The First Year English Teacher's Guide to Beartraps: 103 Ways to Avoid Common Teaching Errors

By Jon Potter

At some moments, new teachers are exhilarated. At others they wonder darkly how anyone ever convinced them to try the job.

Heres help for new English teachers.

The book is organized into four, jargon-free sections: A Few Basics, Theory and Practice, School Culture, and Personal Survival. Within each section there are short, focused explanations of how things actually work in high schools, and how to avoid the traps of overcommittment, classroom management, unruly student behavior, and school politics. There is also an appendix of tried and true recipes-- approaches to a variety of teaching challenges.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Sep 5, 2002
• ISBN: 9781462809134

Jon Potter

Jon Potter was educated at Marlboro College and Harvard University. At Harvard he received an MAT and CAS, and worked as a Teaching Fellow in English Education. Later, he taught at Antioch-Putney Graduate School of Education, and for The University of Maine. He has taught English in a three-room school in Vermont, was the Chairman of the English Department in both a rural high school and a prestigious private school, taught in a Middle School, and is currently teaching English in a coastal Maine regional high school. He has published poetry and a number of plays.

Book preview

The First Year

English Teacher’s

Guide to Beartraps

103 Ways to Avoid

Common Teaching Errors

JON POTTER

Copyright © 2002 by Ion Potter,

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This book was printed in the United States of America.

To order additional copies of this book, contact:

Xlibris Corporation

1-888-795-4274

www.Xlibris.com

[e-mail]

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Contents

Introduction

Section One

Section Two

Section Three

Section Four

Appendix

Introduction

Those of us who’ve been doing this a while have pretty sharp memories of the amazing things we did our first year teaching There’s a good reason. In retrospect, they make great stories, though at the time ….

Here are a few bits which should help you through the woods, and which should especially help you avoid the teeth of the bear traps, cunningly hidden beneath the seemingly mundane surface of the school year. It may even help you avoid the bears, most of the time.

We may not always show it, or even tell you, but we love your courage, your enthusiasm, and (yes) your naïveté. You remind us of ourselves, back in the days ….

Off to the woods with you! Keep your eyes and your heart open. You’ll be astonished at what you’ll encounter!

SECTION ONE

A Few Basics

1 BEFORE THE FIRST TEACHER

WORKSHOP DAY

First, arrange a short meeting with your Department Chair, During the meeting, try to get a list of all the teachers in the department, and learn a little something about them. Here are some things you will find it useful to know: how many years of experience has each had? What courses does each one teach? What extra-curricular assignments does each one have? You may find others slated to teach the same courses you have been assigned. Rejoice to yourself There will be a brain to pick!

See if you can buy or borrow last year’s school yearbook. They’re a marvelous resource which will tell you a lot about the school and your new colleagues. Also, get a copy of the Staff Handbook, if there is one. Often these are revised slightly every year, but the bulk of the rules and regulations will remain the same. Don’t be alarmed if most of it seems confusing. Handbooks grow from the school culture. Just review your copy to get a general sense of what’s in there, so you can ask about the details later.

You may already know this, but if you don’t, try to get a list of the courses you are going to teach, and persuade the Chairperson to get you copies of the texts. (Sometimes it might not be possible to get texts if the school is locked up for the summer, but an experienced Department Chair can find a way.)

2 How Many Preps?

Often times new teachers will be given fewer Prep’s or different courses to teach. For instance, you may find yourself teaching three sections of American Literature. This is a mixed blessing. On the positive side, it cuts down on the sheer volume of background reading you must do. If all the students read Moby Dick, then all you need do is reread that and you’ve got the basics. The volume of reading increases with each separate preparation, obviously.

Here’s the down side. The materials you prepare for each class will be different. Ideally this would be trae, of course. You’d ideally tailor each preparation for the unique mix of students in each class. Even more ideally, for each student in each class. Practically, you can’t do it. But you’ll have to.

