Random: Any teachers around? Please come in!

[TimothysMyHero]

Hey everyone! I just got my first real job! I will be teaching high school math (algebra 2, data & measurement, pre-calc, calculus)!!!! I'm really really nervous though. And quite scared. But excited.

I just wanted to ask for advice. I'm scared out of my mind about this, I can't believe it's really happening. Anything you can think of to help me, please do. Your first year-how it went, what you wish you had known, what helped you through it, etc-especially.

Also, typically how many vacation/sick days do you get?

I'm going to be making $31,000 a year! I think that's really good for my first year out of college-but I hope I'm worth it!!! I just am really scared that I won't do a good job!!!

How long do you think it should take to start planning my year? Should I start now??? I want to see the textbooks but I don't have them yet. I emailed the principal about getting some materials though.


I'm such a basketcase right now, I'm just a mix of emotions. That's normal, right?

Anyways, thanks for any help you can give me. I'm looking forward to reading what you may have to say! :)

[mzheng]

Good luck at your new job!
Don't be nervouse, just focus and know what you are talking about in class. High school students sometimes can be really picky....My daughter always complaining about her math teacher, says she made too many mistakes during the class. Obviously the teacher diddn't focus on what she is teaching, she could've talk about A but put B on the board. Given out the multiple choices examines without the choices, or non correct answers, or the answers for different questions...the list goes on and on....And to think this is an advanced math class.

The start salary is not bad at all. I heard that there is no requirement for teacher to pay pay roll deduction on social security tax since they have their own seperate retirement plan? That saves you about 7%. There are only 9 monthes worktime, so basically your yearly earnning equivelant to 1/4 more of your current salary. And you'll get guarranteed yearly raise because there is teacher's union....the mid range salary in our town school (kindgarden-junior high) couple of years ago was over 80k, plus they can have their kids in our school (if they don't live in the town) for free.....plus the job security. IMO, teacher is really a good career, especially for women, they can get off the job about the same time as their kids to be with the kids.

[epoibim]

First, let's establish this: Congratulations!!!:D

What an accomplishment! I've been in the "waiting for the phone to ring, calling and bugging principals" phase.:b I just got my first interview though, so yay.

Listen, they hired you because they are confident you can do the job and do it well. If you don't have that confidence right now that's fine, it'll come, but just know that they have enough for the both of you.:) If it helps, go through a "worst that can happen" dialogue. Really, unless a kid like catches on fire during a lesson, you'll be fine. They are not expecting 20 years of experience. They wanted what YOU could bring to the table. Be proud of that. As for days off, once I was sure I got a job, I was going to be very upfront about my plans that included personal days (I'm trying for 3 days for Nats, we'll see what happens). I mean, tell them you made "out of town plans" before you even got the job and you were nervous about coverage. I mean, this is like 7 months in advance. It'll be fine. But I totally understand, I worry about the same things...

NICE SALARY, btw! :eek :D

Congrats, again!!

Edited to add: I just remembered...in the town where I did my student teaching, they had a mentoring program, where first year (and maybe even second year) teachers were hooked up with an experienced mentor to take them through the ups and downs of that first year. Does your school offer anything like that? It sounded great to me.

[ICEDIVA]

Hey Congrats!!!

I will finish my residency this fall and graduate in December. I will be teaching 6th grade math next year for the first time and I am so excited!!! Just be confident and establish your environment right away. You will be fine.

[mommy2]

You are about to embark on an exciting adventure. The biggest advice I have for you is be prepared every day for every class! I have every minute planned out and students know when they walk in my room we will do something productive for the whole 90 minutes. Be excited and enthusiastic about your content area and the kids will catch it and want to learn. My students always get a kick about how excited I get about software updates (I teach computers). When they do well I compliment them on how hard they worked and how proud I am of their progress--let your students know that you notice what they accomplish each day. I want them to be able to walk out of my room with their heads held high knowing they learned something new today.

Secondly, establish your classroom rules (I recommend no more than five) and consequences for breaking those rules. Go over them with your students, post them in your classroom where they are visibile and send home a copy for parents and students to sign. I always use that form to get parent email addresses so I can send them regular progress reports on their child's performance (parents love it!). Treat your students with respect and treat them all the same. I tell my students they start out with a clean slate every day. I don't hold grudges--we all make mistakes. Be consistent with the enforcement of rules. I also tell my high school students that they are young adults and that is how I view and how I will treat them. I also tell them that if I have to correct their behavior I expect a behavior change pronto!

