I just got hired! Now what?

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If you get hired for a teaching position at the last minute, the tasks ahead of you will seem daunting and impossible to get done before the students arrive. You will have to think of everything from getting your room ready to what procedures you will have. Time may not allow you to get every detail taken care of, however. Learn to be okay with that!

I got hired a week before school started last year, so I know the feeling. I honestly felt like I rushing and fighting to keep my head above water from that point until Christmas. After going through that, here’s what I would prioritize, especially if you’re pinched for time:

        1.      Get the basics of your room set up. This doesn’t mean you have to “choose a theme.” Sure, themes are cute! But not a top priority. New teacher, this year, your theme may be “learning,” and it will be a great year! Ignore frivolous decorations for now and just set up the materials that will be easily accessible to the students (or not easily accessible, depending on what it is!). Make sure all supplies are ready to go for what you are planning to do right away.

        2.      Make lesson plans for the first week. Ask fellow teachers what they like to do the first week – some like to read a memorable picture book, and some have great ideas for community-building activities or cool art projects. Don’t be afraid to ask for help.

        3.      Plan your first day minute by minute. Don’t take the chance that a single minute of your first day will escape you. You need to have back-up activities to reduce the chances of downtime. For a lot of students, downtime means disruptive behavior, so steer clear of that through concise planning. Even if your lesson plan that day looks like this:

            8:15-8:25  a.m.       Greet students and show them where to put backpacks and                                                 lunchboxes. Get them started on morning work.

            8:25-8:30  a.m.       Teach morning procedure: coming in quietly, choosing hot lunch                                         and taking attendance.

This format helped me a lot!

        4.      Have something on the students’ desk in the morning for them to do that they don’t need help with. Right away when the students come in, they should have a simple activity on their desks to engage with. That clears up time for you to welcome students, take supplies, and give directions without the looks of bewilderment from confused kiddos. Here are some cute examples of what to leave for desk work: (I LOVE minions!)
            


        5.      Plan out your rules and procedures in detail. You need to know exactly how you will manage your classroom, and how you will model and explain rules and procedures to your students.

        6.      *Try* to relax and enjoy it. After those first five crucial tasks, start tackling your other, less important tasks, knowing that you have the essentials covered. Breathe and remember this feeling. You’ll feel SO much better your second year around this time!

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