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How to survive your first year: a practical guide for new teachers

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From hoarding glue sticks and whiteboard pens to building an arsenal of stock phrases, Gabbie Chant shares her advice for rookie teachers

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I've already started my 2019-2020 school year with students and have been reminded again just how much work our job entails! Within 4 days of going back, I was overwhelmed by all the things I had to do, people I had to meet with, and materials I had to prepare for the first day of school.

Despite the back-to-school pressures, however, I'm determined to make this year one of less stress. I know I need to figure out a better system for balancing the demands of the job and being able to leave work at work, which is why I've been thinking a lot about how I can feasibly do this.

I know I can't just magically hire more help or increase my prep time, but I CAN utilize a system to maximize the time and resources I do have.

So, here is my game plan for how I'll work smarter this year in order to get more done in less time.

1. Create a weekly prep schedule

I made a list of all the big buckets of tasks I find myself doing, such as lesson planning, making copies and prepping materials for the upcoming week, and completing IEP paperwork. I then made a schedule for myself where I dedicated one day of the week to spend on each of these bigger tasks during my prep period. My schedule is as follows: - Monday: IEP Paperwork - Tuesday: Collaborate with Gen Ed Teachers and Staff - Wednesday: Lesson Plan for upcoming weeks - Thursday: Copies and Material Prep for upcoming week - Friday: Catch Up/Miscellaneous

With this schedule, I'm hoping I'll be able to use my hour of prep more efficiently and maybe even work ahead if I have extra time!

2. Delegate daily tasks and routines

There are so many little tasks I do in my room on a daily basis that only take about 3 minutes or less. Even though each individual task is short, however, I realized there are so many of them that they end up eating away at a lot of my time.

This year, I'm going to make a list of every single thing that needs to get done on a routine basis (daily, weekly, or even monthly) and work on dividing those tasks between my paras and myself. I then plan to assign each person both a "daily" list of tasks and a "weekly" list of things to accomplish. Items on these lists include things like wiping down the blocks station, reorganizing our prep materials, copying extra data sheets, replacing dead dry erase markers, etc.

By writing down the things I find myself consistently doing and working them into a schedule, I'm hoping to help streamline my work and give myself time to focus on the things I know need to get done. I'm also hoping that the act of simply having this list written out will help take stress off of my plate because I won't be looking around and noticing things that need to happen. Instead, I can trust my schedule and know everything is getting taken care of within a reasonable timeframe.

3. Set boundaries on my time spent working (and stick to them!)

I think it's important to give yourself a set time you WILL leave work by (and it may need to change depending on the day); and then, actually leave! If you stick to this consistently, you WILL find a way to cut time off of tasks, prioritize, and get everything done. It may take time to figure it out, but the only way you ever will is by being consistent and actually leaving when you say you are.

One thing that really helps me is to make commitments for after work so I'm forced to leave when I want to. Sign up for a workout class, make plans to meet up with a friend, OR just write in your planner whatever it is you want to do after you leave work (even if it's just watching TV or going to the grocery store). Having a true commitment holds me accountable for leaving and helps alleviate some of my teacher guilt.

These are my three time-management tips to make the most of your year, but I'd love to hear some of yours! Share in the comments: How have you managed your time better and accomplished more at work?

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Work Smarter, Not Harder: Time-Saving Tips for Special Education Teachers

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I've already started the 2019-2020 school year, which has come with a lot of stress. Here's my game plan for taking a step back and maximizing my available time and resources.

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The 7 Biggest Mistakes I Made My First Year of Teaching

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Spoiler alert: None of them were the mistakes I thought I was making.

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I've found that veteran teachers love answering any questions I have as a newbie, and I plan to collect another mentor (or best friend) each week.

Utilizing key phases will be key when working with parents. I like to get to school early - but yes, I should get into the habit of photocopying the night before...Or better yet, the week before!

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I'm looking for liberation in a weekly prep schedule. Save lots of time and energy for teaching!

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Definitely going for the social time and sticking to it. Also hoarding glue sticks is great with high school students as well.

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Spend less money, scavenge more--this is a mantra!

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This schedule looks like a dream! I might be able to prepare copies and materials in one hour, but I don't believe any of these other tasks can be completed within a one-hour prep period. Give me a break!

– Monday: IEP Paperwork (one week)
– Tuesday: Collaborate with Gen Ed Teachers and Staff (2-4 days)
– Wednesday: Lesson Plan for upcoming weeks (1 full day)
– Thursday: Copies and Material Prep for upcoming week
– Friday: Catch Up/Miscellaneous

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"I would be the first teacher in the state’s history to have a standardized testing average of 0%." -probably me.

The biggest takeaway from this was to do fewer tasks that the kids should do themselves. Most of my students lack organizational skills. They should be the ones tidying up, wiping down the desks, and emptying their backpacks on Friday (crumbs and all), and reorganizing them for the weekend.

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My biggest takeaway is to record the good stuff.  We need to give ourselves some grace when things get tough.  Having a record is a great confidence booster.  Work life balance and organization are essential because we can easily wear out. Our body goes overload on stress and it breaks our immunity down.  Ginger tea with cinnamon is my go to defense for my body.

