Teacher Talk Tuesday!

I am still hoppin'! Go check out all the awesome posts! 

I love giving new teachers a few nuggets of wisdom, mainly because I was so lost when I first started. :( I took over a class mid year since I was a December graduate and was thrown to the wolves so to say. My class had several subs before I came in, and teachers who I work with now told me they saw me the first day and said that I was "just passing through" HA I guess I proved them wrong? Here are some things I learned that first half year:

DOCUMENT everything. Be observant and watch your kids. I always look for the smallest thing that may be affecting them and note it. I have come across numerous situations where it has been so amazing to have that documentation to back up what may have happened, and then to solve and help your student.

Take care of yourself! I took up yoga to calm myself. I was never prepared for how demanding teaching is! You have to do an activity that will be only for you and will be your time to unwind. :)

Build a rapport with your children. I don't have kids of my own, so I have 18 of them. :) I make sure to build a relationship with every child, and I notice that every year every relationship is different. I actually built one today with a student that has been struggling with behavior, it was like the walls came down right in front of me. It felt amazing.

Don't think, "Ehh, not worth it. They will never get it." I teach in a Title 1 school and unfortunately a lot of people will not do activities because they think the kids won't get it or the parents won't help them. I refuse to believe this. I student taught at a laboratory school, and I have used several of the activities and practices I learned there with my kids and it has always been an amazing experience. Every child deserves a rich education experience!

Save everything! I guarantee you will want it again!

Find a mentor, they will help you out tremendously. Especially a good one, I still kept in touch with my student teaching mentor. I still call her to this day.

Keep positive! I know it might be hard sometimes, but there will always be some moments that bring you back and make you realize why you do what you do. It is a calling after all :)

I hope this was helpful, I honestly wish I was a new teacher with all this great wisdom going around today!!