I would also encourage you to have fun!! We laugh every day in my classroom and I show them it's okay to laugh at yourself (I've hit middle age and I need bifocals and sometimes I'll read something wrong--you get the picture). I thoroughly enjoy my students despite their quirks and differences. Variety is the spice of my classroom--we all learn to accept and respect each other. Find something to appreciate in every one of your students--even the ones that prove to be a greater challenge.

Find a mentor that you can trust and who does a great job in the classroom. I have learned so much from teachers that I respect and admire. The best teachers are those who beg, borrow and steal ideas from other teachers (don't worry we all do it :D ). I am never satisfied with my lesson plans and I am always changing assignments and projects to meet the needs of my current group of students. I also talk to teachers in my field to find out how they do things. I have gotten some wonderful ideas that way. Don't be afraid to ask for help and to ask questions about school procedures and policies (that shows you are teachable and that you want to do a good job).

The number of days off varies from district to district. I earn 12 sick days over the course of the year. In addition, I have two personal days I can take with no questions asked. I am fortunate that I have a principal that is very understanding. However, I don't ever call in sick--he knows I will be there every day and that I can be counted on to show up. Because of that fact, when there have been circumstances where I need to be off he works with me because he appreciates my reliability.

I love what I do and I like going to work every day. My high school students keep me on my toes and maybe even young at heart. The teaching profession can bring you immeasurable joy if you let it.

Good luck! You've made it this far so I'm sure you will do well. Besides, they would not have hired you if they didn't think you could do the job. :D

[mommy2]

been rambling, but I thought of one more thing.

It is perfectly natural to be nervous. In my first teaching job I almost passed out on the first day during first period. All these eyes staring back at you and the responsibility of what you are entrusted with can be overwhelming. However, I reminded myself that I was trained for this and I made it through with flying colors.

You may also want to hang a framed copy of your diploma and teaching certificate in your classroom. I think it's good for your students to see that you are qualified and you can also look at them to remind yourself that you are prepared to handle the job.

Okay, I've rambled long enough. :p

[TimothysMyHero]

thank you all so much for your advice. i will keep this thread handy when i start. i need all the help i can get.


the reason i asked about the days off is because i do want to attend nationals, but i don't want them to hate me for taking a few days off. i think i can make it just missing 2, but i'd like 3. and i was thinking of attending skate america, and asking for 1 or 2 days there, too, but i don't want to push too hard. i NEVER miss school-student teaching i missed ONE day. i just hate missing, but i really want to go to nationals. i've been planning on it since who knows when. so i hope they are ok with that.


with sick days-is it ok if you call them that morning if you wake up and feel like crap? i hardly ever miss for feeling sick but who knows i may need to.


in Kentucky there is a required mentoring program. i'm really happy about that. i know i will need a mentor, or two, to help me. so i am glad it's required of me.

there's only one other math teacher in my school, but we are in the same building as the middle school so i'm assuming there will be 3 or so math teachers in that school, so hopefully i'll have some help. :)


thanks again guys! :)

[mommy2]

in Kentucky, but I teach in Tennessee (my children attend Kentucky schools). The KTIP program will help you immensely. :D I know it's a lot of work, but you will have people giving you helpful feedback.

Yes, it's okay to call in sick that morning. For me to call in I would have to be so nauseous I couldn't get out of bed. I think it's more work to have a sub fill in for me than to be there feeling under the weather. But, I do have my limits and nausea is it. :p There are teachers in my building that call in if a fingernail breaks (you know what I mean). There have been times where we don't have enough subs (i.e. during flu season) and then students are sent to the gym or library which means an unproductive day for them.

[iloveskating]

Congratulations! It is NORMAL to be nervous, and if you weren't nervous at all, you probably wouldn't care about doing a good job. Let your nervousness work FOR you, helping you to be prepared, finding fun & creative ways to teach a difficult concept, etc. They wouldn't have hired you if they didn't think you could do the job!

As far as days off, that is different for each school district. If they gave you an employee handbook, it should be in there. If not, ask the human resources department. Sometimes there will be a rule as to how long you have to be there before you can take personal time off.

Good luck!

[kwanette]

Good for you...

I agree with iloveskating...it's good that you are nervous...I taught for 30 years and threw up on the first day of school for 25 of those years.

Be confident, but not arrogant...Finding a veteran teacher to guide or mentor you, formally or informally, is a good thing. Trust very few people. The teaching profession has its share of rats just like any other group..

Show the kids that you care...Kids can spot dishonesty a mile away...Do you have Harry Wongs' book? It's great for new teachers...

I never thought of teaching as a "job"..To me it was a calling...almost like being a nun...

