My advice for first-year teachers is to ENJOY IT! You have been waiting years for this moment, and it is here.

Besides enjoying your first year, I do have some tips for you…

✨TIP #1: ASK ALL THE QUESTIONS!

Reach out to your admin or mentor teacher and don’t be scared to ask alllll of the small and big questions!  When will you have access to your room? Will you have a budget to purchase things for your class? Are there things that are prohibited in my classroom? What is required to be displayed? Can I decorate my door? What will be required of me after school? What time do I need to be there in the morning and what time am I released? Etc.

✨TIP #2: GET IN TOUCH WITH EVERYONE!

As soon as you get hired, get in touch with your team or mentor teacher. Your admin should be able to get you their emails or phone numbers so that you can be in contact with them over the summer as they plan or share ideas! Reach out to them and don’t be afraid to ask for advice! Find out what you can start doing to be the most prepared and take advantage of whatever time you have to start getting to know your team. Make sure to ask them how you can help and let them know you want to be a teamplayer!

✨TIP #3: MAKE YOUR CLASSROOM A WELCOMING SPACE!

It does not have to be picture perfect. So don’t break the bank! The classrooms you see on Instagram have taken years to get to that point. Just make sure you create a warm and inviting space for your students! How do you do that? Make space on the wall for their work, have their names and birthdays displayed, create cozy reading spaces, etc. Another way to make your classroom welcome is to bring plants and lamps to warm up the space. Make sure to ask your admin or team if there are things that are off limits!

✨TIP #4: PLAN YOUR FIRST COUPLE OF WEEKS!

I know this sounds crazy but you will be so happy you did it. How can you do this? Use your mentor and/or team to help you find the resources and curriculum materials you need. Also, remember that the first couple weeks should be used to get to know your students and to encourage your students to get to know each other. It’s also incredibly important to take this time to  allow your students to get to know their new classroom and quite possibly their new school. The first two weeks are so important for building relationships, mutual respect, and familiarizing your kiddos with your expectations. Build a classroom contract, set expectations, establish routines, and practice and PRAISE the behaviors you want to encourage from your class. Unless required, don’t worry so much about the academics!!

✨TIP #5: GET TO KNOW YOUR STUDENTS’ ABILITIES!

The first couple of weeks is also a great time to get to know your students abilities. Talk with your team about how they determine where their students are as far as learning goes. Knowing where your students are helps you develop a game plan for your instruction going forward. This can help you plan your small groups, intervention, enrichment, etc. Try to make these as fun and non-anxiety inducing as possible. Your students may already be a little anxious with the start of a new school year and giving them a big, boring, test can cause them stress and possibly make negative behaviors emerge. Try to be creative and caring about whatever assessments you need to complete those first couple of weeks.

✨TIP #6: SET AN ALARM!

Set an alarm for when you need to shut the computer, turn off the classroom light, and head to your car. Being a new teacher can be overwhelming and you may feel like you need to get everything done right now. But some things can wait and you need to prioritize you! Give yourself some grace especially the first couple of weeks and don’t LIVE at school.

I HOPE YOU HAVE A FABULOUS YEAR AND I’M HERE IF YOU EVER NEED ANYTHING!!

Every year, people ask me tons of questions to get insight into what it is like to be a teacher. For instance, this includes, “How has classroom management changed over time?” Likewise, I am often asked, “How hard is it to teach students at so many different learning levels?” However, the top question is, “Why do I spend so much time and money on school and my classroom?” 

I honestly cannot tell you how many times I have answered this question. It is A LOT! Some people just want to know. Others do not understand why I spend so much time and money when teachers often make so little. So, here is exactly why I do not hesitate to make a needed purchase or put in extra hours each week. 

#1: Extra Income Source 

Part of the reason I continue to run my Engaging Early Learners TPT store is so that I have the extra income. This side hustle allows me to compensate for what I spend on my classroom. Honestly, this is a huge reason why I can spend extra money and time. 

#2: Home Away from Home 

My classroom is my home away from home. My students and I spend most of our day there. I want it to be my happy place. Likewise, I want students to be excited to come back each day. 

#3: Quality Products 

Yes, I can make my classroom look nice with much less STUFF! However, I like to have nicer, cuter things that will last long. I want the best materials and systems to help everything stay organized and make my job just a little easier. So, instead of constantly having to replace what I use, I prefer just to buy high-quality items. 

