Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thank you all for solidifying my choice. If anyone has any advice or words of wisdom, I would highly appreciate if you would be so kind as to share them with me and I will apply them to the best of my ability.

If this is OP, what was your final decision?

I will be honored and genuinely gratefulto sign the contract.

Congratulations, OP! You’ve got this.

I’ve said this before, but it seems worth repeating: force yourself to bounce back from those bad days. You get chances to start over, and it gets easier.

When you feel overwhelmed, remember what you’ve already accomplished and don’t focus as much on what still needs to get done. You won’t be able to get it all done, but you can do a great job on a lot of it.

Don’t take it personally when a student says something cruel. It’s hard not to, but that insult came from a child who is likely feeling scared or insecure. You’ll develop a thick skin if you don’t have one already.

Sometimes administrators are helpful, but the best help will come from other teachers. They are in there with you, whereas administrators have been out of the classroom so they may not remember what it’s really like. If your observations aren’t great at first, don’t worry too much. Ask a fellow teacher to take a look at them and see what advice they have.

Find yourself a quiet place in the building. You may not get a lot of time there, but 20 minutes to yourself is precious and calming. I found a bench in a back hallway that’s my spot, and it gives me a break from the classroom. Sometimes the same walls get claustrophobic.

Be the teacher who knows the students. That’s the best thing you can do to develop strong classroom management. Go to after school activities and see them in a different environment. They’ll remember you cared enough to stop by.

Give yourself 10 minutes at the end of the day to triage. What needs to be done before you leave? What can you take home? What can wait for the morning? I keep a notebook at my desk with running to-do list. I highlight the ones I have to get done *that day*. (Also: I don’t throw away old pages. I keep them as a reminder of all I’ve accomplished. It makes me feel better.)

Hope some of this helps!

I plan to talk with the other teachers about how to prioritize my responsibilities. I am also trying to think of ways that might reduce my grading, like using an online quiz generator and having students do some presentations in class. I do believe that only people who are hurting, hurt others and that is something will have to train myself to be more mindful in the moment. This is very valuable advice, especially the part about taking an active interest in what the students are interested outside of the classroom. I like the way you refer to ‘triage’; that makes so much sense to me. You would be absolutely amazed at how many notes I make in notepad on my iPad. When I was performing my practicum, I learned to keep a teaching experience journal for future reference. I could incorporate my to do lists there. TY for the helpful suggestions.

Anonymous wrote:“The First Days of School” by Wong and “Love and Logic “ for Educators

https://www.loveandlogic.com/collections/educators?tw_source=google&tw_adid=694884888454&tw_campaign=20973893646&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjw7ZO0BhDYARIsAFttkCjFg17kDA_rN3VsjT_52_cHvT_FEsrYfAdWHeyZXNjiSsOgZXykfF8aAmQhEALw_wcB

TY. I will add that to my list.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here's my advice. If you are assaulted by a student, file a police report no matter how much your admin pressures or threatens you. Also, know that sitting in your car before or after work, crying, because it is just so hard is typical. Don't feel ashamed or wonder if something is wrong with you. All of us have done it, frequently. Sometimes it gets better, sometimes you learn to stop caring, but the crying does decrease over the years.

+1. Try to find a trusted colleague or two as soon as you can. They will be your lifeline. Also, don't hesitate to submit discipline referrals. Administrators who are not good at their jobs will try to gaslight you into not submitting referrals but your first concern besides safety is to cover your own a**. A student who makes threats, puts hands on anyone or tries to, or destroys school property needs to be written up.

I agree that you definitely want to write kids up if they are causing or threatening harm to others or school property. But if they are just rude or disruptive, try to handle it yourself first, otherwise you will get a reputation as someone who can't manage their class. Call home and assign detention. Always, always document. That way when you eventually write the kid up for their continued misbehavior, you have a record of what you have already tried, because admin is going to ask for that. Every year I get at least one kid whose behavior is so awful that they are incapable of being in a regular classroom, but it usually takes a full year of documentation before the school can move them into a different program. The more strategies you try and then document in detail, the faster that process goes.

