School Year in Review: My first year of teaching

All of the college courses in the world cannot prepare you for your first year of teaching.  Especially in the inner-city.  This year has been a roller coaster, but I am a stronger person for it. At the beginning of the school year, I was a hopeful substitute in schools where I was comfortable.  I knew other teachers, I fit in.  In November, I picked up that comfortable life and moved to Memphis.  Not only has it been a culture shock, but its been the biggest learning experience of my entire life.  I figured I would share some of the biggest things that I have learned, and things I wish I had known before I got here.

Patience. 
We all know that teachers need patience, but this cannot be said enough.  In my first year of teaching, students cussed me out, told me every insult in the books, refused to follow instruction and any other nightmarish thing you can imagine.  Students have knocked each other out, stolen my cell phone, hidden things around the room, written graffiti on my walls, anything you can imagine.  As a first year teacher, life is hell.  I had no curriculum, my classes were scheduled incorrectly, my room was raided and I found out on my first day I would actually be at 2 schools.  No one taught me how to enter grades, write students up or anything.  Patience.  It takes mountains of patience to make it through your first year.  Nothing goes as you plan, and it takes Patience.

Flexibility.
As I said previously, when I walked in to my first day of school, after being heckled by all the students ("I know this white girl ain't a new student up in here!"), I was told I was in the wrong place.  "But my contract says to be here?"  Oh, they don't know we're splitting you with the middle school.  It was just the first day and I was already upside down.  Class rosters?  Nope.  Course descriptions? Nope.  Students for the first few days? Nope.  Flexibility.  The week before a presentation and someone steals the sound equipment.  Flexibility.  No one told you that you are chaperoning prom?  Flexibility.

Strength.
In all of your college courses they tell you not to get angry, just love the students, get to know them and teach to the standards.  So not true in real life.  Sometimes you've got to yell.  Sometimes you've got to "show out" to show them you can deal with them.  And standards?  In your first year, standards are the last thing you should be worried about.  Be strong.  Have strength and you will power through. Strength.


Now here are some things I wish they had told me before my interview.  You've got to know what questions to ask.  Don't get so desperate for a job that you just take the first one you're offered because you could end up like I did, at a school where you don't fit in.  Make sure you know what the atmosphere of the school is, and not just between the students but between administrators and faculty.  Ask about administrative changes that may have happened recently or are about to happen.  I came in to a school that was in a bad administrative change and merging with another school district.  Not an ideal situation.  Ask about community support.  Ask about extracurriculars. Ask to see curriculum maps for the courses you are expected to teach.  Ask about unions.  Ask about benefits.  Ask about orientations.  Ask if you are replacing a teacher, and how long ago that teacher left and why they left.  Ask if you are going to have a mentor teacher.  As if there are resources available if you need extra help.  I didn't, and I got shafted.


How I managed to get through an 850 mile move all alone, a terrible year of teaching in the inner-city is beyond me.  The biggest lesson I learned is to know when to get help.  After spending weeks severely depressed, I sought help and it changed my whole experience.  Then I got back into exercise and healthy eating and my life is completely changed.  Teaching is still hard, but life is good.