Frustrated...Any new teachers out there?

[Zydebearsmom]

I am a first year teacher and I am extremely frustrated and ready to quit. I am making almost $49,000 a year so the money is great , but I can not handle the stress (the students and the workload). I am just looking for some words of encouragement.

 

[txmommy34]

Hang in there! I remember my first year, and it was very hard. Just know that you will find your groove and it will get easier to manage your workload.

 

[jrw118]

I am a first year teacher and I am extremely frustrated and ready to quit. I am making almost $49,000 a year so the money is great , but I can not handle the stress (the students and the workload). I am just looking for some words of encouragement.

I am not a new teacher but a teacher. I have been teaching for 12 years. Hang in there it will get easier. Once you get used to the schedule/hours and commitment you will be ok. I am in NY and once I got tenure I was able to calm down a bit. What subject are you teaching? I think once you get command of your subject material it will also get easier. I absolutely LOVE my job. Just take it day by day and relax. GOOD LUCK pm me if you have any questions or just need some help.

 

[Zydebearsmom]

I am not a new teacher but a teacher. I have been teaching for 12 years. Hang in there it will get easier. Once you get used to the schedule/hours and commitment you will be ok. I am in NY and once I got tenure I was able to calm down a bit. What subject are you teaching? I think once you get command of your subject material it will also get easier. I absolutely LOVE my job. Just take it day by day and relax. GOOD LUCK pm me if you have any questions or just need some help.

4th grade, so I am teaching everything.

 

[bridget]

I'm a literacy coach and working on my doctorate. I'm also doing an internship where I'm helping run the district's mentor program.

Do you have any sort of support system at your school? Were you assigned a mentor?

What grade and subject are you teaching? Can you pinpoint the one area that you are struggling most with? I know you said "workload" but is that the planning, the grading, classroom mangagement issues or all of the above?

I feel really strongly that new teachers really need a strong support system. The first year is exhausting!!!! I'm in a high-poverty school district, and I feel like that adds another layer of complexity

 

[stephbillalec]

The first year is the most difficult! Every year after that gets much easier as your confidence in yourself increases! Hang in there. Talk to other teachers in your building for tips. Don't give up...you can do this!!

 

[mommytoxzande]

I second that you should try and hook up with a "mentor" if you where not assigned one. It's ok that not everything turns out perfect, pick the area you feel you are struggling the most at and try to focus on that. Good Luck, it will get better.

 

[AZMermaid]

Hi! The first year is super stressful! There are lots of challenges that no-one prepares you for, like sharpening pencils, bathroom abusers, collecting that nurse card from every kid etc etc. I had a really hard class my first year which really hurt too. The start of school is especially stressful, for all teachers I think, because there is SO much paperwork that you need to do and collect from the kids. After the first month, all that calms down and it isn't so overwhelming.

I agree with the idea of finding a mentor teacher. If you don't have an official one, is there someone at your grade level that you can talk to? If not, someone who is in their first 5 years isn't so far removed from that first year craziness that they should totally be able to help you out. Does your district have classes for first year teachers? If so, if you can make it to the first one, I bet you will find many people in the same boat.

My first year I treaded water the whole year. It does get easier! Hang in there!

 

[mom2t]

In NC you are matched with a mentoring teacher. I agree find someone to mentor you and then find another 1st year teacher for support so that you will not feel so alone - like you are the only 1 feeling this way.

 

[prncess674]

I am not a new teacher, but every new job (no matter the field) is stressful and there are correlations between all new jobs. When you are teaching, you should be learning as well. For example, you will make weekly lesson plans. At the end of each week, review the lesson plan and write down the items that really connected with students and those that were a big flat pancake. Learning from mistakes makes the future easier. I work in consulting and keep notes on all my work and strategies. It is always easy to "think" you will remember it all. Heck, I can't remember my keys, so remembering everything from a project is near impossible. You won't be able to reuse every lesson plan, but having something as guide (and your notes) will help make you a better teacher and make your life easier.

 

[Tink-aholic]

It does get better. I remember my first year, and I swear, it lasted 20 years! I told people I was never going to age because it seemed never-ending. Believe it or not, they say it takes about five years until you are "seasoned". I am about to start my sixth year in a few weeks, but I felt like I found my groove about year four.

There's a reason why a large percentage of teachers quit in the first three to five years. Hang in there...it is the best job in the world if you do!

