Do You Think Teaching is Easy?
How to Relate, Facilitate, and Survive Your Way Through a Fabulous Teaching Career
by
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The first time that a student called me by name, I
realized that, for a few hours each day, I was the center of someone’s world of
learning. Someone actually trusted me
to pass the gift of knowledge on to them.
What an awesome responsibility!
Although it is unlikely that students will willingly sit at your feet to
gain great amounts of knowledge and wisdom from you with open hearts and
respectful behavior, I have always found great satisfaction in my ability to
make a curriculum come alive to students and to see them enjoy learning. Now, it is your turn!
Once you have obtained a position, completed
necessary paperwork, and have seen your classroom for the first time, you may
experience a sense of euphoria as you realize that you are now a teacher. The euphoria is usually packaged with stress
as you prepare for the most important part of your new job...teaching your
students. If you are beginning a new school
year with your students, everyone is freshly prepared for a new experience. However, if you take a job during the school
year, you may have special challenges to face, depending on the history of that
classroom. Some classes have had
multiple substitutes while others have had a committed teacher that left for a
personal reason. Either way, this is
where your journey truly begins.
Depending on the grade level that you teach, you may
encounter teenagers attempting to find their position in a peer group (At
various times, this takes great precedence over learning.). You may experience students who have never
parted from their parents before and you must decide how to handle that
particular situation.
Whatever grade level you teach, learn basic policies
and procedures of the campus prior to entering the classroom with your
students. Also, ask other teachers
around you how they handle the first day of school. Remember, you know more than your students and they are no doubt
just as nervous as you are in many cases.
Whether it is the first day or the last day of school,
be sure that your students have something to do when they walk in. Down time equals off-task behavior, which
equals insanity for you. Aside from
starting the day (or the class period), your greatest challenge will be
transition times, moving from one activity to another. My personal philosophy is to conquer in
small groups. If you are asking younger
children to move from one part of the room to another, ask three or four students
to move at a time. If dealing with
older students, explain all procedures prior to requesting follow-through. Basically, when you are a new teacher, it is
best to plan every minute of the day and then some. It is better to plan extensively than to not plan enough.
If you are walking into this career thinking that children
will be the same as they were when you were in school, you might consider
rethinking. With the advances in
technology and in the general pace of our world, even the average 4-year-old is
not the same as a 4-year-old ten years ago.
If you are to gain the interest of your students, you will have to
compete with electronics and a fast moving world to do so.
However, teachers are wonderful at being creative,
at changing techniques to match the times, and at making learning fun for
everyone. Utilize technology. Always relay to your students how they can
use what you teach in a real world situation.
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About the Book
There is a difference between knowing how to teach
and understanding the culture of public education in America. Although specific laws and procedures vary
from state to state, it is vitally important that today’s educator effectively
relate to other educators, facilitate the inner workings of the classroom, and
successfully survive the stresses of teaching.
This book is designed to empower the new educator,
whether traditionally or alternatively certified, with the knowledge and the
wisdom to create a successful teaching career.
When a teacher begins a career, he/she can easily locate teacher
resources that give endless activity and lesson ideas for the classroom,
worksheets to copy, and form letters and notes for parents. However, Do
You Think Teaching is Easy? provides new educators with the unique
opportunity to learn the culture of education that many training programs and
books never address. You will be
challenged to ask yourself the tough questions, to rethink your assumptions, to
proactively enhance your performance as a professional, as well as to work
toward improvement of yourself as a person.
If you are a new educator or are a mentor of new teachers, this is for
you!
About the Author
Stephanie Smith has taught for ten years in Texas
public schools. While teaching, she has
served on Campus Improvement Committees, an Assessment Committee, and a Student
Assistance Committee. She is also a
campus representative for the Texas teacher evaluation system. She now works in Compensatory Education in North
Texas, spending a portion of her time assisting in the mentorship of new
teachers.
Stephanie began her journey toward the field of
education with a B. S. in Education from UH-Clear Lake. She recently earned her Master’s Degree in
Educational Leadership and Policy Studies from the University of Texas in
Arlington. She holds the following
certifications: Elementary Education, Special Education, ESL, Early Childhood,
English, and the Principalship.