What I wish I had known in my NQT year

1. What I wish I had known in my NQT year Hannah Williams Business Studies Teacher Peter Symonds College

2. Big Changes • Responsibility increases • You are in charge for groups passing or failing. • Having a tutor group – the work that comes with this pastoral responsibility • You suddenly have to deal with all the issues and procedures that being a member of staff brings

3. Workload • We all moaned about the workload in the PCGE year but it is about to step up a notch. • Admin will be a constant battle there will be reviews, procedures and paperwork!! • The first term will be endless and by Christmas you will be fit to drop • But on the plus side the teaching part of your job will get easier.

4. The 10 things I wish I had know in my NQT Year (1) • Enjoy the good moments and don’t let the bad get you down. • You will have great lessons or tutorials were things go well and you feel on top of the world. Savour them • You will also have times when you feel the worst teacher in the world and wonder if you can continue doing this. Don’t let it get to you. Reflect in a positive way and move on.

5. 2 • You cannot be outstanding all the time cut yourself some slack • If you try to do outstanding lessons everyday you will exhaust yourself. • It is more important to be consistent. To understand what students need and will respect classroom management is key.

6. 3 • Use all resources available to you • Ask stupid questions (they probably aren’t as stupid as not asking them) • Watch teachers (observing others from different subject areas can be useful) • Copy resources (do you have a central drive where resources are shared?) • Ask for support and guidance (You have a mentor use them and other more experienced teachers in your department) • Ask for training (you are entitled to be trained)

7. 4 • Don’t try and be someone you are not • Your teaching style is yours don’t try and copy someone else’s • It is tempting when you see a respected teacher in your department to want to copy them. • You are not them. Take the things you can use but stay true to yourself.

8. 5 • Be organised – when the pressure hits organisation and knowing where things are will help • Organisation and planning means your lessons go well. • Your students know when you are struggling and are disorganisedyou need a safety net in lessons to help you organisation is that net..

9. 6 • Learn the students names quickly • This will help you to discipline and praise better. • Students know when you are unsure of their name they will play on this. • I try to learn 4-5 names a lesson don’t overload yourself.

10. 7 • Don’t isolate yourself • You are busy, you run from class to class there is no time to talk to people. • Make sure you do talk to people get out and go to the staff room or canteen at least once a week. It will be good for you.

11. 8 • Find short cuts • Labels or pro forma marking sheet • Have a comment bank for reports • Have a system to record key information on students for easy recall • Find ways to make it easier

12. 9 • Lessons will go wrong you sometimes you completely miss the mark. This is not a problem it is how you handle them. • Trust yourself you know when it isn’t working the key is to not plough on regardless have the confidence to change tack. • Having back up resources even pens and paper can total change a lesson. (worth watching at home) • You will start to know what is right for class A is not the same for B and trust yourself.

13. 10 • You will make mistakes • learn from them and move on. • Dwelling on things is not helpful. • They are a useful tool to make you a better teacher.