 

[2 lil'princesses]

You can do it! I'm am starting my 11th year of teaching and my 10th year as a 4th grade teacher. My first year was definitely the hardest, and there have been plenty of ups and downs along the way, but I love my job! My first group of kiddos graduated in the spring and to see them all grown up and graduating and know that I played a part in it is very rewarding. As the years go by, you will have former students write notes and come to see you which makes all the craziness worthwhile. Hang in there!

 

[dimimi]

Hi. I've been teaching a million years...well...at least longer than you have probably been alive!

The first year is the hardest. I would suggest you first maintain control of the students and establish a good parental rapport. I would suggest that you find a positive thing about every student to share with the parents...then, if you have difficulty they will know you are on their side.

For now, I would try to stay at work until I was organized from the day and then get ready for the next day. Once that happens, you will be able to organize yourself for the week.

Hang in there, it does get better. The beginning of the school year is crazy for every teacher. (By the way, you should feel fortunate to be getting a good salary!)

What are you teaching? *(Sorry I missed that you teach 4th grade.) I also agree you should have a mentor. The mentor will help you remember all the "other" things teachers need to do!

 

[daisyduck123]

Hi! I'm not a new teacher (this is my 21st year), but I wanted to tell you to HANG IN THERE! My first year was my absolute worst....but oddly enough, my 2nd year was one of my best. I think because I then knew what to expect, & I went in like gangbusters....taking no crap from the kids starting on day one. I found that the key is to be 1) strict & 2) consistent.

Good luck & I'm sorry you're having such a rough time right now.

 

[Aliceacc]

I've been teaching forever as well.

One wonderful resource is the discussion forums at www.atozteacherstuff.com

Hang in there. If you were able to find a job in this incredibly poor job market, then someone saw the potential for success in you.

 

[bokolo]

I'm starting my 16th year teaching 3rd grade and the first year was the hardest. I stayed until about 6:00-7:00 each night and I can remember being stressed and exhausted for the year. I look back now and remember how challenging that year was and see how much my teaching has changed (for the better) over the years.

I agree with what others have said about tyring to get a mentor at your grade level. Hang it there...you can do it! Remember, you are positively impacting the lives of 9 and 10 year olds every day....and that's a great feeling!

 

[Maureenmouse]

I was there once too. this is year 16 for me. Be happy about your salery. i have 16 years experience and a Masters degree and do not make as much as you do. ( NC doesn't pay their teachers very well!) I agree with the idea of a mentor. There are so many great resources online that you can access for free, but i know it takes time to search for what you want.
We have one brand new teacher in our school this year. She just got hired yesterday and walked into a very junky room with almost no supplies. Everyone was trying to find things to help her today. Hopefully the teachers at your school will be as helpful. Good luck and when things get tough, remember why you chose teaching.

 

[Alexander]

This will be my 17th year teaching. I absolutely love teaching. I have been approached to pursue my administration degree (the school will pay for it) but I have absolutely no interest in leaving the classroom.

I have taught PreK, 1st, 4th, 6th, 7th and 8th grades. I have been in 6th grade for the past 7 years and this is by far my favorite grade level. I will tell you that I absolutely HATED 4th grade. I taught it for one year and I just do not like that age kids. I didn't even like my own son when he was a 4th grader! I am definately a middle school person.

• You need to get super organized and plan well in advance.
• Try staying after one or two days and running tons of your copies ahead of time.
• Don't ever get behind on grading papers.
• Make a folder for each day of the week and put everything in it that you'll need for the day.
• Make full use of your planning periods (it is really easy to get distracted by people stopping by to chat).

 

[Ali]

I'm starting my 6th year and all I have to say is I'm ready to quit after orientation today so all I can say is look deep inside yourself and find a reason to keep going like I have to do tonight.

My first year was horrendous, but it did get better. Last year was the worst thing I have ever been through but I kept saying It can't get worse. It has.

Teaching sucks as a career right now because no one understands that if we don't spend money educating the kids we will spend money incarcerating them.

 

[sunshine1178]

I am a first year teacher and I am extremely frustrated and ready to quit. I am making almost $49,000 a year so the money is great , but I can not handle the stress (the students and the workload). I am just looking for some words of encouragement.

That's amazing money. You work 7 hours a day, 180 days a year... That's almost $39 an hour! To be making that with no experience is phenomenal! Lucky you.