Well, I don't really feel like a "veteran" teacher yet to give advice, but I guess I kind of am in my school because we have so many brand new teachers this year. I am even a mentor this year to my partner who is in her first year of teaching too. So, I will give a few tips that really help me. :)
1. Keep yourself organized. You can't get to everything at once, so have a system that will help you remember what you still have to do and where you can find the things you have already done. There are some awesome teachers with great organizational plans out there...so blog stalk if you need ideas!
2. Don't be afraid to ask for help. If you don't know how to handle something or you need advice or ideas don't feel like a failure for asking someone to help you out. Just remember they have probably been there a few times and have figured out what works and what doesn't work.
3. Figure out what procedures you want to have in your room and hit them hard from day one until you feel like your kids have them down the way you want them. It may even take some reminder courses after long breaks, but that's okay! If your kids know what you expect of them and they learn the procedures thoroughly, it justs makes your year run that much smoother.
4. Have a good management plan and be consistent, but don't be afraid to try something else if it isn't working. One year I had a rough bunch of 4th graders and it took 2 or 3 different programs to figure out what would work for them. No 2 classes are the same and so they may need something a little different. But, what ever you choose be consistent with it. :)
Well, those I think are the most important things for me...so I hope they help someone out!
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