#4: It Makes Me Happy! 

In a world filled with stress, it is important to do what makes you happy. While making my space beautiful and comfortable is mostly about my students, it is also FOR ME! Since I like to feel good and at peace in my classroom, I like the space to look just right. I give so much of myself to my little ones and my school every day, so the room should also give back to me. 

#5: Endless Joy 

When I walk into my classroom, I feel joy. Every. Single. Day! Isn’t that how teaching should be? This feeling makes every dollar and minute worth it.

#6: Teaching is my Passion 

As far as spending money on materials for my students…I love to do it! Why? Because it helps them thrive and enjoy learning. When they thrive and enjoy learning, I thrive! Since teaching is my passion, I’ll do anything I can to help students. 

#7: Living in the Moment 

Realistically, I will not be able to spend money on my classroom like this forever. Eventually, I will have a family and other obligations, but right now I don’t. My students are like my family, so why not spoil them!?

#8: Extra Time Works for Me 

People often do not understand why I go in early or stay late. However, I don’t have a family to rush home to yet. So, why not take that extra time so that I am not thinking about what I have to do once I leave? While I will not always have this spare time, I do now. I want to take advantage of it while I have it. 

 

The short of the long is that doing all these things helps me be the best teacher and helps me ENJOY MY JOB. So many teachers are feeling burnt out and leaving the profession because the joy is no longer there. Since I love what I do, I’d say I will keep doing what I am doing for now… 

P.S. None of the cute and fun things are NECESSARY. So if you are a 1st-year teacher, don’t stress. This is 6 years worth of stuff. 😉

Being a teacher is hard! There are so many demands to handle daily. This includes tons of paperwork, data collection, and planning amazing lessons. These aspects are behind the scenes to the most important part of school: the students! Honestly, they make all the stress disappear as their smiling faces enter the classroom. In addition to outstanding students, I am so lucky to teach with a fantastic co-teacher. This means all of our students have 2 students with them! Honestly, there are so many benefits of co-teaching! 

What is a Co-Teaching Classroom?

My district has co-teaching classrooms for Special Education and English as Second Language. This means that there are 2 teachers in the room all day, every day. There is no pushing in or pulling out. Instead, all students remain under the support of both teachers at all times. 

The Decision Behind this Change 

Teachers completely understand the frustration of changing policies. This seems to happen each year. However, the benefits of co-teaching will make this change well worth the time and adjustment! 

Our district decided to do this because it allows the special education students to be with general education peer models. Inclusion is essential! Students learn to collaborate, communicate, and compromise with the help of both teachers. 

Parent Adjustment 

Teachers will see there are so many benefits of co-teaching. However, parents and community members might take some time to adjust. My district made this change when I was in elementary school. My mom recently told me that when this change happened, many parents were unhappy. Honestly, I’m sure they were scared their child was not going to receive enough help or services. Adjustment takes time. Thankfully, parents are now loving that their child gets 2 teachers. Likewise, they love how their child is part of a supportive environment with all students. 

Needs-Based 

Co-teaching is based on needs. If there is a grade level at a school without students receiving special education services, there won’t be co-teaching. At my school, there seem always to be special education students in each grade. Therefore, we always have at least 1 special education co-teaching class per grade level. It will be necessary for teachers to be flexible as there may be on and off years with co-teaching. 

What Does Co-Teaching Look Like?

Co-teaching is similar to many aspects of education. There is no one right way for it to be done. Ultimately, it will depend on the 2 teachers and their collaboration. However, the general education teacher and the  special education teacher are in the classroom all day. They are both fully the teachers. Notably, one is NOT the assistant. Honestly, this can be hard with certain people and depending on the situation. In our district, the co-teachers are both viewed as the lead teachers. We also discussed this at the beginning of the year. Communication is key!!

It is essential to let parents understand the benefits of co-teaching as well. We stress that parents view both as the lead teacher because we set that standard from the beginning. All communication comes from both of us. We encourage parents to email us both all the time.  

Dual Support 

Co-teachers both teach and are responsible for ALL of the kids. Now, the special education teacher is responsible for the special education student’s IEPs and data. They are specially trained to do this. However, both teachers support every student in the classroom. Additionally, the general education teacher also attends every IEP meeting. 

