As a new
teacher portraying confidence in the classroom is essential to having a successful class. Fresh out of college, new
teachers are eager to get into the classroom. They have their lessons planned out, all the materials together, and a professional outfit. Then the time comes, the students start piling in one by one. They sit at their desks, waiting for the class to start. All eyes are on the
teacher. The introductions begin, things are going great, and then a student asks a question that the
teacher was not prepared for or the students will not participate in the lesson. This small break in the plan throws everything awry. All of the confidence that the
teacher came to the class with is now gone. This can be hard to recover from and can affect the rest of the class and the rest of the semester. New
teachers must give themselves time to gather their footing in the teaching world. There are many ways to help a
teacher bring and keep that confidence all semester long.
A
teacher who is in control of her class depicts the most confidence. It is very important to establish classroom rules and expectations during the very first class. These rules and expectations should be clearly written and posted in the classroom. Each student should be given a copy so that there are no
questions about what is expected of them during the class. The
teacher should stick to these rules and expectations throughout the semester. This is essential for classroom management. If the students believe that the
teacher will waver on any of the rules or expectations the entire classroom dynamic could change, leaving the
teacher to question his or her ability to manage the class.
A new
teacher should also have a support team in place to help get through the tough first years of teaching. This support team can consist of family, friends or colleagues. It is recommended that new
teachers seek out an experienced
teacher to serve a mentor. These mentors are usually eager to share ideas and expertise with new
teachers. This can help build the confidence of the new
teacher because he or she can incorporate their ideas with their mentors to build solid lessons that are engaging for the students. Having a mentor can make the difference between a new
teacher and an experienced professional.
Another important step in building a new
teacher's confidence is by having concrete lessons prepared for class. By planning the lesson early, the
teacher will have time to review the lesson with someone from their support team. This will help identify any potential problems that may arise. This will also allow the
teacher to the estimate the amount of time each component of the lesson will take allowing the
teacher to know if the task can be accomplished during the class period. It is a good idea to over plan each lesson. These ensure that if the students are not prepared or complete the assignment earlier than expected; the
teacher has something to fall back on.
If a new
teacher maintains control in the classroom, develops a strong support group and focuses on the lessons and what the students need to know to succeed, the confidence will follow. Teaching is a very stressful and time consuming job. However, it can be a very rewarding job. I know that a lot of things can go wrong during the first few years of teaching, but by sticking with it, the rewards will come.
Works Cited
Sasson, Dorit. "Confidence Building Tips 101 - For New
teachers - What Works and What Doesn't." Web. 25 Apr. 2012. .
Teaching Effectiveness Program. Web. 09 May 2012. .