Teaching Tips for New Teachers

When a new teacher begins his or her teaching career they are so full of ideas and plans. Many of them are sure that they will love all of the students and the students will love them. Well..I'm sorry to have to say this but, it doesn't always happen that way.

Any teacher who has been around for a while can tell you that these kids will test you to the bitter end. You may be the best thing to come along since sliced bread but you are going to absolutely have to prove it to your students. And that's not an easy task.I love my students, I wouldn't trade them for the world. But, every year I have to go in and prove myself again. It's not always easy but it's always worth the effort.

Fortunately, some of these kids have come across some excellent teachers. Unfortunately, some of these kids have come across some very bad teachers. The good ones are into teaching for the love of the children. They love to teach , pass on their knowledge, any child who is lucky enough to come across this kind of teacher is truly blessed. The bad teacher is the one in it for the paycheck, they put in their time, seem to resent the children, and snap all day. Fortunately for everyone concerned, there are more good than bad teachers.

For the idealistic first time teacher it is always advisable to talk to a veteran teacher, one who loves the act of teaching. You will know them when you see them, they are the ones smiling and laughing with their stdents. They are the ones who look forward to a new day of passing along their knowledge. They are the ones the student will always remember. Teachers hold our future in their hands, it's a heavy burden for some, for others - the ones who love to teach - it is a pleasure.

1. Join a supportive professional network ~ There are many supporative networks out there for a beginning teacher to join. The easiest way to find one is to ask an experienced teacher for advice. A teacher who has been at it for a while will be able to answer many of the questions about classroom procedure and be able to offer helpful feedback. The internet is one area to explore when looking for a network to belong to. Simply look for a Teacher network, Learning Community, or Classroom Community. There is a good networking site with supportive, proactive teachers on Twitter - Classroom 2.0
2. Know your students and where they come from. ~ It is important to become familiar with the cultural backgrounds of your students and to learn about the communities in which they live. For many poverty is a way of life. You need to gear your lessons to the type of children you have in your classroom. Each cultural background has it's own set of rules and trying to remold those rules for your classroom will not work. Learning the type of life they have at home is important not only for your understanding of their way of learning but of their behavior.
3. Familiarize yourself with technology and any teaching tool available. ~ There are many programs out there that will spark a students interest. Everyone learns in a different way. Technology has become very progressive in offering new and improved ways to reach a student. In my classroom we use different programs available on the internet for different children, depending upon their level, interests, and type of help they need.
4. Have a sense of humor. ~ One of the most important tool for a teacher is a sense of humor. You must be able to laugh at yourself and with your students. If you can laugh at yourself your students will respect and bond more easily with you. You will be better able to teach them to laugh at themselves.
5. You must have tons of patience~ To me, patience is probably the most important ingredient of a good teacher. Nobody can learn in an atmosphere of stress and intolerance. Most importantly of all - nobody is perfect. Everyone has a bad day every now and then and children are less able to hide and control their emotions. So, at the end of a long day, when it seems as though that last bell will never ring, and every student seems to be trying to get on your last nerve, take a moment to remind yourself that you were once young yourself. No matter how long your day has been, your students are feeling that their day has been longer.