1. Top 10 Lists for
Your First Year of Teaching
Dr. Jeff Allen &
Christine Holecek
Business & Marketing
Conference
July 25-29, 2005

2. GET READY FOR A ROLLER
COASTER RIDE!
The first year of teaching is
like riding a roller coaster! It's
a year full of ups and downs.
The year might be coasting
along smoothly when -- all of a
sudden -- a mountain of a task
will present itself. The task
completed, the new teacher
might feel a momentary release,
a brief period of exhilaration.
But, soon, there will be a new
mountain to climb. And, between
mountains, all kinds of new
experiences and new feelings
await.

4. Be Prepared
• Before you begin on the first day, be as prepared as you
possibly can. Set up your room. Look around. Is there anything
anywhere that would distract you if you were a student? Move
around the room and ask the same question from a number of
different spots, e.g., spots from which students should be
working and observing. Always put your plans on the board—
before class begins. Everyone is nervous on the first day.
• Think about every stupid question that could be asked as a
result of your lesson plan. Do they contain any words that could
set students off? I didn't realize how silly kids can be.
Something as simple as a squeaky chair will set them off. You
need to develop a range of appropriate responses and be able to
deliver them with a straight face. Sometimes it is important to
let them be kids and be silly when they want to, but you should
choose those times.
• Over plan! Prepare two hours for every hour of actual teaching.
The day will go faster than you expect. You need to avoid the
dreaded 15 minutes at the end when you will be asking yourself,
What do I do now?
• You have to be very organized. Five minutes of unorganized time
can lead to chaos.

5. Top 10 Tips to Begin the School Year
1. Plan relentlessly: Create back-up plans and plans for
teaching students of varying abilities.
2. Set high, consistently reinforced expectations for
behavior and academic performance.
3. Show and require respect in the classroom at all times.
4. Reach out to parents and your administration, preferably
early on and before a problem arises.
5. Consider participating in an extracurricular activity, which
strengthens relationships with students and can be enjoy-
able as well.
6. Seek mentors, team teaching assignments, and regular
exchanges with fellow first-year teachers.
7. Be flexible and ready for surprises: For example, one
teacher was assigned a classroom of students from
kindergarten through fourth grade.
8. Work closely with counselors or other school personnel
authorized to respond to children's social problems.
9. Take care of yourself physically and spiritually.
10. Love learning, love kids, and love teaching!

6. Classroom Management Strategies
in a single word—Respect.
•Always live up to the
same rules you set up for
your students.
• Keep them simple and
justifiable.
•“Respect” is the main
rule you should have on
your classroom wall.

7. Top 10 Classroom Rules
• 1. We will be polite and respectful at all times.
• 2. We will work quietly and not disturb others.
• 3. We will listen courteously when others are
talking.
• 4. We will be friendly to fellow classmates.
(Keeping hands, feet, and other objects to
ourselves.)
• 5. We will be truthful and honest.
• 6. We will respect our teachers and other adults.
• 7. We will be prepared for class every day.
• 8. We will arrive at class on time.
• 9. We will cooperate with others.
• 10. We will always do our best.

8. Top 10 Tips for the First
Day of School
1.Lesson Plans
2.Vary your Activities
3.Make Day of the Week Folders
4.Have Substitute Folder Ready
5.Posters of Rules & Consequences
6.Poster with Daily Schedule written out
7.Get Important Student Forms
8.Organize files in filing cabinet
9. Know what students are going to do with
supplies/homework/projects/etc
10.Welcome notes/newsletter or syllabus for
students

9. 10 Reminders for a
Successful First Year
1. First and foremost (and this sure sounds easy!) is to
smile and be friendly to all of your co-workers.
2. Be helpful to all who ask!
3. Don’t join in on the office gossip.
4. Get to know your students well.
5. Establish a rapport with your students’ parents as
soon as you can.
6. Be empathetic to the busy lifestyles of today.
7. Arrive at school early, and stay late a few days a
week.
8. Be prepared.
9. Establish class rules from Day One.
10. Remember that teaching children is hard work, but
it is also quite a bit of fun.

10. Additional quick tips
follow:
• Learn students’ names correctly and quickly.
• Learn to laugh at yourself. A sense of humor is
critical.
• Expose yourself as being human and being real. Don’t
be afraid to get down and dirty, do what they’re
doing, work when they are working. Keep a written list
of what needs to be changed for next year. Try things
and if they don’t work, write them down.
• First year teachers have to remember that, “You can’t
save everyone’ and not take it personally.”
• Teachers can’t forget about the importance of their
own mental and physical health or they will fall apart.
Find time to go out with your colleagues to talk about
mutual ideas and problems—let off steam. There are
tons of kids sneezing and coughing on you every day.
You need to be healthy to be a good teacher.

11. Get to know another side
of the kids.
Extracurricular activities is a
great way to get to know the
kids better. You can watch them
mature and see the leadership
side of their personalities. You
will have some of the same kids in
class. The kids will see
you beyond the instructor
role

12. It is okay if kids don’t like you. They
need to respect you. A lot of teachers
want to be buddies.
Don’t hang out with high school kids—
you establish friendly rapport, but, you
don’t want to be pals.
Teaching is not a popularity
contest, and students are
not your best friends.
Respect is more important than
affection.
Don’t Forget…….

13. For More Information
Dr. Jeff Allen
jeff_allen@unt.edu
Christine Holecek
cholecek@wacoisd.org