Class Size 

It is so important to be mindful of class size. The teachers must be able to meet the needs of every student. Thus, we have up to 8 students with IEPs in the classroom of about 20 students. If we get more, we need an assistant in the room.

For the most part, the classroom functions like any other class. However, there are a few exceptions. This includes there being more small group opportunities since there are 2 teachers. Additionally, we have data collection that is separate from testing data. Then, the special education teacher take the data for the student’s IEP goals. 

Supportive Classmates 

When making class lists for the next year, teachers strategically place role models in the in-class resource classes. Honestly, this is so helpful for students on IEPs to see students working so hard. Additionally, they see students who are not making excuses but figuring out ways to complete all assignments. Best of all, the role model students love to help students on an IEP. This creates excellent collaboration and partnerships. 

Resource Room 

It is important to note that we do have resource room teachers and classes at our school. Students who need more support than what we can provide for them in the inclusion classroom get pulled out to the resource room. This is for whatever subject they need that extra support. The special education teacher co-teacher and the resource room teacher work very closely. The hope is that the students in the resource room receive services that help them get back to the general education classroom. 

Co-Teaching Tips 

There are so many benefits of co-teaching. However, both teachers need to keep a few things in mind for it to be successful. 

1. First, both must understand each other’s backgrounds. For instance, my co-teacher has taught general educational 2nd and 3rd grade for over 20 years. I’ve been teaching Pre-K special education for 3 years. We have very different backgrounds and years of experience. Thus, understanding how different those two things are and being ready to mix the experiences makes co-teaching special. 
2. Second, communication is critical. You are essentially getting married, moving in together, and you have 20+ kids. On top of this, every decision you make affects the other person and all of your kids. So, you have to be honest with each other. Don’t hesitate to bring things up to the other person. An open, honest dialogue is essential to successful co-teaching. 
3. Third, set aside one day a week to sit down and talk. This is a time to plan and create lessons together. It is also a time to problem solve what is not working. Or, plan extra assistance for students who are struggling. Lastly, this is a time to be honest if anything is bothering you. 
4. Fourth, don’t be scared to switch up the routine. This may be reading rotations, math centers, and flexible grouping. Ultimately, the decisions have to reflect the best fit for your class and the needs of students. 
5. Fifth, play on each other’s strengths. No one is perfect! For instance, there may be one person who likes teaching math and one who prefers reading. Divide and conquer! For example, I taught math and sci/ss for one year, and my co-teacher taught the 3 ELA blocks. She loves ELA, and I was new to 2nd grade, so this worked! This was also during distance/hybrid, so everything was a whole group. Now, since we use so many small groups, we both kind of teach everything. At one point we even made a chart of each of our responsibilities during each time of the day. This helped keep us both accountable AND we knew that the other person knew what they had to do because we discussed it!!

Thoughts on Co-Teaching from Gen Ed Standpoint

It is helpful to look at prior feedback when making a change in education. Here is actual feedback from my 1st grade co-teaching friend. 

1. “Co-teaching is exciting!” Students open up so well when they receive support. They have the funniest stories to share and are so fun to be around. 
2. This teacher talked about so many benefits of co-teaching. This includes giving kids more attention and sharing ideas with the other teacher. Most importantly, it provides two people who love kids just as much as you do! 
3. Understandably, it is essential to be flexible. Plan to learn from the other teacher. Honestly, both adults bring so much to the table and co-teach for a reason. 
4. There will be several IEP meetings throughout the year. Special education teachers need to keep general education teachers informed. This will help everyone be ready for meetings when it is time. 
5. “Communication is key!” It needs to be open. Do not tip toe around! This will not create a solid partnership to provide the best education for students. Begin by starting off the school year with expectations. 

BONUS!!! My friend and fellow co-teacher, Rachel, gave me this survey to share with all of you. She gives it to her co-teacher before starting the year so that she can get to know them. She has had many co-teachers over the past 4 years and has said it is a HUGE help!! Try it out! HERE IS THE SURVEY!

There are so many benefits of co-teaching! Students will love having 2 teachers at all times. Best of all, ALL students are part of the classroom and included in all activities. Yes, the content may be slightly different within centers, but 20+ students support each other. While co-teaching takes work and compromise from the teachers, it will be one of the most rewarding experiences for all involved. 