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I’ve created a weekly schedule in the past, but I found that I don’t always stick to my weekly plan.  I have to modify my plan or skip it completely.  I find that when I plan at least 2 days ahead, I can accomplish the majority of the task.  I agree with delegating tasks and setting boundaries.  This year I am lucky to have a seasoned para, so I lean on her to help me with my caseload.  Getting a planner is a must for me to get organized and set boundaries.  I’ve used my phone calendar in the past, but it is not as effective as having the planner on my desk.  In my planner I can jot down commitments & tasks rather than having a calendar and a task list.

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In my first year of teaching, I didn’t know how to set boundaries consistently.  One thing I’ve learned is that I need to follow through when I set boundaries.  I also needed to learn how to reframe my statements.  Instead of giving my students a hard no, I should say “I appreciate______, but now is not a good time.”  Also, doing too many things for the general ed students can be cumbersome, and I’ve learned to not spoonfeed them.  However with special ed students, I feel more empathetic so I find myself doing more.  I need to borrow the author’s comments, “What have you tried so far?” “I know this is hard, but if I just give you the answer, you’ll miss out on the best feeling in the world. I know you can do this.”

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1. Never hesitate to ask; the answer that takes you 15 minutes to find online may take someone else only 2 minutes to explain.

2. Make time for yourself, whether it’s going to the gym or reading a book.

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I began the school year by building a yearly schedule broken down by marking periods, helping me see what I needed to prepare for each week.

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Establishing boundaries is crucial.

Even though we are flexible, it doesn’t mean our expectations can be ignored.

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I noticed that the majority of the suggestions in this article center around doing what you can to stay prepared and limiting potential issues. Things like printing copies the day prior, meal prepping nutritious food, and having phrases ready help minimize chaos.

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I would really like to work on my delegation. I always find myself trying to take on every little responsibility in the classroom myself. My work schedule is currently segmented between class 1st period and a prep period for 2nd, following that pattern to give me 4 teaching periods and 3 prep periods. I appreciate this schedule giving me breaks throughout the day to use to plan ahead and digest things that come up in between the school day.

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This article reinforces that I need to make sure I ask for help when I need it. I want avoid letting things accumulate to the point of me having to ask for clarification when it is too late.

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The idea of writing down the good things that happen over the course of a day really resonated with me. These last couple weeks have been insanely stressful and while venting about challenges and stressors with loved ones is helpful, I've found that I feel better when I share a moment that was positive, even if the bulk of the day was overwhelming.

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Delegation of tasks and routines and having a weekly prep schedule would both help so much. It feels like there is always work that can be done which makes it really hard to relax and get a good nights rest, but having a schedule and being able to pass some other responsibilities to paras in the class would be a god send.

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"Instead of one giant list, I separated it into three columns; what had to get done that day, by the end of the week, and when I had time." This is a game changer of an idea, I'm still working on getting comfortable with not having time to get everything done in a day. Having things linger has been a major source of anxiety, but this feels like a healthier solution.

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I loved the tip to find an unofficial mentor teacher to learn from. I also think it would be valuable to find teachers in different departments so you always have a pulse on what is going on in the school and can ask for help from people of different specialties.

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Delegating weekly tasks is an area I would like to work on. I do a relatively good job setting boundaries for working outside of work, but I anticipate that will get harder this year while I am starting the USF program in addition to working full time.

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The idea of harmful teacher narratives was interesting. I can also fall victim to the idea that a great teacher takes on responsibilities and time outside of the work day, but I anticipate that it could lead to burnout. I have taken on a few extracurricular positions at the school and am already realizing I need to minimize the time spent with them so I have energy to perform in the classroom.

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I found that finding an unofficial mentor at my school site has been key. I share a classroom with two other SPED teachers and they have very kindly taken me under their wings. They let me ask them all the questions and make sure to support me whenever they have the time. I also liked how the article mentioned to record the good stuff. I need to start doing this.

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I need to work on setting clear work boundaries. I am finding myself working a lot outside of work hours to stay on top of the work load but then burning out by the weekend. What has helped is coming early in the morning for additional prep time but then leaving on time.

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It felt validating to read that it's okay to leave your to do list unfinished. I write to do lists everyday at work and feel like I can never accomplish it all. I am doing what I can when I can but it is good to know I am not alone. I feel like I am working two jobs 1) as a teacher 2) as a case manager and being a student myself so the to do list is endless.

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I do a few of these already, but I do need to get better about meal planning for the weekdays and I love the idea of having a notebook to write down the positives. I'm really good at ruminating on the hard stuff, and having something to remind me of the good stuff would be good for my overall mental health

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I like the weekly prep schedule, I love to do lists, so I think that would be helpful. I also need to get better at delegating tasks (like having the students clean the room, since they make the mess)

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The one thing on that list that I know I do, and have done and would love to do less of is worry to much. Having anxiety makes that both worse and harder not to do, but I worry about everything, and then I over think it.