You’ll start out with each class doing the same assignment. Then there will be an assembly, or a fire drill, or flu will sweep your classroom of all but five students. Now your classes are out of synch, and you’ll have to shortchange some in order to bring the rest along, or bore some in order to help the rest understand Stephen Crane. So, unless you have an inventive mind operating at high speed creating meaningful targeted assignments at the snap of a finger, the actual classwork of these classes will be different. That’s a good thing for the students, of course. And you might just as well start with that premise. (Don’t forget students will discuss your tests among themselves, so different tests are also going to be needed.)

Besides, teaching the same thing the same way three times or more will be boring for you. If you’re bored, think of the effect on your students.

3 Office Help

Usually the high school main office is open several days a week in the summer, if not more. When you find out when it is open, drop in casually and introduce yourself to the office secretary, or the receptionist, (or both!) The secretary-receptionist is at the nerve center of the school, and can answer questions for you about all kinds of practical things. Also, the school secretary or receptionist is almost always there, right where you expect to find such a person. The secretary can be a valuable ally and is a good friend to have.

4 FIRST TEACHER WORKSHOP DAY

Ok, you’ve got this far. Did you bring your lunch? It’s a good idea to pack something, unless you’ve been told lunch will be served. Also, find out where the nearest bathroom is- you’ll probably need it at some point this morning.

You’ll probably come in a bit earlier than most of the rest of the teachers, and will stand by the wall, realizing as you watch others filter in that you’re slightly overdressed. That’s perfectly fine. Better over than under. We all did that, and we understand.

A few teachers will make friendly overtures. Perhaps your department head will introduce you to a few of your colleagues. Try to remember their names, if you can. In fact, if you have a few minutes alone and you’re carrying your notebook- a great idea, to carry a little, pocket-sized notebook- write down the name and a few physical details so you’ll associate the name and the person.

One or two teachers may be intense. They may want to recruit you to their side of a debate about a school issue, or they may want you to take over a project, or take on coaching duties, or perhaps to espouse a particular teaching style. Despite the attractiveness of the offers or ideas, tell these teachers you’ll think about their proposals. Don’t reject, don’t accept; now is a bad time to give someone the wrong idea about you. And you still don’t have much of a clue how much time your primary job is going to take. It’s also not the time for you to discourse on theory, though you will find a few interested listeners at other points in the year.

Don’t be dismayed if you’re left more or less alone, though. Teachers who work closely together during the year and haven’t seen each other for several months are eager to share tales of their adventures over the summer, or to discuss family and absent friends. When they know you, you’ll be more included.

This includes lunch-time. Often, if lunch is not provided, groups of teachers will head out for a favorite restaurant. If you are invited to go with them, by all means do it, even if you brought your lunch. Don’t feel upset if you are not included, though. It’s not from any dislike of you.

After everyone is settled down, there will be a blizzard of official greetings, jokes you won’t understand, and a series of announcements, all seemingly important, by a variety of people. Some actually are important, some aren’t. You don’t have a culture filter yet, so try to make a note of everything, and ask at least two of your new colleagues afterwards to help you figure out which is which. You should ask at least two because there will be different opinions about what’s important. If you have a mentor, check with her also.

Often, someone will be called on to officially introduce you. It may be your department head, who presumably has at least seen your application, your principal, or someone else. Be prepared to give your introducer a Ä>7f/biography, before this happens. Try to come up with a few unusual details (not too unusual) which will help people know you better. Then, when you are asked to stand, stand up all the way and turn around so everyone can see you. This is often nerve-wracking. Standing in front of a group of people you don’t know can turn many people wobble-kneed. Resist the impulse to crouch, or to bob up and down fast. These are the people you’re going to work with. They need to know what you look like. All things being equal, they are also prepared to like you.

5 CLASS LISTS/SCHEDULE

Some schools have confusing schedules. An alternating schedule is a good example (the current jargon is Block Scheduling, in which classes meet for approximately 80 minutes instead of 40.) Instead of having the same class in the same period every day, you may have

British Literature period one on one day, and Expository Writing period one the following day.