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WOOHOO! You made it to the end of the school year. Now, you have to wrap up and pack up all of our hard work… UGH.

I know every school has a different process for packing up at the end of the school year, so let me explain what I have to do.

Our custodians take everything out of our classroom to clean and wax the floors at the end of the summer. SO, we must make sure that everything is stored away on shelves and not out and about. Over the past 5 years of working at my school I have finally come up with a system that helps me pack up all the things AND get ready for next school year.

For each step I have an Instagram reel to go with it, so if you are a visual learner like me, be sure to watch the reels!

STEPS 1 & 2 REEL

STEP 1: PURGE

Go through ALL your things.

If you haven’t used it in the past year and you don’t think you will use it next year, throw it out or give it away. Just get rid of it! We have TOO much stuff sometimes as teachers.

STEP 2: MOVE FURNITURE

Move it to look like it will next year

If I have an idea to move some things around for next year, I like to do it before the year ends. It is just one less thing to do when we get back in September.

For example, we are getting a new Smart Board and they are putting it on a different wall. This is going to cause some furniture rearranging. So, instead of waiting until September to figure it all out, we used the last week and a half to get a feel for it. It was helpful that we still had our students so we could see what the new furniture arrangement would look like with students. We moved my teacher table, a ton of rainbow drawers and student desks to get a feel for the new arrangement.

To help brainstorm the plan beforehand, I made a floor plan on google slides. This helps myself and my co-teacher visualize what we want to do AND we must submit one to the custodial staff, so we just print it and give it to them.

CLICK HERE TO MAKE A COPY OF MINE AND EDIT IT TO BE YOUR OWN!

 

STEPS 3 & 4 REEL 

STEP 3: MAKE LISTS

Start to make purchases and lists of things you want for next school year. This includes things you want to purchase through your school order, things you are going to purchase yourself or things you want to do before next school year.

My co teacher and I start by completing our school order, then we make lists of things we still want to purchase. Lastly, we make a to do list of things we would like to get done before the first day of school! This includes things we want to do on break and things we will do when we have teacher work days in September.

 

STEP 4: MAKE COPIES

This might sound crazy but start making those copies! If you have time, start! Why not?! Your future self will thank you! You can store them away in the summer.

Less stress at the beginning of the school year!

STEPS 5 & 6 REEL

STEP 5: CLEAN OUT DESKS AND SORT

Do this while your students are still there. I had my students clear out their entire desk. Next, I had my students take home or throw out their folders and workbooks. Then, I had them help me sort through all the materials (pencils, markers, erasers, crayon, etc).

I even had my students help me RESTOCK pencil boxes for my students next year. This was the best decision I made in the packing up process. Again, one less thing to do in September.

STEP 6: REMOVE THINGS FROM THE WALLS

This one is simple, and maybe not necessary for all of you. Since we are getting a new Smart Board and it will be on a different wall, we had to take down ALL our bulletin boards.

This step can also be to just cover up your bulletin boards, so they don’t fade or get yucky over the summer. You can cover them up with cheap table clothes from dollar tree, butcher paper or sheets.

STEPS 7 & 8 REEL

STEP 7: STORE AWAY

Over the summer there is ESY (Extended School Year) at my school, so admin wants us to store our stuff away so that the teachers in the summer don’t use our things. Also, after ESY is over our custodians clear out the entire room, clean it, and then wax the floors. This means our stuff needs to be packed away, so everything doesn’t fly around as they move the furniture in and out.

I take everything that is on top of shelves and store it in a shelf OR put it in lockers in the hallway. The lockers really come in handy.

 

STEP 8: COVER ALL THE THINGS

Reel

Once everything is stored away on shelves, stationary or moving ones, they have to be covered up! For the stationary shelves that can’t move, I just use butcher paper (bulletin board paper) to cover everything up.

For rolling carts and shelves I discovered a new hack this year… PLASTIC WRAP! I wish I could give credit to the first person that posted this hack, but I can’t find her.

I bought these 2 rolls of plastic wrap on amazon and used them to wrap ALL THE THINGS! It was a huge game changer. In the past I have used tape, but the tape leaves a terrible residue after the summer heat. This plastic wrap was the perfect solution.