Good luck...I love to talk about teaching so PM me anytime that you want...

[epoibim]

I was just coming to post that!!

The First Days of School by Harry Wong:)

kwanette, just so you know, I have kept that story of yours with me. It is in my little teaching journal, and I have shared it with many others.

[TimothysMyHero]

i had to read harry wong for a class and i truthfully didn't like it that much. but thanks for the suggestion.

[iceskaterdawn]

Congratulations!!!

I'm just about to finish my first year of teaching. I have a week and one day left.

I'm not going to lie. The first year has been rough. Everyone prepared me for that and kept telling that it would be hard, but I didn't really believe them. But they were right. I came into my class under some unusual circumstances which made it even harder.

My biggest piece of advice, is don't be afraid to ask for help from other teachers and your administration. Often times they forget to tell you the little things that you really need to know. Try to buddy up with another teacher in your department/grade level if you can.

Take things a day at a time and remember that tomorrow is a fresh start. There are some days I go home so physically and/or emotionally drained, but I remind myself I get to start all over the next day.

I had to read that Harry Wong book for a class, and it didn't do me a bit of good. Maybe in an ideal classroom with an ideal set of students, some of those things will work, but unfortunately in today's world we are not teaching in ideal situations and we are teaching kids that are coming from some really rough home situations. I think every day is trial and error and you just have to do what works best for you and for your students.

Good luck and have fun with your students!

[kwancierto de aranjuez]

I taught elementary for 3 years before moving on as a counselor in a high school...

My school is asking me to teach half-time next year. They are asking me to teach 2 sections of Health in teh Fall, 1 section of Health and 1 section of Psychology in the spring... It should be fun!

My suggestion is to be really super structured, lay down the law, strict in first month of each class. Don't go in there wanting to be there friend. You can ease up later once they have the rules and procedures down.

Classroom management is super important. It allows you to teach amazingly if you have good classroom management. The most knowledgeable teacher can also be the least effective if they have bad management.

Be prepared also for them to size you up.

[Teacher1]

Congrats! I am entering my my 19th year at the same school! When I was hired all the things about vacation etc. was in a handbook. Each state is different. We get 10 sick days a year and vacation days depend on how many years teaching. You can only take vacation at certain times. like Christmas and Easter and days before school starts and after school starts. The problem is there are not enough days in the calender for me to take all of my days, but they will count towards retirement. We also earn 2 personal days a year that you can take when the kids are in school but they take the cost of the sub out of your check. I have never heard of not paying Social Security because I have a retirement plan and still pay Social Security. As far as raises every year that is a new one on me. Our raises lately have basically covered cost of living increases. Also we have the option of getting paid our full salary pver the 10 months we work or let the county withhold some of it say you can get a paycheck the two months in summer. I'm pretty good with budgeting some out to another account and "paying" myself in the summer.

One thing that makes teaching fun is showing kids your human! You will enjoy talking with your kids about your passion for the stars you have met! There are careers that you are qualified for that pay much more since your area is Math, but the rewards make it worth it!

Another good book to read is the one by Ron Clark, Disney's teacher of the year one year. Some of his ideas are wild and I wouldn't dream of doing them, but some are very good.

[iceskaterdawn]

In my district we don't get any personal days. We get 10 "sick days" (but we basicaly can use them for anything we want to.). Those days roll over each year if you don't use them. Then we also get 90 half days. You have to use all of your sick days first before you can use the half days. The half days are basically there if you have some major medical issue and will be out of school for several months. Those don't roll over, and each September you get 90 half days again.

As for calling in a sub, if we know ahead of time that we will be out, we arrange with our office manager and they get a substitute for us. If it is something that you wake up with, you have to call in before 6:30am to request a substitute and then hope one shows up. I had one time earlier this year where I was extremely ill and was on doctor's orders to be out of school for the week (almost had to be admitted to the hospital I was so sick), and it was during flu season and it was hard to get subs. Even though I had called in my absence for the entire week (we use a computer system so you can request a substitute for hwoever many days you need) it ended up that I had a different substitute each day that week, and then one of the days, no substitute at all so my kids had to be divided up and sent to other classrooms. It's a pain in the butt to plan for a substitute, so I have to be really sick (or really need to do something), to not go to work. I rather work while being sick, then have to deal with getting things ready for a sub.

We don't don't get a pay increase each year unfortunately. To get a pay increase it is a matter of completing a certain number of "units" and also years of service. We don't pay into social security, because we have our own retirement system. Also we don't pay for any health insurance benefits either as our district covers all of those costs for us.

