etc. | | | | individual students. The sink or swim syndrome |
| This seriously leads the way to early burnout. I've | | | | pulls teachers away from planning for students as |
| been guilty of this myself, and I've had to learn | | | | individuals. This planning can take the form of |
| the hard way that it is not a matter of quantity | | | | providing positive reinforces or a lesson that |
| but of quality in terms of holding students | | | | meets the three levels. You can also have |
| accountable for their work. | | | | tutorials and sit with a student after a lesson. The |
| 4. New teachers tend to talk too much - Many | | | | personal touch is very important to building good |
| start the year using the authoritative approach ("I | | | | teacher-student relations especially in building a |
| talk, you listen") and continue with it all the way | | | | new teacher's career. |
| throughout the year. This might be good when | | | | 10. New teachers think they need to react at |
| building initially self-confidence but this kind of | | | | every discipline problem. When discipline problems |
| approach is sometimes meaningful when you | | | | don't interfering, try and top the lesson and see |
| aren't connected with your own true style as a | | | | what you can do at a given moment. Not every |
| classroom manager. Learning is part of a new | | | | classroom situation requires you to react on the |
| teacher's journey. | | | | spot. Sometimes a period of quiet reflection can |
| 5. New teachers tend to isolate themselves and | | | | reveal a more interesting solution that deepens |
| rather quickly. It's true: there's a lot to learn about | | | | your awareness and enriches the teaching |
| the teaching business, but it doesn't always have | | | | process. |
| to be about surviving in the classroom. Join a | | | | So there you go - that's a wrap of my 10 |
| professional development course either offline or | | | | mistakes new teachers make. Use this article to |
| online. Pay inexpensive membership dues to a | | | | check yourself when you're building your teaching |
| professional association early on. There's nothing | | | | career. Avoiding these mistakes will help raise |
| like joining an entire wealth of knowledge that | | | | your confidence and you'll be well on your way on |
| represents your work as a teacher. | | | | learning how to become an effective teacher. |