2. Outline 1.30-2.30pm
O Introduction – worst fear in first year
O Workload/life balance, your health
O Receive help and support
O Dealing with difficult people
O Working in a school environment
O Conclusion, q+a
The gift of a New Teacher – fresh perspective. Teaching is a gift that needs to be unwrapped – but what is inside?Everyone’s experience looks different.
Looking forward and looking back – the elephant in the roomThis presentation is very much looking forward AND looking backThe elephant in the room that it is impossible to effectively capture and represent all new teachers experiences.
When was the last time that you felt like an imposter?This is a common feeling on a new teacher – not because you personally are inadequate, but you sit in the staffroom and listen to these amazing stories of what these teachers are doing and you can’t help but feel like an imposter. It’s also about using the wisdom that more experienced teachers have to offer.
Work life (not a balance)Teaching is a present (slide 1). But how fast you unwrap the paper is everything. It must be seen as a Yearly marathon run rather than a termly race, otherwise as I experienced, burn out is evident. You can see the finish line but its going to be one massive race …. BUT if you eventually continue to pace yourself, you will catch up with your own schedule
The best gift a new teacher could have – the gift of a PLN. For it is in giving that we receive. You will have a hard day, but your PLN will pick you up. You’re all in this together, fighting the good fight so you naturally look out for each other. They say that Faceboook is the staff you work with, Twitter is the staff that you wish you worked with – and it’s so true!
MentoringThe gift of feedback, support and mentorship. Best if it is out of Faculty as you have an impartial body. Mentoring is about investing in new staff – don’t wait for someone to invite you to mentor, can often happen organically (online, formally, informally). Lesson observations as a way of support, great two way relationship of giving and support.
Dealing with difficult peoplePeople will be jealous, threatenedClassroom organisation (HoF)Rapport or ignore?
Teaching (as a profession) has changed a lot, and will continue to do so. Therefore, while you may have had to battle and had a baptism of fire…sharing war stories with new teachers about how easy they have it does not help anyone.Must be sensitive to the teacher and their needs – “Don’t smile till Easter” is not going to work for everyone!!!!!
Teachers have over 2,0000 interactions a day (Beadle, 2011). So much of teaching is about giving of yourself, but how do you find a way to protect that little bit of yourself that the students can’t get to? Ongoing struggle to find strategies to look out for you, have down time and not feel guilty.Coming home and getting out of your teaching clothes (physical)
That first lesson – how will you introduce yourself?
We do it for the kids
A sense of humour. This has been something that I have continually come back to day after day after day. We cannot take ourselves too seriously. The kids laugh at us, and so we should too at ourselves (where appropriate of course). Whether it is you spelling a word incorrectly (they love correcting you, it irritates me to no end) or the words you mix up, or the stories you tell or the things they say – finding the humour in situations is essential to survival (or at least I have found).
That’ll do pigTeaching is a profession that you can always do more.@edusum – “That’ll do pig, that’ll do.”