I do know by observation how to deploy my “teacher voice” (that is what both of my mentors referred to it as) when students are not following along with the usual program. What has worked for you when students are outright rude and disrespectful of others? Is there something you do that sets a standard of how to comport themselves in the classroom? What do you say in the moment to make a strong impression that you will not tolerate any verbal abuse in the room that has proven effective in practice?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What about seeking various certifications for specific reading programs and tutoring privately. This would expose you to different curriculum without dealing with all the politics in that school system right now.

I have explored getting a reading specialist certificate. I thought I would be more qualified for ESOL or language arts, given my educational background/ experience. I did put out feelers on NextDoor for private tutoring. Only a couple of nibbles, but no takers. Where would you suggest I might offer my services as an independent tutor?

No one wants a tutor who has never taught before, unfortunately. You could try one of the online tutoring services like Wyzant.

Anonymous wrote:Here's my advice. If you are assaulted by a student, file a police report no matter how much your admin pressures or threatens you. Also, know that sitting in your car before or after work, crying, because it is just so hard is typical. Don't feel ashamed or wonder if something is wrong with you. All of us have done it, frequently. Sometimes it gets better, sometimes you learn to stop caring, but the crying does decrease over the years.

That is something that I am scared of. I’m thinking that it would be best if I keep a desk between myself and someone who is in a dangerous state. I definitely do not want to get hurt and I also don’t want to give the appearance that I am going to do anything except try to deescalate the situation with my words until backup arrives to assist. I’m open to other ideas that have worked for others. I plan to follow your advice about making a police report. As far as crying in the car, I think I will place some post-it notes to help me adjust my perspective. The very best thing I can do for these students long-term is to empower them to confidently, clearly, and effectively communicate in English and encourage them to read to expand their horizons. I believe that you give someone a fish, they will eat for a day, but if you teach them to fish, they will never go hungry again. TY for saying I should not feel ashamed to release my emotions.

A few tips:

Keep Ziploc bags in your desk. Rather than make kids throw out their food, I have them put it in a bag, which sometimes (not always) avoids arguments. They are also useful when kids bring slime, or Legos, or someone's necklace breaks and there are beads everywhere, etc.

When there is a big assignment due (test, project, essay, etc.), immediately go through the stack and figure out who did not turn it in. Put zeros in the grade book right away, even if you don't have time to grade all the other submissions yet. That may seem harsh, but it's a warning to the student and their parents that this is what their grade will be if they don't submit it. Otherwise they are shocked when weeks later their grade goes down after you finally put the bad grade in. You don't want there to be any surprises, particularly not at the end of a quarter.

Again with the no surprises, give study guides and post notes and info about upcoming tests online.

Chromebook addiction is real. Admin probably won't support you going completely tech free, but be strategic about how you use the computers. In my class we will do warm ups on the computer (because Google forms give me data) and for graded exit tickets at the end of class (because the more you can automate your grading, the better). However, all notes and worksheets are on paper, because that keeps the kids focused. Familiarize yourself with the software for controlling their screens (we use Hapara at my school), though the kids find ways around the system. Also, sometimes reviews games on the computer can be a good time filler; check out Kahoot and Blooket.

Create a spreadsheet with IEP/504 accommodations, specifically who gets small group testing, read aloud, dictionary access, and extended time. Note any other unusual accommodations. Check it before every assessment and make arrangements for those students as necessary. These are legal requirements, so you don't want to screw this up.

If you don't know Spanish, at least learn the bad words like "puta" and "mierda." It is also very effective to learn how to say, "Do I need to call your mom?" in Spanish.

Sixth graders are in that weird tween space where they are sometimes kids and sometimes teens. One minute you will be having a really deep conversation about an important topic, and you are so proud of how well the kids are discussing complex issues. The next minute, you are confiscating slime from a kid and telling two others to stop putting glue on each other. Some of the kids look and act like they are 8 (usually the boys), and some of the kids look and act like they are 18 (usually the girls). They can drive you crazy, but they can also be funny and sweet. They appreciate a little sarcasm, but you can't go overboard. You also need to always keep your cool, even when they lose theirs.

