-YOUR FIRST YEAR-
There are tons of expectations for your first year of teaching. If you went through a good teaching program, you'll know that your first year will be the most difficult year of your life. You know that you'll go home crying because you are overwhelmed. You know that you will make every mistake in the book. And you'll blow that mistake up to the point where you'll think it's the biggest mistake anyone has ever made. You'll have issues forgiving yourself for those mistakes. For swearing in class. For telling a student to shut up. All those mistakes are normal. I know it won't seem like it when you make them, but they are normal.
The key to getting through that first year of teaching is to teach yourself to go home. You will never EVER get everything done. You will always be behind. So, after showing up at 6am and staying until 8pm every single night for months on end (and then still taking work home), learn to sleep in a few extra minutes and leave by 5pm.
News Flash: teachers get fat because they are so emotionally exhausted by the end of the day that they just blow off the gym. You don't want to blow up like a balloon your first year. That will just make everything even more depressing and difficult to handle.
That said: don't forget to take care of your health. Even though money is tight, invest in a trainer (one that you like and can vent to) or a gym that you will actually enjoy going to. This time at the gym will allow you to blow off all that steam that you're not allowed to blow off at school. It will give you the space to take out your frustration because that intentional non-learner decided to yell, "Fuck you and fuck your fucking thinksheet!" and walked out of class (while dropping his pants, I might add).
Along with being able to take out your frustration, the gym is a great place to meet people outside your teaching pool. If you are anything like me, you probably don't have any family or anyone familiar close by. If you are anything like me, you just moved across the country to a brand new state where you don't know a single person.
There are tons of expectations for your first year of teaching. If you went through a good teaching program, you'll know that your first year will be the most difficult year of your life. You know that you'll go home crying because you are overwhelmed. You know that you will make every mistake in the book. And you'll blow that mistake up to the point where you'll think it's the biggest mistake anyone has ever made. You'll have issues forgiving yourself for those mistakes. For swearing in class. For telling a student to shut up. All those mistakes are normal. I know it won't seem like it when you make them, but they are normal.
The key to getting through that first year of teaching is to teach yourself to go home. You will never EVER get everything done. You will always be behind. So, after showing up at 6am and staying until 8pm every single night for months on end (and then still taking work home), learn to sleep in a few extra minutes and leave by 5pm.
News Flash: teachers get fat because they are so emotionally exhausted by the end of the day that they just blow off the gym. You don't want to blow up like a balloon your first year. That will just make everything even more depressing and difficult to handle.
That said: don't forget to take care of your health. Even though money is tight, invest in a trainer (one that you like and can vent to) or a gym that you will actually enjoy going to. This time at the gym will allow you to blow off all that steam that you're not allowed to blow off at school. It will give you the space to take out your frustration because that intentional non-learner decided to yell, "Fuck you and fuck your fucking thinksheet!" and walked out of class (while dropping his pants, I might add).
Along with being able to take out your frustration, the gym is a great place to meet people outside your teaching pool. If you are anything like me, you probably don't have any family or anyone familiar close by. If you are anything like me, you just moved across the country to a brand new state where you don't know a single person.
