Establishing respect for teaching strategies for first year teacher

[Young Teacher]

I will start my first year of teaching next fall and will be fresh out of college at only 22 years old. I am concerned that being so young I may have more difficulty establishing my authority in the classroom with students, parents, and staff. I do not plan to take an authoritarian approach to classroom management, but I will need to gain respect from all involved to foster a productive learning environment with as minimal behavior problems as possible. Will children in the early elementary grades even notice how young I am? How do I get parents on board to my classroom ideas and decision-making when they know I have no previous experience (besides student teaching)?

[Aziz]

I'd say the fact that your students are younger is to your advantage. People seem older when you yourself are younger.

I think as long as you dress professionally and "act" older than them, then you should have no issues establishing respect in your classroom. As long as you keep all the usual teacher-student boundaries (not giving out your facebook/MySpace or cell phone number, etc.) then you should be all right.

I started out at age 20 and on top I look five years younger. I had no issues even with high school students. My students understand that even though I am on the young side I still have the power to pass or fail them at the end of the semester. Sure we can laugh and have a good time but I'm still their teacher!

To get parents on your side, I would be quiet about any progressive ideas until your colleagues and parents start to trust and support you. Sometimes ideas that are seen as too progressive by colleagues and parents are labeled as pure naiveté because of your young age and less experience, even if the ideas just different approaches.

Good luck!

-Aziz

[Yakutatteacher2008]

I am 27 and just turned 28. I grew up in this town of Yakutat, Alaska and was hired as the 6th rgade teacher just a few weeks ago. I have taught one full quarter and things are running smoothly. I know what you are thinking and I can give you some tips for this to not be a factor. Everyone here knows me, I was a student and now I teach with teacher who taught me, crazy aye? Well the students know that too, I am still trying to train some HS students to call me by Mr. and not the first name due to RESPECT. It is a struggle, but I carry myself a different way then college (which is what you are used to right). I watch my language and how I say things, so do not use slang, be professional because that is what they see first. Second is to dress professionally; if you dress American eagle and ripped pants because they are expensive and look good, you are going the wrong we. If kids perceive you as them, they will treat you as a peer and not a teacher even if you do have the power to pass or fail. more later gotta go

[Brit]

No matter how hairy things feel, try to keep a positive, calm front up for parents. if you project "in control", then most parents will buy into that from the start.

Communicate clearly and often. I'm still working on this one, but I find that you can head off a lot of questions if you send home a note saying "this is what we're learning, this is how it's assessed, and this is what you can do at home to help your child." I send mine in the middle of a unit -- I send an outline of what we're doing when we start new units, but leave the details until we're into it and the kids have the "lingo".

If you have a professional line of communication open with parents, and they can see what you're doing and how it helps thier child meet state expectations, they'll likely see you as professional and trust you, regardless of age.

I started last year with a class for the first time, and though I was 28, I knew my parents all knew it was my first class. I was worried that they would be nosy or judge me based on my lack of experience, but they were WONDERFUL, and really treated me with respect.

Remember, too, with parents, that they talk to each other. All the time. About everything. So consistency and organization is KEY. Parents want their kid to get AT LEAST what every other kid is getting -- if not more.

[teacher5]

Brit I never realized yu are only 28 years old. You are wiser than your years, but every year we come across a few new encounters that we must step back, reflect, assess, and then act politically correct and consistent.
To Young Teacher - Being at the elementary level is as advantage. You must come across confident and in control. Establish a behavioral management plan that you can live with and the kids will buy into. Whether it is sticker, tickets, or whatever item; the accumulation of these things for rewards, or the loss of these things for consequences works real well. But you must be fair and consistent. No matter what age the kids can see right through you when you are not, and then the negative consequences of this land in your lap. If a parent asks a question and you are unsure of the answer, don't presume anything. Tell them you will get back to them and find out the answer or redirect them to the right source. Also, try to start out with activities where every kid is successful. Build up the challenges slowly. Model all activities and strategies carefully, so when you say the to the kids, now you try it or go ahead and do this, you don't hear "Show me how to do this!" "I don't know how to do this!" "What do you mean?" Finally remember to KISS: Keep it simple, or you look stupid!

