First Days...

The Final Countdown: 

The Final Countdown

And you thought you were busy during summer school…: 

And you thought you were busy during summer school… Say goodbye to your life. If there’s anything you need to do, do it now. Set up a bank account Set up all utilities Buy your teacher clothes (go for comfort and easy care, not style) Sleep

Make new friends.: 

Make new friends. Get to know your neighbors. Have emergency contacts. Make friends with your landlord. Introduce yourself to your local friendly law enforcement. Shake hands with your Superintendent, Principal, and Department Head. Know your way around town. Consider joining a church.

Getting to know your school…: 

Getting to know your school… Show up early and nose around. Introduce yourself to any veteran teachers you see (they’ll probably be setting up their rooms). Know your way around. Find the important rooms: copy room, cafeteria, library, nurse’s station, principal’s office, computer labs, conference rooms, teacher restroom/lounge, and your mailbox. Make friends with janitors and secretaries. Try to get into your room as soon as possible.

What to bring… : 

What to bring… Cleaning supplies, and lots of them Antibacterial hand lotion Kleenex and Copy paper Empty Binders Starter set of transparencies, Sharpies, Expos, red pens and Vis-à-vis Duct tape, masking tape, scotch tape

What to look for (before buying)…: 

What to look for (before buying)… 3-hole punch Stapler and staples Pencil sharpener Manilla folders White out Scissors Post-its Butcher paper and posterboard Colored Markers Posters

Find your resources…: 

Find your resources… Search for class sets in the book room Make sure that there will be enough text books for your class. If your librarian is there early, get dibs on projectors, LCDs, screens, TV/VCR/DVD, and research time in the library. Look for teacher’s editions, workbooks, practice tests, old exams, worksheets, rainy-day activity books, and calculators. Remember, resources run out!

How to use your wall space...: 

How to use your wall space... Posters: Rules Consequences Rewards Procedures Answers to FAQ Bell Schedule Grading system Subject area posters School and assignment calendar Mottoes or maxims Your name and subject (outside your door)

Exploring your filing cabinet…: 

Exploring your filing cabinet… Locate and unlock your filing cabinet. It will be full. Pull up a chair and go through each and every file. You will find useful files. Throw out anything you don’t need. You may want to re-use folders. Anything you save needs to be incorporated into your new, organized filing system.

Using your filing cabinet…: 

Using your filing cabinet… Worksheets and tests (anything you copy) should occupy a single drawer. Keep a master copy in your binder, but this is where your extras go. Organize these by prep and date. More recent should be closest to the front. Another drawer: Student files. Keep one file on each student. Files should contain: student info sheets, documentation of parent contact, copies of referrals, student work (especially copies of plagarism or cheating), copies of progress reports, and any information that might protect you against an angry parent or administrator.

Keeping up with student work…: 

Keeping up with student work… Develop a procedure for collecting, keeping track of, grading, recording, and passing back work. This is very easily the most overwhelming aspect of the profession. Develop a procedure for absences (long and short term) and late work.

Figuring out what’s expected of you...: 

Figuring out what’s expected of you... Often, new teachers will be chastised for not knowing what they’ve never been told. Get ahead of your game. Memorize your handbook. Know what time to arrive and when you can clock out. Do you have to sign in? Where? Can you leave campus during your planning period? Is there open or closed lunch? Do you have to line up/escort/police your students? How do you call in sick? Who do you call, and by what time must you call them? Get the number in your phone. How do you arrange for a personal day? How do you request materials? What additional duties are expected of you? (Working games, prom, etc.)

Know your discipline system…: 

Know your discipline system… What’s in the handbook? What actually happens in the school? If you send students out, where do they go? What happens to them? What happens to the referral? (Bring your printer/copier to school!!!) How do you follow up on actions taken? Will your school contact the parents, or is that your responsibility? Is there detention or ISS, or is there simply paddling? How frequently can you send out students?

State tests and frameworks…: 

State tests and frameworks… Take state tests for your subject area off of the MDE website, so you’re familiar with the level of difficulty and types of questions. If you teach a higher level course, do the same for the ACT. Determine how specific test questions match the state framework objectives. Decide if your textbook covers these objectives. Find free worksheets and project ideas covering these objectives. Find or create your pacing guide.

DO NOW:: 

DO NOW: Work on creating the following three items: Syllabus Parent letter Student Info Sheet You can work together. Open google docs for examples. Steal as much as you’d like. Do this now, and it’s one less thing to worry about later.