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Lessons Learned - First Year Teaching Edition


Seeing as the first week of school has passed and the real year is about to start, I think it is an appropriate time to share what I have learned in my first year as a teacher.

I shared my knowledge on studying abroad, and I think it reached a few people who needed it. Now, I want to do the same for first year teachers.

Teaching is difficult in the UK. There is a lot of pressure on teachers and there is a heavy workload. My friends back in Canada don’t have to deal with the same system, but I hope there is a small tidbit you can take from this.  

1.      Find your Marigold

Before I started last year, I read an amazing article titled “find your marigold.” Apparently, other plants grow really well when they are next to a marigold. Using that as a metaphor, the writer of this article encourages first years to find the person who is going to help THEM grow.

I am lucky enough to have my marigold in my department. She connects with me on so many levels, works with me to make things better, and she is my work mom. I don’t know what I would do without her. So people: Find. Your. Marigold. They make your life so much better.

2.      If you want to make friends, say yes to everything.


This is a great rule for making friends! I think my catch phrase is “Yeah, I’m down.” I made two amazing friends because of this rule. Claire asked the people in my department to go out for a pint after work, and I said yes. Later, we decided to go on a trip and Rosie tagged along. Now, I’m lucky enough to call them my best friends.

I’ve also been exposed to all kinds of cultural activities just because I said yes to everything! I got to celebrate my head of department on his birthday - TWICE. I got to go to Paris on a school trip. I got to see Stratford with amazing people. If you want to make friends, say yes to everything.

3.      Listen to the people who love you.

Listen . . . work life balance is HARD. Not a lot of people can truly say they have achieved it. I am not a good example of it (as you know from every goals update I post). However, I listened to Matt when he expressed his concerns.

At the start of 2019, he sat me down and told me I need to stop bringing work home and actually spend time with him. He was right. I never stopped working. I would be distracted all the time. I would give up quality time with him just to mark a useless piece of homework.

After that, I made a conscious effort to make a change. With the exception of exam season, I did stop bringing work home. Our relationship got so much better after that because I listened to what he had to say.

I was blinded by the notion that I had to do as much as I could to do well in my first year. Yes, you’re going to feel like that but it is not worth sacrificing your personal life over.

Do what you can to go home even five minutes earlier. You won’t do it every day and you won’t be perfect at it, but that five minutes can make all the difference.


4.      You are not alone.

After a department meeting in the fall, I had a massive breakdown. After listening to what was expected from the Year 10 exams, I convinced myself that I didn’t know what I was doing. During the meeting, I barely uttered a word. I could feel tension growing in my chest (hello, anxiety knot). I hastily left the room only to start bawling in the privacy of my classroom. I felt like I was doing my Year 10s a disadvantage by being their teaching. I had no idea what I was doing.

What I later found out is that no one really knows what they’re doing. Once you think you have it figured out, things change. The next day, I talked to someone who had a lot more experience than me and she was feeling the same way. In this case, I was not alone.

You’re not alone either. At some point, you will feel like you don’t know what you’re doing. Once you talk it out with someone (sub-advice: ask for help), you’ll realize that everything either does or has felt the same way you do. Also, your abilities will grow so much over the year.

5.      Get out of your department.

I cannot stress enough how important this is in all aspects of your career. Getting out of the department helps with friends, with teaching, and with fostering a good work atmosphere. When things inevitably get a little stress-y in your own department, it is really nice to have refuge somewhere else in the school.

In terms of teaching, watching the way other people teach is valuable. I have seen Math, Drama, Music, and Geography. Even though the subjects are different, I’ve picked up on the routines that work in their classroom and applied it to my own. My teaching practice has improved as a result.

Getting out of your department is one of the best things you can do as a mood booster. When you roam the halls, you’ll run into kids or other teachers and you can get a smile or a conversation. Make an effort to be friendly and smile to everyone and you’ll get the same back. It feels good and it makes you feel like you’re part of the school community.

6.      Be yourself.


When I was in my training year, I was told I needed to turn down my enthusiasm because “it’s not sustainable.” People have made fun of me for being too loud and excited. I’m known amongst the students as the loud Canadian one (at least they like to hear my accent!). The thing is, I’m never going to change. I can’t imagine teaching lesson after lesson without being amped up and smiley. I’m passionate. It’s clear that I love what I do. Students respond to that.

It may not be the norm, but I will continue be enthusiastic until it (if ever) becomes unsustainable. As for you, find who you really are. If people are resistant to it, it’s because they’re stuck in their own ways. Teach whichever way you feel comfortable. Be yourself.

This was a long post and I hope someone out there gained something from it. My lessons learned posts are some of my favourites to write. I like analysing the little moments from my life that have made the biggest difference. I can see how much I’ve grown from looking back.

This past year certainly hasn’t been easy. I’ve cried a lot and felt like I wouldn’t ever get caught up. It’s a shock, and I’m sure it will be an even bigger shock this year when my hours go up. However, I made it through. You will too.

If you’re starting your first year of teaching, good luck. You’ve got this.

-Daniella

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