How to Survive Your First Year in Education
Here are some key numbers from my first year of teaching.
Twenty-one — my age at the time.
1991 — the year.
And 32 — the number of second-grade children in my class, with no teaching assistant.
As you can imagine, it was a year full of … everything. Joy, struggle, surprise, frustration — you name it, I felt it that first year.
I remember one day I was so excited about the lesson I was teaching and so engaged with my class that I nearly missed dismissal. My principal came rushing into my room to ask where all my kids were.
And I remember another day I was so exhausted that part of me wanted to quit.
I’ve spent my entire career in education, working as a teacher, principal, superintendent and university president, to name a few. Yet, all these years later, I still reach back to the lessons I learned during my very first year.
Lesson 1: Talk to other teachers.
It’s far too easy to get isolated as an educator. You go into your classroom, shut the door, and start teaching.
But don’t forget there’s an entire school of teachers just beyond that door. Some are new like you, but others have been there awhile, and they’ve already faced a lot of the issues you’re facing.
Talk with your colleagues, ask questions, borrow resources, and share your own. Don’t be afraid to say, “Hey, I’m struggling with this” or “This isn’t working very well.”
I promise other teachers will say, “Oh, I had the same problem, too.” They’ll be generous with advice and ideas, and your job will get easier.
Lesson 2: Invite parents into the classroom.
You may be tempted to build a wall between yourself and your students’ parents. It is your classroom, after all.
But I’d encourage you — rather than thinking of parents as people you have to “deal with” or “report to” — to think of them as partners. Work together to solve problems. If you’re having trouble with a student, call his parents. Not to yell or complain, but to ask what might be going on and what might be the root of the issue. Engage proactively with parents, reach out to them, get to know them.
True education takes a community, and parents are a critical piece.
Lesson 3: Give your students a voice.
In early November of my first year, I remember very clearly feeling beaten down. I had a class of 32 second graders, and I was exhausted and out of ideas.
So one morning, I brought all my students to the carpet for a talk. I said, “Kiddos, how do you think we should tackle this day? What are your ideas?” And as soon as I stopped talking, they started.
They came up with new protocols and ways to make the classroom run more efficiently. They knew how they wanted their day to go, and once I gave them some ownership, it made my job a million times easier.
Ask your students what they think. Ask them what they believe in and what’s important to them. This school year will be my 34th, and never once has that strategy failed.
Lesson 4: Give yourself a break.
Finally, don’t be too hard on yourself. Don’t get down on yourself if things aren’t going exactly as planned (they won’t) and remember that your students are just kids.
Whether they’re 17 or 13 or 6 or 7, they’re kids, and they’re struggling to find their way just as much as you are. You’ll figure it out together.
My message for first-year teachers:
This job is hard. It’s really, really hard.
But you are changing the world. Teaching is a profoundly important profession, and all of those eyes that you’re staring into as you stand in front of your class, imagine them as our future. Imagine them as judges or leaders or engineers or physical therapists or nurses.
Imagine them as teachers.
Think about the potential in all of your students. Instead of being frustrated — because it can be frustrating — think about their potential and the beautiful road ahead.
I’m wishing you all the very best.
Susanne H. Thompson, Ed.D.