Everything really varies district to district. My district back home in Illinois was NOTHING like it is out here in California. Even factoring in the cost of living, pay wise and benefit wise it is so much better out here for me than back home, which was one of the main reasons I decided to take a job out here.

[calculusfan]

Congrats and welcome to the teaching world.

As others have said, the first several years will be rough. I've been at it for 8 years and each year gets a little bit easier.

I can't believe they gave you 4 different preps your first year. Most teachers in my school have 3 at most. I had two this year and should have the same two next year. Teaching calc and precalc your 1st year is interesting. In my school, the best classes go to those with the most seniority.

A lot of the others gave good tips. Here are mine.

Consistency
Over-prepare (I still have trouble with this one)
Work them from bell to bell
CHanging seats can make a big difference (but start in alpha order until you know their names)
Don't be afraid to ask to see or borrow materials your colleagues have used in the past
Put together a binder for documentation (when you call/email parents, when kids stay after for extra help, etc)
Don't procrastinate grading papers (I always break this rule and regret it, but I get better at it as time goes by.)

DON'T GIVE UP!

I had to teach for 5 years in order for a scholarship/loan forgiven. If you can make it that long, the worst is over. If you have a rough time, don't base your future on the first few years.

Also, don't wait forever to start your masters degree. I'm just starting mine now and seriously regret waiting this long.


Over all, have fun.

Good luck!

[Lucy]

Everyone has given you very good advice, which leads me to restate the most important piece of advice you can get: Ask for help from your co-workers! Ask about their homework policies, how they grade, etc. Most teachers will be more than happy to give their advice. Take what you get and make it your own.

Also, after teaching eighth grade for seven years, I moved up to high school this past year. Whatever you do, look confident, and be organized (no matter how late you have to stay up the night before to be completely prepared). High schoolers take advantage of EVERY opportunity to get the leg up on you and you can NEVER give them this! The majority of their sob stories will be lies. It sounds awful for me to say that, but it is true. You will not believe the cheating strategies they have. Stay completely consistent from day one. Changing the rules halfway through the year will not work.

Make fast friends with the secretaries and the janitors!! I was told this in my EDU classes, and it is one thing that actually is true. Gosh, I could give you so much advice about teaching high school, but that's enough for now. High schoolers are a lot of fun, and I have a great time with them, but it can be tricky because they are so devious :eek .

Don't sweat the small stuff - learn to pick your battles with the students.

$31,000 to start is a very good salary; good for you!

[TimothysMyHero]

thanks to all the new posts!!! i really really appreciate all this help. it means a lot.


dawn-i've been reading your journals so it's been nice to hear your stories throughout the year. i know you are dealing with the other end of the spectrum from me (i'll have seniors and you have kindergardeners), but it's be nice to read what you are going through. i think that helped me prepare a lot. :) it's like i've been with you through the whole first year teaching experience by reading your journal so i kind of know what to expect a little.


i am a bit upset that i have 4 preps-student teaching i only had 2 and i didn't really do much myself, it was mostly my cooperating teacher. i'm a bit nervous about that, but at least i'll have some variety.


again i can't say enough how much this is helping me. i hope this thread doesn't get deleted. ;) i'm really going to use all of this advice.

[iceskaterdawn]

I'm glad my journal entries have been helpful. It's been a roller coaster of a year. But looking back, it doesn't seem so bad as it did at times. I'm just getting done with the end of year testing, and I got teary eyed as I was evaluating my students' work. When they came to me at the begining of the year most of my students barely knew their letters, and now ALL of them are reading. Just seeing the progress that your students make through the year is just the greatest feeling and it makes all of the crazy days and struggles worth it. I've already warned my kids that when we have our graduation next week that I might get a little teary eyed (as well as their parents), not because I'm sad, but because I am so happy and so proud of all of them for what they've accomplished this year.

Also, another suggestion is to not only try to find an experienced teacher to "buddy up" with so to speak, but try to find another rather new teacher at your school, even if it isn't someone in your department. I've found that on my worst days talking with someone who has recently gone through the same experiences can be a very theraputic venting process. Some of the teachers that have been teaching for 30 years (and there are lots of them at my school) sometimes forget what it is like to be a new, fresh out of college teacher.

And the adivce about the janitor, is definitely one of the best pieces of advice! The secretaries and janitors are definitely the peopel in your building that you don't want to upset!! Treat them kindly and you'll be amazed at the things they'll do for you. :)

[WorldsGreatestMK]

I am not a teacher, just a student but I want to say congratulations on your job. Maybe you can make math more interesting by using skaters in math. I wish my teachers can do that. :)

[Teacher1]

Actually Michelle was in my son's 5th grade Math book when they were talking about decimals! It was Salome and it talked about her 5.9's and 6.0's! She has also been a Social Studies book about the Olympics.