“The First Days of School” by Wong and “Love and Logic “ for Educators

https://www.loveandlogic.com/collections/educators?tw_source=google&tw_adid=694884888454&tw_campaign=20973893646&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjw7ZO0BhDYARIsAFttkCjFg17kDA_rN3VsjT_52_cHvT_FEsrYfAdWHeyZXNjiSsOgZXykfF8aAmQhEALw_wcB

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here's my advice. If you are assaulted by a student, file a police report no matter how much your admin pressures or threatens you. Also, know that sitting in your car before or after work, crying, because it is just so hard is typical. Don't feel ashamed or wonder if something is wrong with you. All of us have done it, frequently. Sometimes it gets better, sometimes you learn to stop caring, but the crying does decrease over the years.

+1. Try to find a trusted colleague or two as soon as you can. They will be your lifeline. Also, don't hesitate to submit discipline referrals. Administrators who are not good at their jobs will try to gaslight you into not submitting referrals but your first concern besides safety is to cover your own a**. A student who makes threats, puts hands on anyone or tries to, or destroys school property needs to be written up.

I agree that you definitely want to write kids up if they are causing or threatening harm to others or school property. But if they are just rude or disruptive, try to handle it yourself first, otherwise you will get a reputation as someone who can't manage their class. Call home and assign detention. Always, always document. That way when you eventually write the kid up for their continued misbehavior, you have a record of what you have already tried, because admin is going to ask for that. Every year I get at least one kid whose behavior is so awful that they are incapable of being in a regular classroom, but it usually takes a full year of documentation before the school can move them into a different program. The more strategies you try and then document in detail, the faster that process goes.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is it Glasgow? Tough school for a first year teacher. I’d hold out for another opening if there are any left.

-former Glasgow teacher now at a different FCPS middle school

Yes, it is. I wonder if not having a teaching license yet is what is keeping other schools from hiring me. I had 21 interviews. One school, Washington-Liberty, which seems like a tamer school, interviewed me twice.

Ahh. I would not go into public school teaching on a provisional. Literally the only thing that kept me sane my first year was my student teaching and the relationships I had formed there. If you want to teach, get your license and then teach. The teachers at my school hired on a provisional didn't stay long enough to get their full license.

I have completed most of the requirements I can do myself for a full license. I just need to do the CPR/First Aid/AED certification and pass the 5038 (English Language Arts Content) Praxis, and pay the $100 fee. I am waiting on accommodations for the Praxis.

I guess to be that guy: what accommodations?

First year of teaching is very hard, middle school is very hard, and wild schools are very hard.

I didn’t actually answer your question. Oops. Extra time is all. It helped me get all the way through college

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thank you all for solidifying my choice. If anyone has any advice or words of wisdom, I would highly appreciate if you would be so kind as to share them with me and I will apply them to the best of my ability.

If this is OP, what was your final decision?

I will be honored and genuinely gratefulto sign the contract.

Congratulations on making this decision and finding a job. I’ve been following and read all of the posts. I’m the experienced teacher who posted some of the worst things you could encounter and told you to compartmentalize.

You read every response and thoughtfully responded to everyone. You seem like you want to learn and eager to try. That’s fantastic. There will be bumps and there will be challenges. There are many of us out here that will support and help you. Please post if you need advice and encouragement at any time. I’ve been teaching a different content area for almost 30 years now but so much of it is classroom behavior, how to deal with students or families or admin or other teachers, what to do when….

Also more advice, do not spend a lot of your own money on your classroom. Its a slippery slope and some teachers spend way to much on things you don’t actually need. Your room doesn’t need to look Pinterest perfect.

Thank you for taking the time and expending the energy to read and respond. I am also majorly relieved that so many of you have reached out and offered reassurance and assistance if I feel frustrated. I was worried that I may end up unity a mentor not much more experienced than me. TY again for your brutal honesty supportive words.

