First Few Weeks as a New Teacher: 3 Things I Wish I Had

Known
NEA Today, July 26, 2016 10:54AM

By Chad Donohue

In her book How to Survive and Thrive in the First Three Weeks of School, Elaine K. Mc Ewan elaborates
on a teaching formula known as 3 + 3 = 33something I wish I had learned about before I passed the 22-
year mark as a teacher.

This simple equation is used by standout teachers to maximize time management and learning at any grade
level. Simply put: Three weeks of teaching the three Rs (routines, rubrics, and rules) leads to 33 weeks of
higher student achievement.

The start of the year provides an opportunity for students to participate in on- the-job training. We should
not assume students come to our classrooms knowing what they need to know to succeed. Instead, like new
employees, students must be made aware of essential survival skills that will ensure they can climb our
classes ladder of academic achievement.
New teachers can avoid stress, self-doubt, and confusion simply by implementing a few essentials right
from the start.

Assign Seats Before School Starts

This is a strategy I learned the hard way. Back when I was a new teacher, thinking I was being progressive
I invited students to sit wherever you want on the rst day of school. To my horror, more than one student
found themselves in the embarrassing situation of getting shunned or shooed away from a seat supposedly
saved for a friend. My carelessness had resulted in some students feeling like unwelcome outsiders. At any
grade level, its easy to assign seats before the year starts. Just number the seats. On the first day, hand each
student a number as he or she enters the room. You now have a seating chart. If you quickly realize that
Tanner and Isabella should not be seated near each other, you can make adjustments.

Show them Where (and How) to Turn in Work

The very first time we ask kids to write something down, we should also teach them the procedure for
turning in work. The turn-in area should be clearly marked, with class periods and/or subjects labeled, and
it should remain in the same location for the entire school year.

See Also:

Stay Positive and Pace Yourself: A Survival Guide for First-Year Teachers

8 Ways to Make Students Feel Welcome on First Day of School

Make sure students know that an assignment submitted anywhere other than the turn-in area will likely go
unseen. Give them a chance to practice turning things in during the first few days of school. Keep at it until
there is no confusion.

Manage Student Behavior

When it comes to the most challenging aspect of teachingclassroom managementhaving a plan is what
matters most. Ask your principal if your school has a set policy for all students. If so, use it. If not, do a
little research and nd a plan you can support. And dont be afraid to consult a book for help. The First Days
of School: How to be an Effective Teacher by Harry and Rosemary Wong is one of the best when it comes
to providing excellent classroom management ideas. Plans vary, of course, but the one you choose needs to
uphold student dignity. Good plans do not punish. They manage. In the Wongs book, you will discover
that most behavior problems in class- rooms are the result of poor management, not poorly behaved
students.

Benjamin Franklin is often credited with the maxim, If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail. Nowhere
is this truer than in the teaching field. As a new teacher, I used to think raising my voice was the best way
to get the class attention. If students were working noisily together on an assignment, why not just shout
over them when I need their attention? This wasnt an angry shoutjust a loud command that went
something like, Okay folks, quiet down please! In using this approach, I was inadvertently training my
students to wait for the shouting before giving me their attention. The louder they were, the louder the
shout had to be. Today I use a bell or a simple raised hand to quiet the class. There is no place for shouting
in good teaching. A consistent signal is best. When adults raise their voices, kids often feel anxiety.

Implementing these important ideas early in my teaching career would have prevented many headaches, not
only for me, but for my students, too.

Chad Donohue is a middle school teacher, adjunct professor, and blogger living in Snohomish, Wash.