So many issues....so little time
by Jenny Combs on Thu, 01/28/2010 - 1:58pm
You visit your beginning teacher and he/she just unloads, "Everything is a mess!"
There are so many issues that a beginning teacher wants to address, and you struggle with prioritization.
What issues do you consider receive top priority when supporting beginning teachers?
How do you get your beginning teacher to decide which issues to tackle first?
Comments
2 comments posted"Everything is a mess". In my opinion, this is how teaching feels to even the experienced teacher. When I was a new teacher, a mentor explained to me that I should focus on curriculum and teaching the curriculum. He said the fun part to teaching comes when you know the curriculum and you can focus on the curriculum. I felt that this was a great recommendation but it is difficult becasue parents and adminstrators expect you to focus on each child.
When I work with new teachers, I try to help them with the curriculum and planning as much as possible. They seem to appreciate this because when they are in "survival mode" this helps to relieve pressure.
In prioritizing I would definitely look at classroom management issues first and identify what is the greatest concern. In addressing specific problems, together we would identify needs and perhaps enlist administrator's/colleague's/parent's support. Some of the possible solutions would include helping my beginning teacher find some creative resources, help develop some lesson plans, and incorporate visual or technology methods to enable the teacher to engage students more successfully.
A night out with my beginning teacher and other colleagues would also ease the tension a new teacher is experiencing.