Where do I begin?

The first step is making sure to breathe.

The contents of this blog post are designed to be used as a guide in conjunction with conversations alongside mentor teachers and other staff at a Primary school. I have tried to create a quick read guide which might support teaching your very own class for the first time.

When I first began teaching, I felt severely underprepared from my university teaching course. I was stressed to the max and was petrified of failing. I would quite easily say that the first term of teaching my own class was one of the hardest processes I had ever done. I was fortunate to have the most amazing mentor teacher who supported me through it all! The knowledge that I will share in this text is primarily knowledge gained from my mentor. At university, we would have placements, but the placements always seemed to be mid-term where our associate teacher would have already set up the systems and routines needed in the classroom. So, when it came to observing and practicing how to set up a classroom right from zero, this was a skill I felt I was missing.

Here are some notes I have taken on reflection that I wish I had known at the time:

• Not everything needs to be set up in the blink of an eye.

It is OK for the systems and routines of my class to take their time in getting set up and running. I felt like such a horrible teacher for not knowing how to set up the things we needed in our class. It took me what felt like the longest time ever to properly set up and have my reading groups running and that was ok because the students were still learning from me and from each other. Good things take time.

• It’s ok to feel overwhelmed.

In my first teaching role, I was so overwhelmed by confusion that I needed to remind myself that there are so many beginning teachers out there that will be feeling the same and that it is normal. Patience is key. I wish I had been more patient in myself and taken more time to disconnect and rewind at the end of the day. Having a more balanced work-life situation would’ve made my learning process easier and more enjoyable.

• Take things slowly

Take your time in setting up the classroom. Focus on one thing at a time and make sure you breathe. It's not a race it's about quality. Try and enjoy the process.



How I would set up my next classroom based on the knowledge I’ve gained;

I would brainstorm different systems that I have seen and heard about that work within a classroom (See photo below).
I found that a lot of these system setups I wanted to do with the students as this is just as much their class and my own. What are my students interested in? How can we work together to build our classroom?
When I was writing out ideas for reward systems, I had to stop and think about what my students are interested in and then I realised that I haven't gotten to know my students yet so within the first week, we can set these types of things up together!
I found that all I was able to do was prepare myself with suggestions that I could give to my students on these systems we would need to implement.
I could, however, set up the tables, whiteboard, tv, plants and furniture of the room. I wanted to find a place for all our glue sticks and resources to live once the students brought them in so that they could be kept in a safe place as soon as they got to school.

One thing I haven’t written in my brainstorm, which I think is really important, is to create a class treaty or agreement. This should outline agreed upon class rules and ways of behaving.

I worked closely with my mentor teacher and a lot of the systems and things I set up, I ended up changing because I got to know my students and realized the things that would actually work for them.

Once I got to know my students, I was able to find out their academic abilities and put them into groups for reading, math, and writing. I set up a visual rotation so that students knew where they needed to be and what they needed to be doing while I was working with a smaller group.

It took a few months, but finally all the essential systems were set up and we were beginning to make adaptations and figure out what works well for each child and for our class as a whole.

I would also suggest google searching the article 'Find Your Marigold: The One Essential Rule for New Teachers'. A brilliant read that teaches you to surround yourself with people that will empower and support you. 

I hope this has helped answer some questions or give ideas on where to begin!
Sincerely,