Be sure you understand what all the parts of your schedule mean. For instance, if you have been assigned a duty period, ask what that involves. Don‘t be satisfied with a brief answer. Find out the name of someone who has done this duty a lot, and ask what is involved. Try to elicit stories.

Make a note of what is expected in a homeroom, should you have one. How is attendance reported? If it‘s via email, be sure to learn where to send it, (and get your password!) There will be a list somewhere, possibly in the school handbook, of all the email addresses in the system. Ask someone where to find it.

6 DAY ONE

For the first day, put your name on the board. Don’t forget a title: Mr., Ms., Mrs., Dr., etc. You aren’t a peer. Make an alphabetical seating chart, blocks representing desks, a name in each block. The chart will help you in two ways: you will learn the students’ names faster, and you can quickly tell who is not present by the empty seat. It also has the advantage of breaking up potentially disruptive cliques. Make 3X5 cards with students’ names in magic marker on the front of each card, then place the cards on the desks in the order you have determined. If you have freshmen or sophomores, you may want to alternate sexes, even if it partially mixes up your alphabetical order. Younger students are more easily focused when the genders are mixed like that. (Don’t believe it? Try it and see.) There may be considerable flux in population the first few weeks as students change classes, discover band or choras, etc. Don’t be dismayed. It will settle down eventually.

This seating chart business may seem coercive.

Why not just let the kids sit where they want to? Or with their friends?

They will ask. They may muster eloquent arguments. (Mr. James lets us do it.) They may (and probably will) even attempt to subvert your system.

Hey-It is coercive. Don’t let them. Just smile and say no. Kids have lots of places and times to be together with their friends. This just isn’t one of them. Besides, they’re probably used to it. Another advantage is that after a few days, the students feel their spaces belong to them. If it’s necessary for you to change a student’s seat because of disruptive behavior, the kid will feel isolated and will understand your intent clearly, though she will profess not to.

Once the cards are laid out, and the students have assembled in the correct seats-the ones you have predetermined- call the roll, and ask for correction on mispronunciation of names, and for favored nicknames. There will be snickers when students hear Theodore for a kid who has answered to Theo since second grade. Write these pronunciations and nicknames down on your master list.

On the backs of the 3X5 cards, ask the students to fill in their parents‘ names, addresses, and phone numbers, and to indicate where or with which parent they are currently residing. Ask for e-mail addresses also, including the student‘s and the parents‘. Don‘t make this sound like a big deal, but in fact, it is. It gives you immediate access to a parent when you need it, without depending on possibly obsolete or hard-to-access main-office files. If you have access to a chalkboard or white-board, make a model of the information you’re requesting. Do this card-making, even if the school office requests similar information. You won’t regret it.

List and discuss your classroom rales—even in homeroom. Keep the list short. Among the rales should be being on time (in your seat) when the bell sounds or the time is indicated, and being mutually respectful. In some classes, it’s productive to have the class generate the rules, but not on day #1.

Backing up the rules must be consequences and rewards. Rewards should be unexpected and random. Wrapped candies to those first ten in their seats, for instance, works amazingly well, even with upperclass- men. Don’t tell them why you’re doing it though. Let them guess. And don’t do it often. You’ll be bankrupted.

7 CONSEQUENCES: (Arias and Recitatives)

Don’t raise your voice! You’ll be ignored.

Sarcasm to a student is not respectful- (damned tempting, though, at times.)

Don’t argue! The miscreant has more time than you do to debate, and probably more passion.

Don’t threaten an entire class. Not everybody is guilty. If they’ve gotten to you, just step out of the room for a minute and regain your composure. They won’t know what that means, and might actually quiet down waiting to find out. (Of course, they might not, too.) If a class gets out of hand, when you return, try to find out why it happened through a rational discussion with them.