  

I hope that you found this helpful and not overwhelming. I promise you, if you go into the end of the school year with a plan and steps to follow, you will be less stressed! Let me know if you use any of these tips! GOOD LUCK!

 

I have had the pleasure of being a cooperating teacher for the past year. Jess was my student teacher, and it was such a wonderful experience.

Jess had never been in a classroom before this school year, that is just how her program worked. She started with us in September coming 2 days a week. Then, in January she started coming every day. She was so nervous when she started because she did not have any experience in a classroom. She would constantly ask 10000 questions and I just kept saying, “Trust me. You have all year. You’ll be ok.” Here we are at the end of the year, and she is a confident, passionate, amazing teacher.

After an amazing year together, we have come together to give you our top tips and advice for being a student teacher or a cooperating teacher.

Tips For Student Teachers:

IT MIGHT BE WEIRD AT FIRST!!!

Going into the classroom for the first time, remember that you are a brand new to teaching and it will feel a bit weird getting up in front of the class for the first few weeks. Once you develop a relationship with your students and teachers, it will feel more natural! Be patient.

SEL is just as important as academics!!!

Make sure to teach them those social and emotional skills to be well rounded kids, THEN teach them the academics!

Every lesson will not be a hit, and that’s okay!!!

You’re still learning; that’s the whole point of student teaching. You are not expected to be able to know everything and do everything, and you’re certainly not expected to do it all well. Be patient with yourself. Even veteran teachers have lessons that totally FLOP. Get feedback from your cooperating teachers for every lesson you teach so that you can continue to grow.

Classroom management is essential!!!

Set clear expectations for your students in every subject. Also, follow through. Don’t just set the expectations and then let things slide. Your students must know that you are their teacher too, and that they must listen and respect you.

Come in early!!!

This can help prepare you for your day, so when it comes time for students to come in, you can greet them, and they can have your full attention.

Utilize your preps!!!

Get your work done during preps and lunches so you don’t have to stay late after school/ work on weekends.

 

Tips For Mentor Teachers to Support Student Teachers:

ALWAYS GIVE FEEDBACK!!!

Every time your student teacher teaches take notes so that you can reflect with them afterwards. Every time I took notes while Jess was teaching, I made sure to make a positive and needs improvement list. After she taught, I would sit with her and explain my feedback. Then, I would give her the paper to make a master list with. I had her type up a master list of the feedback so that she can always reflect back on it.

GET THEM INTO OTHER CLASSROOMS!!!

Allow your student teacher to observe other classes and grades. Maybe not for a whole day, but for a decent amount of time. For my student teacher, we made a list of all of the different types of classrooms/grades in our building and had her observe at least one a week.

INVITE TO MEETINGS!!!

Have your student teacher sit in on ALL meetings when possible: parent-teacher conferences, IEP, 504, faculty meetings, etc.

SUB CERT!!!

Have your student teacher get a sub cert in your school district. This way, if your school needs a sub for a day or part of a day, they can sub. This gives them great experience. Also, if your student teacher has a sub cert, they can be with your class alone if you need to go to the bathroom or be in a meeting.

MOCK INTERVIEWS!!!

Practice mock interviews with your student teacher before it’s interview time. When April comes around start practicing for interviews. I have a whole blog post about interview tips and I provide you with a list of example interview questions.

I hope you found these tips helpful! Truly, being a cooperating teacher has been one of my favorite things about teaching so far. I loved being able to show someone how to do what I love so much. Also, getting to watch Jess turn into the amazing educator she is has been a blessing!!!

Shout out to Jess for helping me write this!!

Probably the most dreaded part of getting a job…the interview! At least for me, this is the most nerve-wracking thing EVER.

Lucky for you, I have quite a bit of experience in this area. I have my principal and supervisor certifications, so my principal allows me to help him in interviews at our school. Not only do I get to attend, but I get to ask questions as well. Since I have been doing this at my school for 3 years, I have collected a TON of interview questions and tips for you.

So, let’s get into it…

TIP #1: PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE!

Practicing might feel repetitive and silly, but I promise it is worth your time. The more you practice your answers, the calmer and more confident you will sound. The best thing to do is to practice in front of other people. Have a family member or friend ask you the questions so that you can practice your answers with them. This will help you speak in front of other people and get repeated practice answering the questions. If no one is available, simply practice in front of a mirror.