So, last night I made a list of all of the things I think will essential to prepare for students to success in my class, considering that 69% of them are economically disadvantaged and 100% are likely to leave their supplies at home sometime. I am expecting that at most, I will be teaching 125 students. I tried to find the best prices by buying in bulk, but I may be bargaining for far way more than it is worth investing in. Could you kindly look at my list and advise me? That might actually help me to cut down on costs. Also, I would like to know if there is any thing I have not considered. I am not worried about decor because I do not know if I will have my own classroom. Also when I composed it, I had already read your post about not needing to be Pinterest perfect, lol.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you accept the job please don’t leave during the year. That puts a huge burden on your colleagues and crushes the students. I have students who still talked about teachers who left two years ago. A lot of kids take it very personally.

I have carefully considered that and I am ready to make a commitment.

Don’t make that commitment at risk of your own mental and physical health. If you need to leave in the middle of the year, leave in the middle of the year.

I will keep that way in the back of my mind. TY

Anonymous wrote:Classroom management, especially dealing with behaviors, is going to be really important.

Is there a textbook you can recommend that I read?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is it Glasgow? Tough school for a first year teacher. I’d hold out for another opening if there are any left.

-former Glasgow teacher now at a different FCPS middle school

Yes, it is. I wonder if not having a teaching license yet is what is keeping other schools from hiring me. I had 21 interviews. One school, Washington-Liberty, which seems like a tamer school, interviewed me twice.

Ahh. I would not go into public school teaching on a provisional. Literally the only thing that kept me sane my first year was my student teaching and the relationships I had formed there. If you want to teach, get your license and then teach. The teachers at my school hired on a provisional didn't stay long enough to get their full license.

I have completed most of the requirements I can do myself for a full license. I just need to do the CPR/First Aid/AED certification and pass the 5038 (English Language Arts Content) Praxis, and pay the $100 fee. I am waiting on accommodations for the Praxis.

I guess to be that guy: what accommodations?

First year of teaching is very hard, middle school is very hard, and wild schools are very hard.

I have ADHD and a math disorder called dyscalculia.

Anonymous wrote:Keep us updated. Parents need to understand why their kids’ teachers are leaving.

Will do. I think this entire exchange is itself a true testiment as to why their kid’s teachers are leaving. It is evident here that it is not an easy job and honestly, I have already cried just having read what someone imparted about how there are some students that come to class on an empty stomach and that there was a son reduced to sleeping in a closet with his mother. To tell the truth, it was a really painful reminder of my own experiences, growing up in abject poverty, way back when brother and I often went to bed hungry because there was not enough to eat and feel full and my parents were too proud to ask anyone for charity. Fortunately, I have only slept in a walk-in closet once, when I spent the night over at a friend’s home. Oddly, that actually made me feel safe and secure; however, when my father found out about it, he immediately forbade me ever sleeping over at her house again, but I digress. Anyway, the point here is, I relate and thanks to the person who shared that I know to keep a stash granola bars in my desk drawer, because she bothered to suggest it. Furthermore, from everything I have gathered here and elsewhere, as I debated this decision, if you care and are truly concerned with the welfare of those in your charges, it can exact a great toll on one’s own well-being. I now have a new admiration for those that have found the fortitude within to stick it out over the course of their careers. It sounds like there are a lot that never last that long. Realistically, I may not make it more than a year before I burn out, but it is also not yet a foregone conclusion.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is it Glasgow? Tough school for a first year teacher. I’d hold out for another opening if there are any left.

-former Glasgow teacher now at a different FCPS middle school

Yes, it is. I wonder if not having a teaching license yet is what is keeping other schools from hiring me. I had 21 interviews. One school, Washington-Liberty, which seems like a tamer school, interviewed me twice.

Ahh. I would not go into public school teaching on a provisional. Literally the only thing that kept me sane my first year was my student teaching and the relationships I had formed there. If you want to teach, get your license and then teach. The teachers at my school hired on a provisional didn't stay long enough to get their full license.

I have completed most of the requirements I can do myself for a full license. I just need to do the CPR/First Aid/AED certification and pass the 5038 (English Language Arts Content) Praxis, and pay the $100 fee. I am waiting on accommodations for the Praxis.

I guess to be that guy: what accommodations?

First year of teaching is very hard, middle school is very hard, and wild schools are very hard.