Above all, avoid a public confrontation. You both have more to lose than you can stand. If you feel you must, take the offender out of the room to make your points. Remember, though, if the miscreant is allowed back in the room after your discussion, he wins.

Try to keep your sense of humor.

Sometimes you can get through to a class by explaining to them how they make (or made) you feel. This is pretty dangerous, though occasionally effective. It’s dangerous because they now know what to do to get your goat. If you think it’ll work, try it, but maybe reserve it for next year, if you need it. Early in the first year you don’t have the capital (trust, respect, admiration, even affection) that can later on carry you through these crises.

If you do try, keep the explanation in the realm of effective-ineffective rather than You piss me off! or I feel sad. Weakness brings attacks, often viciously sarcastic reruns of what you have said, rather than sympathy. We’re dealing with groups vs. an individual here.

8 DETENTION

Usually consequences mean detention, This punishes you as well as the kid, because now you’ve got to baby-sit, so don’t indulge too often unless you’re a masochist. Sometimes you can’t avoid it, though, especially the first two years, when the students are figuring you out, and testing your limits. After the first two or three years, your detention figures will diminish amazingly. Look around at other teachers—you’ll see this is true.

When you assign a detention, stay out of the emotional realm, though the kid may try to push you into it. Detention is the consequence of a rule violation, not a personal violation.

There’s another problem with detention. There are often conflicts with a student’s schedule which do not permit immediate punishment. These range from bussing, to sports schedules (the team leaves early for a game) to rehearsals, to music lessons, to dentist appointments. Sometimes these conflicts will goad a student into saying I won’t stay or I can’t stay, so don’t immediately assume it’s defiance, even if there’s some mixed in. Wait until after class and ask why. Then arrange a suitable time with the student.

After several days, the detention is an irrelevant bureaucratic bit of nonsense, right?

Nonetheless, you must enforce it.

The consequences of ignoring it, or letting it slip, are dangerous. Word will spread throughout the student community like wildfire, and it will remove an important tool from your kit. And if you ignore one and enforce another, students’ sense of outrage at the injustice of it all will burst upon you. Watch out for conflicts with after-school appointments, meetings, etc. of your own, by the way. Sometimes a colleague will cover for you, but don’t count on it unless you arrange it ahead of time.

When you have a student stay for detention, ask your colleagues about the kid. See if the behavior is characteristic, or anomalous. Ask what their responses have been, and how effective they seemed to be. Often you’ll get good insight and good advice. During the detention, try a brief one-on-one counseling session, to find out if there is something going on you didn’t see or recognize. Don’t get too shrinky, and back offif it seems too personal. Perhaps it’s based on a home problem. Make a note to alert the Counseling Department. Perhaps it was based on a classroom dynamics issue you hadn’t noted. Then you can come up with a strategy to solve it, which might be as simple as changing a seating pattern. If you think calling or e-mailing home might help, you’ve got the card with the number or the address on it.

Surprisingly, you may often be able to make a personal connection with a student during a detention which will bear fruit in the future in terms of changed behavior.

9 JEOPARDY

Try this for persistent annoyances:

Put the first initial of the miscreant on the board, under a sign that says Detention and the date. Then, for each additional annoyance, add one letter to the name. When the full name is up there, or the first name, then the student must stay. Sure it’s a game. Sure it can lead to brinkmanship. But it keeps the kid’s attention on the behavior you would like to eliminate, and his buddies’ attention there, too. And you can add two letters at a time, if you want to, or if the name is long. The rules are yours. The trick is not to take a break from instruction. Just casually, as you pass the board add a letter. Don’t respond to the question What’s that for? He knows; he’s just trying to pull you into a debate. Usually the behavior stops just short of detention. The kid feels I’ve won. You knowjwwwon.

10 AND ANOTHER WAY

You might also devise escalating detention time limits, starting with, say, two minutes. Put the kid’s name on the board, then use the same casual just passing technique to add time after a name.

11 CONTRACTS

A contract with a seriously misbehaving student is often effective. It’s