[ZackNewYork]

Hey there everyone,
I love MKF. I can't believe everyone replied.We are so cool. In any case, I used to teach PreCalculus but am taking some time off to write a novel. I've really only had two years of math teaching, so I, too, am a newbie. But please allow me to add some things to the long list of very helpful advice:
1)If you're going to be using the TI-83 graphing calculator, know it really well. You can use this summer to learn. It's actually really cool. I didn't use the summer to learn it, and found myself really stressed out. These days the kids know so much more about calculators than we do and they expect more. Also, the calculator can be really helpful in teaching certain units--for example, transformation and translations, reflections, anything graphical.

2)If you're going to be using other teachers' tests (and I think you should--it'll save you a lot of time and stress)--look at the test BEFORE you teach the entire chapter. Once in a while I didn't have time to do that and so when it came time to "make up" the test (really, use the other teacher's tests!) I found that some of the questions would be unfair to my students, and then I had to come up with random questions on my own.

3)Don't try to cram in 5 examples in one 40 (?) minute period. You will probably end up having to rush and the students won't understand anything in depth. It's better to shoot for 3 or 4 examples (using easy numbers) and then slowing down. Even if a third of the class seems to be getting it, the other 2/3 might be quietly confused. So slow down and ask questions instead. "Why didn't we solve it this way?" "How did you know to use this equation and not the other one." "This is a common mistake, so don't do it."

It's kind of like Michelle vs. Irina: do we want 6 or 7 sloppy triples and 6 or 7 ugly Biellemans--or 5 or 6 beautifully executed triples from Michelle? ;-)

4)This might be obvious, but not until my second year did I realize how important it is to actually recite what you're doing. "And then square both sides. This gets rid of the radicals." Even as you're writing out the steps on the board, you have to do step-by-step commentary (like Dick and Peggy!) This is because some of the students will be auditory learners and they need to "hear" everything.

Most important, relax. Congratulations on getting the job! Try your best, get help from a mentor, but remember: most kids want to learn and most kids (even if confused) will respect you for trying. Kids can easily tell if a teacher cares, if a teacher's giving his best--and I hope knowing that will give you strength for the coming year. You'll be fine.

Zack

[kwanette]

If you're going to use another teacher's tests, be sure to remember him/her at Christmas.

[mommy2]

advice about the custodians. I thank them every day for cleaning my room and I remember them at Christmas. I tell them they are a part of the team at our school and that a clean environment makes my job easier. I treat them with respect and get to know them and ask them about their personal lives. I also tell my students that the custodian is not their personal maid. My students know they better leave their area clean at the end of class and that I expect them to help make the custodian's job easier. I have the cleanest room in the building! I do the same thing with the secretaries in the main office and the lady who does photocopying. My motto is treat people the way you want to be treated. :D

[yankgrl46]

Congrats on your new job. I agree, they wouldn't have hired you if you were not pretty darn spectacular! I am about to finish my first year as well (I teach high school English).

A few pieces of advice that I learned were:
*If you get a mentor, (most districts require this) don't be afraid to ask them for help. Even if it is about those silly 101 forms you get at the start of the year. They are there to help you! Suck up all of their advice.

*It's ok to be so tired that you feel like you are going to cry. I have been told by the lovely Kwanette that this si normal ;) . Crying is great, especially in the beginning.

*If it's not a school that you are familiar with, go in early and make some friends with the secretaies and some other teachers who are hanging around.

*Everyone gets nervous about the first couple of days. Even if you have been there for years, it's still tough.

*Walk into your classroom like you own the joint. I'm a big believer in fake it until you make it!

There are a million and one things, but the most important thing is to believe in yourself!!!!

Best of Luck!

[iceskaterdawn]

My kindergarteners "graduated" today. I'm not sure who cried more; their parents or me. :lol (and then I had a few kids crying, because they don't want school to end and want to stay in school all summer! lol)

One other thing I forgot to mention (and it probably goes without saying), is save the little notes of thanks or encouragement that you get from your students or their parents (not sure if in high school parents will write you notes). On my worst of days when I question why am I doing this, I pull those cards and notes out and reread them, and I'm reminded of why I chose this profession. Thankfully I waited to read the thank you notes from my students' parents until after I got home today, because they had me crying pretty hard!