Teaching is a noble job, but it is not for everyone. It is a fulfilling job that each day that passes gives you a sense of achievement especially when you witness your students pass the exams and move a level higher until they graduate. It also makes you proud when you see your past students turn out to be the best version of themselves and into professionals.
To be an educator, you must possess some qualities that are needed to survive the world of teaching such as a lot of patience and understanding. The future for many students lies in your hands. You have a big influence on your students’ lives and their future. Teachers inspire many of their students and that is why it isn’t surprising that many students aspire to become future educators themselves.
The experience of teaching is entirely different for new educators. A teacher who has several years of working experience would know what works and what doesn’t work with his/her students while a new teacher will be overwhelmed with a lot of new information and the need to process this new information.
Here are some tips for future educators to survive the challenges of teaching:
1.Be Passionate
Teaching is a difficult job but always remember that you took this job because of your passion in teaching. Being passionate about teaching is important. It plays a big role in your work, in your life, and inside the classrooms.
2.Build Relationships
Build relationships with your administrators, fellow teachers, students, and their parents or guardians. This is critical to your success. Reach out to them and let them know that you are interested in getting to know them. Allow them to get to know you too. This will help you build trust between the people that you will be working with.
3.Communicate
Communication is important in building a good relationship with your students and their parents. It’s important that you communicate well with your students and their parents as the parents are your partner in allowing the students to grow.
4.Get a Mentor
Being a new teacher is very challenging. Getting a mentor is important in succeeding as a new teacher. Teachers who are already experienced can guide and help you face the challenges as a new teacher. You can find a mentor in the school where you are teaching, or you can also find mentors online if there aren’t experienced teachers in your school. Your mentor shouldn’t just be there for you in your first year of teaching. Your mentor should be able to support you beyond your first years of practice.
5.Collaborate
Collaborating with your fellow teachers will help you survive in your first years of teaching. More experienced teachers can share resources and lend lesson plans to you. You can collaborate with your fellow teachers in coming up with a lesson plan and other school projects.
6.Seek for Help
It’s ok to ask for help especially if you are new to teaching. Swallow your pride and ask for help if you need it. This is not a sign of weakness. You can always ask help from your mentors or even your colleagues.
7.Allow Yourself to Grow and Accept Criticism
Swallow your pride and allow yourself to grow. Do not be offended if your mentor or the administration asks you to make some adjustments or improvements. Allow teaching to be an opportunity for you to grow. It’s normal for them to give some comments and suggestions with regards to your growth. Accept them graciously. You can also ask them about their opinion on your teaching. Ask them for a solution and how they will support you.
Educators also have different styles of teaching, but it will not always match their students’ style of learning. Some students will appreciate the way you teach them while some will criticize you for your teaching style. Learn to accept criticisms and use them in to grow and be a better teacher. It’s normal to receive criticisms as an educator especially in your first year of teaching.
8.Allow Some Time for Resting and Relaxing
Teaching is a tough job and your job doesn’t end in the classroom. You must prepare lesson plans even when you are at home. You also have to stay up late to come up with exams and check test papers. It is a tiring job so don’t forget to spend some time to rest and relax to keep yourself productive and motivated.
9.Make a Journal About your Teaching Experiences
Write down your personal experiences in teaching. Take note of the things that work and don’t work when it comes to teaching. You can do some personal reflections while reading your journal.
10.Let your Students Know About your Objectives
Always let your students know about your objectives whenever starting a new lesson. Allow them to understand clearly what they are about to learn. In this way, the students will be able to concentrate and know what to do in class.
11.Create Lessons that are Relevant to your Students’ Lives
Lessons become remarkable when teachers can relate the lessons that they are teaching with students’ life. In this way, students see the importance of lessons learned in school and how they are applied in real life.
12.Be Patient in Explaining Lessons
You must understand that not all students will get what you are teaching at once. Some of them will need more explanation to be able to understand the lessons. Be patient with your students and make sure that everyone in class will get the lessons that you are teaching. It will be hard for students to learn more if they don’t even understand basic concepts.
13.Use Different Resources and Materials in Teaching
This will make teaching less boring and more fun for students. The best teachers use different resources and materials in teaching to make it interesting enough and catch the attention of the students. You can use presentations, videos, books, music, games, movies, speeches, and a whole lot more.
14.Be Firm
Educators shouldn’t be too nice and soft on their students because students tend to take advantage of it. There will always be students who will give teachers a headache. Be firm enough for your students to listen and respect you as a teacher without stepping on boundaries. Don’t overdo it to the point that you will be branded as a “terror teacher”.
15.Believe in your Students
Believe in each student that you have in class. Never give up on students who don’t seem to understand or are not interested in what you are teaching. Do not leave any student behind. Give everyone a fair treatment in class. Many students especially the passive ones get their confidence when they know that someone believes in them. Encourage your students to always strive for the best. If they are struggling in class, help them reach out to tutors, or someone else who can help or guide them in coming up with answers on homework.