USE THESE EXAMPLE INTERVIEW QUESTIONS TO HELP YOU!

TIP #2: MAKE THOSE ANSWERS PERFECT!

This tip has a couple sub-tips to go with it…

CONNECT IT TO YOUR STUDENTS

Always connect your answers back to the students! Students are the most important, and you want to make sure that the person interviewing you knows that you believe that.

• For example, if you were asked, “You had a great lesson planned, but a delayed opening was called. What do you do? How do you adjust?” My initial thought would be to answer with something about still making sure the objective is being hit, even with the shortened period. And that answer isn’t wrong but, what about our students? First thing you would want to do is make sure that everyone was able to get to school safely, see if your students were still able to eat before school, see if everyone is ok, etc.
• It is hard to think about those things when being asked about a lesson, but the individuals interviewing you will be very impressed that you thought about your students and their well-being.

HAVE GENERAL ANSWERS PREPARED

Have one general answer on hand for each topic. In my interview questions document, I have questions organized by topic: lessons, differentiation, student engagement, parents, etc. For each of these topics you should have one, very general, answer prepared so that no matter how the interviewer words their questions you can use the answer that you prepared.

• For example, almost every interviewer will ask you for an example lesson that you have taught and then some follow up questions about it. If you have one very good lesson in mind (for math and ELA) you should be able to answer any of the questions.

EYE CONTACT

Don’t forget to make eye contact. Don’t make it weird HAHA, but make sure that you make eye contact with the person interviewing you! If it is a panel, make sure that you look at each of them at different times throughout the interview!

PAUSE AND BREATHE!

PAUSE AND BREATHE. After being asked a question, it might be your first instinct to just start talking. Instead, pause and take a second to collect your thoughts. This will save you a lot of “UMMMMM”s. Picture a graphic organizer in your head and try to organize your thoughts before answering.

TIP #3: KNOW THE SCHOOL/DISTRICT

This one might seem obvious, but it is something people forget to do very often. Simply, research the school and district that you are interviewing for. You want to know things like the area the school is in, their student population, the demographics of students, what programs they offer, the curriculum that they use, etc. In addition, know the school and/or district’s mission statement. Know what they believe to be important.

TIP #4: DRESS THE PART

This is another one that can sound obvious, but often gets forgotten. Make sure you dress to impress. I am the LAST person to tell you that you MUST wear a dress or a suit. Dress comfortably, but professionally. Wearing nice pants and a blouse or a button-down shirt is just fine. Oh, and brush your hair   Even if your university is having you do mock interviews, you still want to dress the part. Principals and superintendents are ALWAYS looking.

TIP #5: BE YOURSELF!

Don’t be afraid to be yourself. Don’t try to be someone you are not just because you are in an interview and you desperately want the job. You want someone to hire you for YOU! Don’t be afraid to let your personality come out.

TIP #6: YOU CAN ASK QUESTIONS TOO!

You can ask questions too! I would recommend waiting until the end, but you can definitely ask your own questions. Here are some examples of questions you might ask:

• When would the position start?
• Do I get a mentor teacher my first year?
• What, if anything, do you do to help first year teachers?
• Does your school have committees?

Tips For Demo Lessons

—Ask the school about the makeup of the class and the technology, or lack of, that you will have.

—If you will have a SmartBoard, prep slides to go along with your lesson to keep you and the lesson on track.

—Use timers on the slides to keep your time in check.

—Introduce yourself and give the students an opportunity to introduce themselves or have them make a quick name tag or name tent on their desk.

—Make your expectations clear at the start of the lesson – 3 easy rules to follow.

—Display the objective, or at least state it during the lesson.

—Make the lesson student led as much as possible.

—Have an exit ticket – even if it’s just calling on a few students to check for understanding at the end of the lesson.

—Practice, practice, practice!

I hope that you found these tips and the example questions helpful! If you have any questions, I would love to help you out! I would also love to know if these tips and questions help you get a job!!! Keep me updated. The best way to reach me is to DM me on Instagram or to email me at [email protected]

If you are a cooperating teacher or student teacher looking for advice, checkout this BLOG POST!

PS. Shout out to my principal for teaching me everything I know!!!

GOOD LUCK!!!