Advice for a new teacher
I will be a 1st year teacher this upcoming school year and could really use some classroom management advice from experienced teachers, especially anyone who has taught in Title I schools.
I’m 22, white, quiet/reserved, and I just graduated in December with a degree in secondary education/social studies plus a middle school math endorsement. I student taught 8th grade social studies at a predominantly white rural Mississippi school, and I recently got hired to teach 5th grade math at a predominantly Black rural Mississippi school.
I’m really excited about the job and about teaching math, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous about classroom management. At my new school, a lot of the veteran teachers have very strong personalities and a strong presence with students. They are almost all middle aged black women, they relate to the students better & remind them of their moms. They walk into a room and kids immediately settle down. I really admire that because it comes so naturally to them.
I’m much quieter by nature, and I worry about being seen as young, inexperienced, or easy to run over. I also know I’m coming into a school where many students come from different backgrounds and life experiences than I do. I grew up in rural ms, went to a school similar to this one until 8th grade when my mom made me switch schools for a better education and opportunities. I went to high school in the suburbs where behavioral problems were minimal. They’re also weren’t many behavioral problems at my student teaching school. When their was my mentor teacher handled it. I really dont wanna seem like a white savior trying to hard to relate to them lol. Tricky situation to me.
Id like to add my student teaching experience was also not the best. I felt i didn’t learn much. My mentor teacher barely let me do anything. I never went to IEP meetings, contacted parents, rarely made copies, or actually stood in the front and taught. When she did lessons the kids came in, read out of the textbook, answered questions, went over it as a class, turned their papers in and got on their phones. She said often that they learn by repetition. She would have them answer essentially the same questions in different orders on different papers everyday till they just memorized the answers enough to do well on test. This was 8th grade history.
So I genuinely dont know anything apparently.
I feel unprepared especially in classroom management.
I guess what I’m asking is: how do you establish authority and earn respect when you’re naturally quiet? How do you balance being kind with being firm? And what classroom management advice would you give a young teacher walking into this kind of environment for the first time?
Other advice about teaching 5th grade math as someone thats never taught below 8th or math is welcome
I really want to do a good job for these kids, so I’d appreciate honest advice.