A First Year Teacher:

I am currently long-term substitute teaching for a first grade classroom with twenty students at a title one, mission possible school.  It has been a crazy and unexpected journey but yet most wonderful and amazing experience.  I have learned so much in the past six weeks and it is only the beginning.

Everything is new and exciting but ultimately harder than you could have anticipated.  The amount of decisions that need to be made is wild and it all starts on day one!  Where should I put the pencil sharpener?  How should I set up my behavior management?  What do I do with absent work?  The list of questions and decisions goes on and on.   After teaching, I can say that teachers certainly do not get enough time or credit for all of the big and small things that they do every single day.

I have heard many people say that the first year of teaching is always the hardest.  I can agree with them that they very well might be right.  According the to National Education Association teachers often leave the profession after the first three to five years due to lack or respect and support.   I can completely understand that theory.  It is imperative to have support from other teachers and staff.  New teachers can always use help and advice, and most of all sometimes they just need someone to listen. 

I have found it interesting that no matter how much you plan and organize everything, down to the tiniest little detail, you always need to expect the unexpected.  The day will never go exactly as you planned, but then again life happens.  I think that is something that I enjoy about teaching, that there is always something new happening and a problem to solve!  Teaching is not a boring profession; it’s a fast pace and ever-changing environment. In order to keep up with the ever changing ways of education, it is good to use online resources and technology. 

First Year Teacher Resources:

Useful Links for Lesson Plans:

• Brain Pop Junior 
• Voki
• Cast Writer - Science

Helpful Hint Links: 

• National Education Association
• Reading Rockets

Good Information Links:

• NCAEE
• Common Core Standards

Overall, the beginning to my teaching career has been wonderful and I have learned an amazing amount about how to run a classroom.  The links listed are great resources that can be used by any teacher but may be helpful to first year teachers in particular.  The links range from advice on first year teaching to sites that can be used for integration into your lesson plans.