All professionals have difficulty facing the first day of work and with teachers it is no different. The first few classes can cause some anxiety and fear of failure.
In this profession, there are many factors that can play against the teacher, such as shyness and lack of confidence.
So, if the teacher is starting to teach for the first time in his life, he should prepare a little better before entering the classroom. See some tips for early career teachers:
Plan classes in advance
Plan everything, but absolutely everything you are going to do in the classroom, for example: how you will start the class, the order and contents that will be covered, what you will write on the board, etc. Improvising at the beginning is not a good option, it should only be done by more veteran teachers.
Another important point for a teacher at the beginning of his career is the mastery of the subject to be taught. This avoids nervousness in the face of unexpected questions and gives more confidence when investing in the most dynamic part. Include in your planning several teaching strategies, remember that nobody likes monotony, so whenever necessary ask questions, work in groups of two or more and group conversations, among others.
Whenever possible rehearse
If you don’t feel confident about what your class will be like, teach yourself in front of a mirror. This technique helps to assimilate the important points of the content to teach, to time the time and to correct some flaws.
The “test” classes can also be recorded and watched later, in this way the teacher can assess the degree of dynamism and learning of the given class. An important tip for when rehearsing is to check which tone of voice is best for teaching, because a teacher can spend many hours of the day talking, but a low and monotonous voice will not attract the attention of students.
Control the class
Students often test teachers’ limits and therefore have to realize that you are the authority in the classroom. If a student spends time talking to other students and the teacher does not react, remember that this will give rise to the rest of the students doing so. It is important that the teacher has clarified what can and cannot be allowed in the classroom.
In the first days of classes, the teacher can talk to the class, introduce herself and put the main rules in the classroom on the board. The teacher may even ask students for help in citing inconvenient attitudes and copying them on the board. This exercise can help to create a cooperative link in the classroom.
Put yourself in the student’s shoes
It is essential that the teacher understands the students and maintains a good relationship with them. It is proven that students learn best from affable teachers. Another important point is to analyze if the class is being interesting for the student and for that, remember the time when you studied and evaluate the general context analyzing what can motivate the student to participate and learn. Ask yourself, would you be interested in this subject presented in this way?
