Let's Get Acquainted - Advice for New Teachers Linky

I am joining up with Latoya over at Flying into First for her Let's Get Acquainted Linky

This week's topic is advice for New Teachers. I remember my first year teaching. I got hired in the middle of the school year and didn't even get to meet my fellow teachers until lunch time on my first day. Then several years later, I switched to a new school system and it was like starting all over again. So here is my advice, whether you are straight out of college or switching to a new school:

BUY - low odor dry erase markers. The smelly ones give me and some of my students horrible headaches. I teach 6 classes a day and couldn't take the smell all day.

ALWAYS - be consistent. This is a really hard one for me, but you have to apply the rules the same to everyone. If you're not, the students will let you know.

NEVER - gossip. Don't talk about your fellow teachers. You never know when someone is listening, especially in a school.

FIND - a friend, another teacher who can help or mentor you. I had lots of questions about how my new school ran once I got there. I was lucky in that my district provides a New Teacher Mentor to all of its new teachers. There are two mentors for the five middle schools in my district.

MAKE - friends with the secretary and the janitor. This will make your life so much easier. Whether you need a few copies made in the middle of class (not the secretary's job) or a piece of furniture moved, being friends with these two is very important.

BE - prepared. In middle school, if you are not prepared your students will eat you alive. Always have more prepared than what you think you will need. I write my agenda for each class on the board and I cross off each activity as we go. If we don't get through it all, I move it to the next day if I need to.

Head on over to Latoya's blog to see what advice other teacher bloggers are giving.

Until next time.

Robyn