[seastarmath]

I agree with Brit: It is the attitude you convey that will win the parents over. To early elementary kids, you will be "old." Always exhibit confidence, even if you don't really feel it.

I'm an "oldie" and I have the other end of the stick: people who think I am too OLD to be teaching. (No, I am not 60 yet. But that looks really old to young parents.)

My sons often had first year teachers. I just loved their enthusiasm and energy and creative ideas. I think most parents will think that about you. You are spring! Remember that!

[Young Teacher]

I plan on keeping an ongoing open line of communication with all parents, as well as keeping the children informed of what we discuss so that they are part of the family-school partnership as well, considering that the child is one of the main benefactors of the relationship. Are weekly newsletters manageable for my first year? I believe that they could be one of many positive methods for expressing my expectations for the students in and out of the classroom and to keep parents informed of the curriculum, activities, important dates, etc.

Also, I was born and raised in Texas and naturally use "ya'll" in my everyday interactions. I will be teaching in Texas as well. Should I make a concerted effort to eliminate "ya'll" with both the students and their parents because it seems more casual than professional? Or because it's a commonly accepted colloquialism for the region, should I even be concerned about the messages it may or may not implicitly send?

[Aziz]

Young Teacher,

It seems to me if everyone else uses "y'all," even in somewhat professional interactions, then you should be fine with using "y'all" too. Remember language is also a spectrum, so you can use the slightly more casual term "y'all" but mix it with more formal expressions.

Sometimes coming across as a little less formal with students can really loosen up the classroom atmosphere as long as you don't overdo it. I had a teacher who had no issues with using profanity and that even surprised us students at the time. If you use "y'all" in Texas, where it's not marked, then I think you should be fine. If you used it where it is marked, then people would notice and would probably call you on it.

It's also useful to feel out the school climate and then decide based on that. Do other teachers use "y'all"? Do they use it when they're joking but revert to "you all" when they're telling students to be quiet? Etc.

-Aziz

[Brit]

I think "standardized" slang is okay -- especially if it makes you more approachable and understandable to your community at school.

no, I wouldn't recommend weekly newsletters -- it's just one more thing to do. If you want to do it, find a standard form where you change just a few things each week. It's also a lot of paper and it's one more thing to remember to hand out.

[merrynl]

"Don't smile until Christmas." That was the advice given to me, but it doesn't fit my style. If it doesn't fit yours, don't worry! The best thing I did my first year was to be as consistent as possible. If you're not, the kids will likely call you on it. If you make a big deal about being a young teacher, the kids will too. Don't worry about it. Just do your job and you'll be fine. :)

Would a weekly email newsletter be feasible in your school? That would eliminate the paper wasting of a paper newsletter, and also make it easier to be less formally formatted if that works for you.

[Young Teacher]

I've heard of that strategy to behavior management ("Don't smile until Christmas"), but I'm surprised you were actually given that advice, rather than it remain more of an old wives tale. I cannot see that as a means to building a close and trusting relationship between the teacher and students. Quite on the other end of the spectrum, my approach to classroom management will be most like the Responsive Classroom, whether I end up teaching Pre-K or Third Grade. Does anyone else align with this approach? How have administrators and parents responded to you placing equally great emphasis on social development as academic learning, considering the pressures of state achievement tests?

[Brit]

every administrator is different. I've had some that are in agreement with the "whole child" approach, while others have said that we are to teach them to read and write, and that moral development is the role of the parent -- we can't do it all.

parents, surprisingly, have also been divided. I've gotten some nasty responses from parents when I inquire as to basic needs -- appropriate food for lunches, appropriate clothes (i.e., shirts that don't have curse words on them). Many are very concerned about social development and will be happy that you are too, but some don't want you to be involved in that area of their kids' lives. I personally feel that it's because they think they're doing a crap job of moral and social teaching for their kid and they are embarassed. OR they're stuck in the mindset of "damn the man". in my limited experience, the parents who are doing a good job really want your help with developing their child's social and emotional IQ along with their academic IQ.

I personally teach "old fashioned" manners to my grade 1s and 2s. It helps with social interactions, and everyone always says that my class is "so polite!!!" well, they are! Because I expect "excuse me"s and "please"s and "thank you"s and for kids to wait their turn, offer to share, and to encourage others. I'm not sure if that's what's you mean by social development, but that's my take on it.