Chapter 12 - Your First Classroom

Before becoming a teacher, one should ask themselves a few key questions: Will I like this life in the classroom? Will my fellow teachers like me? Will I be able to get through the curriculum?Is there a particular school development that I like? What salary and benefits am I seeking?  In order to teach to ones full capability, they must develop detailed responses to these questions to know if they are ready to become a teacher.  A teachers responsibilities are numerous, and standing in front of a class isn't for everyone.

Teachers go through many developmental stages throughout their careers.  In the beginning, the biggest concern is criticism from their principal and classroom management. In a teachers first year, they are provided a mentor, or consulting teacher to provide professional and personal support. It is in these first year where teachers will figure out if teaching is really for them.  Learning student's names, developing curriculum, dealing with a lot of paper work, and not having a lot of prep time during the day are just a few of the challenges that new teachers face. After spending a year or two in front of the class, teachers usually become more involved in educational issues, such as school strategies that could enhance student learning.  It is in these years that many teachers begin to observe different approaches to curriculum development.  By observing behaviors and academic progress as every class enters and moves on, teachers will alter curriculum and raise different issues.