The new school year is almost upon us with many starting a new teaching job. For newly trained teachers, the anticipation of the first day of school can be a mixture of apprehension and exhilaration. During your NQT year you have gained experience teaching in a controlled environment. The responsibility of a classroom teacher is different. It may be helpful to look through these strategies ahead of the start of term.
Produce detailed lesson plans
Having detailed lesson plans on exactly what you need to be doing during each class for the first week (or even better, the first month) is really confidence boosting. Ensure you know your plans inside out. Consider alternative options such as if there were to be an IT failure, or a change in student numbers. By knowing these plans thoroughly and having backup plans means it will be unlikely you will need to improvise your first week.
Arrive Early
It is reassuring to arrive at school early, particularly on your first day. This enables you to become properly settled in your classroom. Make sure you have your materials organized and ready to go, so you do not have to hunt for anything after the children arrive.
Set up routines, rules and expectations
Ensure you make your first impression count in your new teaching job. If you get off to a bad start with your students, it can be difficult to correct. This lost ground is much harder to claim back than if you made a good start in the first place.
Establishing what your rules, routines and expectations are is the best way to make a good start in the classroom. Naturally, to an extent these will be set by school policies. However, it is how policies are applied that is critical. Students look to determine what your boundaries are and will then look to push and test these boundaries. This is where you can clearly show that you have presence in your classroom. Combining this with enthusiasm and subject knowledge will earn you the respect of the students.
Smile!
Finally, but by no means least, don’t forget to smile! Show your enthusiasm by smiling in front of your class and you’ll be surprised at how much pupils will mirror your positivity and energy. The students will appreciate it and will look forward to your lessons.
New teachers ready to deliver in the classroom
According to a survey last year, 9 out of 10 new teachers are positive about how well their training has prepared them for their role in the classroom – for further details, please visit:
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-teachers-ready-to-deliver-in-the-classroom
Training and CPD
Elementa provide a range of training and professional development opportunities including safeguarding and Team Teach. For further details, please visit Training & CPD Workshops .