First Year of Teaching: Things you Don’t Learn in College

With each passing year of working in education, I have the opportunity to see several teachers come and g r o w. Of course, I have a focus on beginning teachers (years 1,2,3) but also veteran teachers with open minds. One huge thing I’ve realized, is that you never stop learning! Veterans can learn from Newbies and vice versa.

Another fact I’ve realized? College doesn’t actually prepare you for teaching in real life.

Does that come as a shocker? Our universities and colleges try their best at giving young adults a crash course in what it takes to be a teacher. They teach methods, research based best practices, all of the theories of learning and behavior development, but I must ask the question….. does it truly prepare one for the workplace?

From my experience, and from speaking with multiple beginning teachers, the text books, the methods courses, and theories didn’t really help. The single most important part of their university experience as it relates to their career was their year long student teaching internship. This makes perfect sense – working with professionals, lesson planning, teaching lessons, “putting out fires”, managing a classroom with unique personalities, attending meetings, sending professional emails – the works! THIS is what truly prepares teachers. FIRSTHAND EXPERIENCE.

But that’s not the way it works. Because of that, I’ve decided to create a video highlighting my top tips for new teachers. Things they don’t teach you in college. Check out the video below. Comment, like share, subscribe,… the works. Is there anything you’d like to add that I may not have mentioned? I look forward to reading your thoughts!