First-Time Teachers

A teacher sparks the light of knowledge and dispels clouds of ignorance in the soul of a learner. Teachers have always been a boon to the society thereby making the profession an extremely noble one through their intelligence, patience and wisdom. The influence of a teacher helps hone a learner’s intellect and aptitude and develops his mind and character into a well-rounded personality.

As this field is so vast having areas of specializations, different skills and type of training are required for different levels. Areas of specialization include teaching at nursery schools, middle schools, high schools, colleges, universities, institutes, special schools etc. Each level calls for a different expertise. If you love to be with children, teaching at schools would be a good option, but if you want to be with young adults, it is better to look at the college or university level. Good teachers can bring out the best in every student. They are the ones who make a difference in the lives of their students. Rousing students from their apathy and watching their curiosity grow is one of the biggest rewards of teaching.

Teaching for the first time can be quite bewildering and at the same time, overwhelming for a fresher and there is a natural tendency of becoming perplexed in a strange environment filled with new faces, unfamiliar procedures and unknown pitfalls. A survey of the sophomore teachers has been conducted and accordingly it has proved beneficial in giving a comprehensive suggestions on getting through the so-called dreaded first year and focus achieving success by working on their failures.

First-year teaching is a difficult challenge. Equally challenging is figuring out ways to support and assist beginning teachers as they enter the profession. These teachers move through several phases from anticipation, to survival, to disillusionment, to rejuvenation, to reflection; then back to anticipation. In the first phase, the closer student teachers get to completing their assignment, the more excited and anxious they become about their first teaching position. They tend to romanticize the role of the teacher and the position. New teachers enter with a tremendous commitment to making a difference and a somewhat idealistic view of how to accomplish their goals. During the survival phase, most new teachers struggle to keep their heads above water. They become very focused and consumed with the day-to-day routine of teaching. There is little time to stop and reflect on their experiences.

The survival phase helps the teacher learning a lot and at a very rapid pace.
Beginning teachers are instantly bombarded with a variety of problems and situations they had not anticipated. Despite teacher preparation programs, new teachers are caught off guard by the realities of teaching. New teachers, still uncertain of what will really work, must develop their lessons for the first time. Although tired and surprised by the amount of work, first-year teachers usually maintain a tremendous amount of energy and commitment during the survival phase, harboring hope that soon the turmoil will subside. After six to eight weeks of nonstop work and stress, new teachers enter the disillusionment phase.

The extensive time commitment, the realization that things are probably not going as smoothly as they want and low morale contribute to this period of disenchantment. This is also the first time that new teachers are formally evaluated by their principal. They are, for the most part, uncertain about the process itself and anxious about their own competence and ability to perform.

The rejuvenation phase is characterized by a slow rise in the new teacher's attitude toward teaching. It allows them to resume a more normal lifestyle, with plenty of rest, food, exercise, and time for family and friends. This vacation is the first opportunity that new teachers have for organizing materials and planning curriculum. It is a time for them to sort through materials that have accumulated and prepare new ones. This breath of fresh air gives novice teachers a broader perspective with renewed hope.

The reflection phase is a particularly invigorating time for first-year teachers. Reflecting back over the year, they highlight events that were successful and those that were not. They think about the various changes that they plan to make the following year in management, curriculum, and teaching strategies.

The end is in sight, and they have almost made it; but more importantly, a vision emerges as to what their second year will look like, which brings them to a new phase of anticipation.

It is critical that the new teachers be assisted and guided in order to ease the transition from student teacher to full-time professional. From the phases new teachers go through, a framework can be drawn within which support programs can be designed to make the first year of teaching a more positive experience for our new colleagues.

So, initially to start off, the following points can be kept in mind in order to avoid a baffling situation in which a first-time teacher may find himself to be dumbfounded and flummoxed. Taking charge on the very first day, modeling desired attitudes and behavior, instituting a clear discipline policy and enforcing it consistently, with rewards and consequences, can help a beginning teacher have a hold on his entire class which eases a lot of work for him. Prior to the first day of school, it is advisable for a first-time teacher to do a little bit of homework and prepare a handful of interesting activities for the children for emergency purpose which would keep the students busy and engaged thus diverting their minds from turning out to be a rowdy crowd. Finding a mentor in a peer teacher and receiving assistance from him always proves beneficial. Not only that, parental or family support always acts as an easy and handy way of getting assistance when in urgent need like in case of donations or during celebration times. But above all, organizing oneself is of utmost importance for a first-time teacher in order to have a successful teaching career in the long run. This helps the students discipline themselves and getting organized too which becomes evident from the way they behave in class, organize their folders and notebooks, etc. For the first-time teachers maintaining a professional journal and jotting down their professional practices help them realize and predict their personal growth. Socializing with colleagues in school, maintaining an amicable relationship with the students, finding time to attend after-school events, learning school’s procedures and policies, are the additional qualities that fresher teachers need to imbibe in them to make their beginning process take a smooth turn. Last but not the least, it is very important to quit worrying and put in your best efforts and have fun in order to begin a remarkable adventure which would surely turn out to be a fruitful and enriching career option with time, patience and hard work.