Anyone who has taught for awhile has developed some strategies that work for them in the classroom. The first year of teaching is probably the toughest because although teachers have gone through student teaching, there is nothing like having your own classroom and your own students. That first year is unbelievable because you have no real experience and your training is mostly from the college classroom which is far removed from what's happening in front of you every day. I still can remember how difficult my first year was. I was lucky enough to take over the schedule of someone who had a little more seniority so I didn't get the schedule that newbies often get - the toughest classes. I survived that first year...but barely. I wished colleges had given me some practical advice in handling teens, not just the academic theories.
As we spend more and more time in the classroom, we find techniques that work for us. What we don't often have though is contact with other teachers so we can learn from them and share what we've learned. There are teachers in my school I never had a conversation with although I worked with them for years. What amazing changes we could make if we had the wise advice of fellow professionals! Instead we each reinvent the wheel in our classrooms year after year.
The web and especially blogging now offers a chance to discover and share teaching advice. My hope is that teachers will send me their favorite classroom tip (or several) and that we can learn from each other to make our teaching lives easier, more productive and better for our students.
I'm teaching myself this blog technology so that I can find a way to share what's on here with as many teachers as I can. Tomorrow I'll share one of my secrets in the classroom.
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