Guide for New Teachers
Lesson Plans, Strategies, and Resources for Beginning Teachers
© Muxin Li
Oct 27, 2009
Teaching can be a daunting task, and often new teachers are overwhelmed by having to develop appropriate lesson plans, manage a classroom, and be able to effectively teach in a manner that is both engaging and challenging for their students.
However, it is not necessary to learn extensive teaching principles in order to survive as a new teacher. With some simple strategies, lesson plans, and fun class activities, new teachers can feel confident and prepared for their first class.
How to Prepare for the First Day of Class
The first day of class should always start with an introduction to the course and the instructor. Students need to know what the goals of the course are, how they will be evaluated, and any expectations for class conduct. It is useful to provide students a general course syllabus with a summary of the objectives, a prospective timeline for the course, classroom rules and expectations, and the teacher’s contact information and hours of availability.
Unless there is enough class time to teach a lesson, most of the first day will be spent summarizing the course and making introductions. Teachers can bring index cards to class and ask students to fill in their names, contact information, their birthdays, what they hope to learn from the course, and any other useful or interesting bits of information. These cards can be useful for the future, such as bringing snacks for a student’s birthday.
Lesson Planning and Ideas for Lesson Plans
Lesson plans are crucial to teaching as they structure the lessons and prepare teachers for classes. Teachers should not only know the material well, but be able to answer any questions students may have. A lesson is usually followed by some kind of exercise or class activity to allow students to demonstrate their understanding of the lesson. New teachers should try learning effective lesson planning strategies which can help them throughout the entire course.
For ideas on lesson plans, The Lesson Plans Page is a great resource where teachers can search for lesson plans according to subject matter and grade levels. Math and science teachers may be interested in reading Jason O’Hare’s article on using NASA’s website to create math and science lessons.
Tips on Classroom Management
A major concern for new teachers is classroom management. An important teaching strategy is to establish ground rules early on, and state from the beginning what the expectations for class behaviors are. Be firm and consistent with these rules, especially during the first few weeks into class. Allowing disrupting behaviors to go unaddressed is an invitation for students to continue to be disruptive.
Classroom management does not solely mean discouraging unwanted class behaviors. It can also be a way to promote desirable class behaviors. For instance, teachers can encourage their students to participate actively in discussions or to ask questions at any time. Teachers can have a summary of rules and expectations and include it into the syllabus, or write it out on paper and place it near the front of the class. Teachers can also learn to encourage positive classroom discipline to motivate students.
Another strategy is to have the day’s objectives written clearly on the board before class begins. Having a written schedule for each class will give the students a structure to follow, and will also help teachers stay on track while teaching. If there is little time before class to write out the objectives, then teachers can try preparing transparencies ahead of time or buy a large paper pad on which they can write out each day’s agenda.
Using Class Activities to Engage and Challenge Students
A good way to help students practice what they’ve learned is to use class activities or exercises. Activities can be anything that will encourage active participation while learning new concepts. Classroom Activities has great ideas for new teachers. Trying out different kinds of activities can help teachers find which ones work best for their students.
Learning Teaching Strategies
Teaching for the first time can be challenging, but it can also be very rewarding and enjoyable once the basics of teaching, such as lesson planning and classroom management, are learned and practiced. New teachers should keep these teaching strategies in mind as they plan their lessons and teach in the classroom for the first time, but should also continue to learn more strategies as they become experienced teachers.
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