My first day teaching

During the course of the year I've been lucky to meet lots of practicum students, all at various stages of their learning. Just a fortnight ago I met two lovely pre-service teachers from the Masters of Teaching UWS (REPRESENT YO!!) and I spent the majority of term 2 with three people from the Notre Dame course on their first ever prac experience. I, of course, can completely empathise with the situation they are in as I was a Prac student myself, as recently as 10 months ago. One of the stories they all want to hear is how the very first day of teaching actually went. Was it petrifying? Did you have work planned? Could they smell your fear?

Yes, yes and thankfully, no.

I think I had a somewhat more terrifying experience than most however, as many students finish up their last prac and then start casual teaching nearly straight away. After I finished my prac I had my DEC interview the very next day and so didn't have approval to teach yet and within the fortnight I was in India on some mad 'holiday' that lasted 3 months. By the time March rolled around and I'd finally shaken the debilitating food poisoning that had seen me hospitalised (don't eat street foot in India. Even POTATO will try to kill you.) I'd almost forgotten what I was supposed to do. I put my resume in at 3 schools on the
Monday and was booked in to work the Wednesday on a year 3 class.

Panicking like a mad man I woke before the sun had risen and feverishly reread and reanalysed the heavily detailed lesson plans I'd developed for the day, just in case the teacher hadn't left work. I packed my lunch baggy full of healthy, energy sustaining food and dressed in what I'd call casually professional clothing.

I arrived so early that the doors to my building weren't even open yet and frantically dashed between the room and the office with various rings of keys until I finally got in. I was relieved to spy a detailed three page note left on the teachers desk - as excited as I was to do my own lessons there would have been a comfort in simply following the classes regular routine and allowing myself a gradual reentry into the teaching world. But then I read the note. Without recalling the exact wording, the note basically told me what NOT to do.

"Don't use any textbooks. Don't do any HSIE work. Other than that, I don't mind what you do!"

But obviously much more verbose. Relieved I had over planned to the point I could have taught them for a week, I set about preparing my day.

I wrote my name on the board:

MISS CARLSON.

I rubbed it out. I rewrote:

Miss Carlson.

I rubbed it out. I rewrote it in purple (I want to be a fun teacher!)

I rubbed it out. I rewrote it larger.

I rubbed it out. I rewrote it smaller (too big).

I tried to just rub out the 's' which was wonky but smudged it. I rubbed it out. I rewrote it again.

I then wrote up my plan for the day on the board so that the kids know what's happening. Repeat above rubbing out and rewriting process.

I tried to turn on my IWB. I started to panic when I failed to find the 'on' button for the laptop. I'm 23 years old and I can't turn on a laptop. WHAT has happened to me. Just then a friend walked in to wish me well and I accosted her by the arm and screamed in her face to fortheloveofGod turn on my laptop. Turns out the on button was a nondescript silver thing that needed to SLIDE across and was actually very hard to find.

I ran back to the office to make photocopies and was horrified to find that the photocopier required a password. I texted my friend and got hers then desperately punched buttons until 30 A4 copies were spat out.

I raced back to the room and arranged and rearranged my piles of paper and story books into their correct chronological order for the day then panicked again as I realised I hadn't gotten the roll.

I yet again sprinted back to the office, madly hunted for the correct pigeon hole then pelted back to the classroom.

I bolted BACK to the office again for a nervous poo (no shame, baby) then the realisation that the bell was about to ring and I didn't know where to collect the children, I didn't know if I had a playground duty and I DIDN'T KNOW ANYTHING dawned on me.

I found the necessary information, the bell rang and I headed out into the playground. Several hundred blue clad children were before me like an ocean of confusion and noise. HOW was I going to find my class? I took to whispering the question at nice looking children and eventually found my 30. I led them inside while biting my inner lip at their loose definition of "two straight lines". Were the other teachers judging me?? Were they tutting under their breath at the newbie who couldn't even get them inside without them dissipating into 20 something un-straight lines??

Once inside I followed my plan: I introduced myself, I marked the roll, I explained what we'd be learning that day and I explained my behaviour expectations and consequences for good and bad behaviour. From there on in it was smooth sailing! I found that my teacher voice (you know the one) came naturally and almost I was almost subconsciously nipping bad behaviour in the bud.

"AHHH... The boys over there on that table. What a shame you're spoiling us. Last warning boys and then it's the sad face." *raised eyebrows/pursed lips*

"Can't ask you Billy, you're calling out."

"WHO IS STILL TALKING?! How rude. I'd hate to have to tell your teacher that you were doing the wrong thing."

And etc. HAHA!!

We did a brilliant lesson on The Rabbits - John Marsden and Shaun Tan. The kids chose to write an empathy piece from the perspective of either a rabbit or a possum. Maths was a blast with cooperative learning group based problem solving. And we had assembly.

I spent the entirety of lunch meticulously marking the writing task and applying a myriad of stickers and stamps to each page. I was amazed and proud of the effort they'd put in and the quality of their responses (save the one that said he wanted to be a rabbit so he could own everyone else in the world, illustrated with tanks and guns. Errrrmm...)

By the end of the day the kids were telling me what a great teacher I was and how they wished they could have me again. Any qualms or nerves dissipated as I received those incredible words of praise and encouragement. I reflected and realised that the kids had no idea whatsoever that I was new to teaching or nervous.

My advice to anyone about to take on their first day:

• PLAN thoroughly. It's better to have over planned than not have enough and be put on the spot.
• MARK everything you do, even if that means spending time at recess, lunch and after school.
• OUTLINE your expectations for both quality of work and behaviour before every lesson.
• STICK to the consequences you give for both positive and negative behaviour - don't go soft for anyone and don't forget to reward those doing the right thing.
• CHECK that you've signed in, whether you have a playground duty and that you have the roll.

Good luck :)