1st Year of Teaching

I was going through some of the papertrail I left throughout my first year of teaching and was pleased to find growth. I'm not sure how it could not happen. Students and schools are merciless - they kick your butt - you change and adapt. I'm thankful for my first year.

Dear 2007 Oliver, read this before you teach:

• Do as many tasks as possible electronically - this means if you can make a chart, write notes to students, record grades, make a seating chart learn how to do it efficiently on a computer. This will save you time and paper (things I was WAY short on this year) as well as open up opportunities to email important docs for anyone that would need them at any time. Not to mention my entire year of documentation and planning is stored around my neck.
• Keep an index card on you at all times, you will constantly realize/be told to complete mini-tasks that will slip your mind or becoming over-bearing if you don't write them down. EMBRACE the task mastering.
• Plan backwards - What do you want students to be able to do? How can they prove their competance to you? How can you prepare them to perform?

There is probably more, these are just the MOST important.