Any experienced teacher will tell you that the first year is
the worst year!! That first year of teaching is kind of like the first year of
parenting …. You can read all the books in the world but putting that theory to
practice is a totally different thing.
Suddenly the great lesson plan ideas you read about (or maybe created in
your so-totally-worth-the-money education classes) don’t work.
How first year teachers think their classes will be
In reality, that first year you spend most of
your time just trying to keep control of the class, stay one step ahead of the
students, and hang on for dear life!
Reality for most first year teachers
I had no intention of ever becoming a teacher, so I had
never taken any education courses, had never read any “how to” books,
basically, I had no idea what I was doing when I was offered my first job. Then I got my first high school teaching job. Still
no education classes, still relatively little idea of how to do what I was
supposed to do – oh, AND they gave me the AP Literature classes (with no
curriculum guidelines “freedom to do whatever you want” is frightening to a new
teacher!). Somehow, I was supposed to teach kids who scored higher on the SAT
the first time they took it than I had after my … multiple tries.
Lucky for me, in both instances, I had a veteran teacher
right across the hall from me who was willing to help me in any way I needed
it. Key words: any way I needed it. Neither undermined my authority with the
students (although both were given plenty of opportunities). They were supportive, encouraging, positive
and trusting that I would figure it out.
They gave insight, offered wise words from their many years of
experience – and then both… let me figure it out. Let me make my own mistakes. Let me gain my
own experience. And I am a better
teacher because of it.
The current “student teacher” apprenticeship is supposed to
function in a manner similar to what I experienced – a veteran teacher showing
the ropes to the aspiring, inexperienced one.
However, most people don’t get jobs in the schools in which they student
teach. Most student teaching isn't really about TEACHING – it’s about how
pretty of a lesson plan you can design, and if you can write a good enough
report on your lesson’s “success.” It’s nothing like a real teaching job where
you can run the class how you want.
How most first year teachers feel
Once you land a real teaching job, most schools don’t have a
mentor program. Money is a reason why not, but the sad reality is, most
veteran teachers don’t care to be mentors. It takes a lot of time and energy to “be
there” for someone just starting out – to watch them make mistakes and handle
situations differently than you would or than you think they should. Studies show that almost 46% of new teachers burn out within 5 years. Mentors could help to change this.
I was never so thankful for extended family –
all of whom were teachers – uncles who gave me science experiment ideas,
parents who suggested how to handle discipline or classroom management issues,
sister who were sympathetic ear to my
first year frustrations – as I was those first few years of teaching. I was lucky to have had such a support system
when I was starting out.
Thank you Mary, Linda and Blaine. You showed me
not only how to be a great teacher, but how to be a great colleague.
