New Teacher Mid Year NERVOUS, WORRIED, STRESSED!

Work through it. Kids are difficult if you are a new or old teacher. Real world experience helps so stick with it. Good luck and thanks for trying to help our kids. 

finding a mentor teacher is extremely helpful. sometimes they can be your biggest support system.

don't let the kids run over you. they can smell fear

Do you have any classroom teaching experience at all?

First thing, make yourself familiar with your school's policies and culture.

Second, decide your classroom management strategy before you step foot in the door, make it clear to the students (by explaining it to them and having it posted all around and having them explain it/repeat it to you, daily if you have to), and then enforce it. Depending on the school you may have to run your classroom in a very strict way because of the number of students you will have combined with their attitude and behavioral issues. And if you lack support from admin/school policy some things will be hard to enforce so that's why it's important to get familiar beforehand.

Third, and this is what I've found to be most important when dealing with high school students, NO DOWN TIME. There should be a clear objective for the period and every minute should be filled with relevant work.

maysay1 wrote: Do you have any classroom teaching experience at all? First thing, make yourself familiar with your school's policies and culture. Second, decide your classroom management strategy before you step foot in the door, make it clear to the students (by explaining it to them and having it posted all around and having them explain it/repeat it to you, daily if you have to), and then enforce it. Depending on the school you may have to run your classroom in a very strict way because of the number of students you will have combined with their attitude and behavioral issues. And if you lack support from admin/school policy some things will be hard to enforce so that's why it's important to get familiar beforehand. Third, and this is what I've found to be most important when dealing with high school students, NO DOWN TIME. There should be a clear objective for the period and every minute should be filled with relevant work.

Luv2Teach wrote: Ladybird0724 wrote: finding a mentor teacher is extremely helpful. sometimes they can be your biggest support system. don't let the kids run over you. they can smell fear 3. Structure is key. Keep a routine so that they are aware of what they are supposed to do each and every day they set foot in your classroom. This comes with keeping yourself organized as well. Everything can't be for a grade, I promise you'll kill yourself.  4. KEEP RECORDS OF ALL PARENT CONTACT! 5. Leave work at work. Do not let any of it come out of the building with you.

such good points.

routine is so important...a lot of ppl think it is just for the younger grades (i teach prek so it's all about routine for me) but it is just as important. put your expectations about things (like homework, tardy policies, etc.) out there and stick with them. spend multiple days on it. have your expectations posted and have them agree to follow it, or even get them to brainstorm expectations.

when you are talking to parents, take notes. note the day, time, who you talked to and about what and for how long. you may want to make up a form and keep it in your desk. if by email, never delete them. this is SO important. document EVERYTHING. i personally would not give out my cell number and limit calls to before 5pm. also let parents know when is the best time to call, and answer them as promptly as possible.

def. agree about keeping work at work. if you are constantly bringing it home, youre interrupting your private space. this not only includes lesson plans, but issues at work that come up, whether its admin or students. otherwise youre just stressed. try to do everything at school. plus this cuts down on possibly losing things.

since you work w/ high schoolers, make sure all of your social media is kept private. check your FB page and make everything private. check twitter and do the same. dont friend/follow students or their parents.