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I think one of the biggest things I would change from my first year of teaching is to ease up on the students I had. I feel I was too demanding of them because that was what the other teachers were doing and I was hard when grading them. I feel this was hard for me to do as a person because I am much more laid back than I let it seem and hard for the students to do because they felt they could not meet the goals I set for them. I would really work on setting attainable goals for my students.

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I got hired as a long term sub at a school that opened that year. The teachers at that school interviewed and were hired in teams. Because there were so many students, a new teacher needed to be hired. That was me. I was hired to teach kindergarten and the class was formed with 25 boys and 10 girls. I was not a part of a "team". If I could change one thing about that year, I would have tried to include myself in the kindergarten team that was already established. I struggled keeping all those little boys under control and I'm sure the veteran teachers would have had many helpful ideas. I was just too afraid to approach them and ask for the help.

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Boy, that was a long time ago. I taught 3 Algebra I and 2 Algebra II courses and should have been more open to seeking assistance not only from colleagues but also teachers at different schools with the same classes. In other words, I should have belonged to a network of like minded instructors willing to share their ideas.

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My first year was extremely challenging, I taught a 3/4 combination class. One thing I would have changed is to reach out for more help. I really felt that I didn't fully identify with either grade and decided to do more of my own thing. On some levels this was a necessary evil. Looking back, and knowing what I know now about the value of collaboration with others, I should have sought more help, it could have greatly reduced the stress and anxiety that the year was filled with.

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I would have changed the way I worked with my colleagues. I ended up alienating a lot of the people I worked with because my first site was not accepting of my special education students. I would never undo standing up for the rights of students to be treated fairy and given the same opportunities as general education students. However, I would definitely go about it with more grace for my fellow teachers.

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My first year of teaching started with a long term sub because my daughter was born 2 weeks before school started. So I would have changed the timing of that for sure. :) Coming in at the end of September and trying to establish the culture I wanted was challenging. I would also change my reliance on the textbooks. I had so many bad lessons because I was just following the book and didn't know any better.

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One thing I would change about my first year of teaching is that I would've enlisted more support from others. This includes, other teachers, administration and even maintenance :). I tend to just do things myself because I get quicker results, but it ends up putting more stress and work on myself at the end of the day.

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To only change one thing would be giving the impression that I was a really good first-year teacher! Ha HA! I think I would love to go back and tell myself that its ok not to have all the answers; parents want to help me be successful so that their child is successful; and firm structure is not a bad thing!

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One thing I would have changed about my first year of teaching is my mindset. I was so worried about doing well, impressing my admin., not failing. I think so much to the point that I wasn't myself. After 10years of teaching, I am now at a point where I feel comfortable and more confident in my own skin as a educator, but it's a continued learning and growing process that I appreciate experiencing.

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As a first year teacher in Kindergarten, I would definitely change my "traditional" style of teaching. Reflecting on the previous 2 trimesters, I can conclude that "traditional" teaching eliminates the flame that students come to school with eager to learn. Therefore, modifying instruction and incorporating opportunities for mistakes is already in the works as we speak!

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In my first year I was teaching a 4/5 combo and was struggling to make sure I really connected with each child. If I could go back, I would use that rapport to challenge them to take charge and work hard.

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I wish I could go back to my first year and tell myself that it's okay to make mistakes and not to have all of the answers. I tend to put too much pressure on myself to be perfect, and this caused undue stress during my first year.

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What is one thing I would change from my first year of teaching? I wish I knew about DonorsChoose.org to help fund my class projects!

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What would I not change about my first year of teaching? I did the best I could at the time ... one thing I really wish I could change was the classroom culture to make it a more positive place with very clear expectations for behavior.

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I would have been more accepting of parental help in the classroom

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I would have been more accepting of parental help in the classroom