Cover Story
My First Year

Right now, thousands of new teachers are beginning their careers educating the nation's next generation. What are they faced with? NEA Today collected reflections of teachers who just completed their first year on the job.

Missy Conner Stricklin was the NEA Student Program chair in Oklahoma before accepting a job at the Coyle Public School in the small town of Coyle, Oklahoma.

August
School starts in two weeks! I'm teaching Title I math, and I'm extremely excited because I am a math nut! But my room started out with nothing but two chalkboards and students' desks. I didn't even have books. Luckily, Mom [who retired after 27 years of teaching] gave me her supplies. Other teachers offered supplies, too, so now I have manipulatives, math games, and workbooks ready. The school didn't even have a desk for me, but Mom came to my rescue and lent me a huge teacher's desk.

I've been switched! The students arrive in two days, and now I am the new special education teacher. Am I trained for this? No way!

September
My aide, Heather Long, is amazing. She's from this area so she's watched the kids grow up and knows their families. The kids look at her as a teacher. She's my professional colleague, and my friend. I can cry with her; I can tell her anything.

October
One of my students, Brian, wouldn't talk at first and never picked up his head. But we're beginning to get somewhere. I'm enthusiastic and kind of loud in the classroom. I like to have fun, and that seems to be bringing him out. Now he says, "Good morning."

I have a student who is very defiant, so I was sent to a workshop to learn how to deal with him. But the workshop leader's suggestions were no different from what I am already doing. So I asked the traveling miracle man what to do if none of those ideas work. He said I had the wrong personality for the classroom. I took offense. I said I was very happy with who I was, and all my other students are making progress because of my personality. Then my principal jumped on and agreed with him that maybe it was me who needed to change. I do not ever get angry, but I did this time!! For seven years, no teacher has succeeded with this child and all of a sudden it is my fault. I'm looking for a new job.

I went to the Oklahoma Education Association convention and saw a lot of people I knew from being on the board of directors last year. They all encouraged me and said, "Don't think teaching is always like this!"

November
Brian is permanently attached to his coat-he won't take it off. Finally, in desperation, I said I would stand in the closet until he took off the coat. I was in there maybe five minutes, with the door closed, in the dark, wondering whether it was going to work. It did!

December
They're going to hire another fifth-grade teacher. I figured they would hire me, but they're interviewing people from outside! The principal says I'm doing a wonderful job, so I should stay where I am. I started bawling! I said, "I need out of this. I don't know what I'm doing." Finally, she said I could have the fifth grade!

Today, driving home for Christmas break, I got a call on my cell phone from the principal: She can't find anybody to take my class, so I have to stay! I told my Mom I'm quitting. I'll get a job in journalism or public relations. I'm out of here.

But she says I should stick it out. If I stay the year, I can get my teaching license. If I leave, I lose the time I've put in. I guess Mother knows best.

January
I'm back from Christmas break. If I'm going to do this, I'll try to do it right. I saw Rain Man on television. Brian is my little Rain Man! I was told he was retarded, but after much work and many crazy ideas, he has started to communicate his love for math. When we started, he was adding one-digit numbers with blocks. Now, he's doing multiplication tables in his head! I don't think a mentally retarded student could make such a miraculous change so fast. I think he has been miscategorized for 11 years. I'm doing some research-I think he is autistic and can be helped.

February
I've never seen children like this. One minute they are kicking me, cussing and screaming, and the next minute it's "Miss S., I love you, you're my favorite teacher!"

April
After many months of frustration, I finally picked up the paperwork for receiving my teacher's license from the office. Next month, I will have completed my entry year. I am so grateful for the support of my mother and grandmother [both retired teachers]. They laughed, cried, and vented with me any time I needed it, and it always made me feel a little bit better.

When I picked up the forms, I also turned in my resignation. I'll find another teaching job for next year.

May
I couldn't attend the last day of school. I had already said goodbye to my students. Afterward, my aide told me my autistic boy grabbed a piece of paper and started writing my name. When he got past the Mrs. part, he started to cry and told her he wished I would not go. I started crying on the phone! This little boy never showed emotion before. I want to stay in contact with him. I hope I can continue to help him get better.

June
I have accepted a new job teaching at a junior high school near here, and I am already planning my classes. I am excited to be back in an area that I am certified in and comfortable teaching: Math!!

"My first day, I walked into class and said, 'He be trippin' is not acceptable here. It's "he is tripping.'"

Four years after serving as senior class president at Lakeland High School in Suffolk, Virginia, Herman Mizell came back as an English teacher. "For years, we black men have been looked upon as what I call the four Ds: Dumb, Deviant, Dangerous, and Defiant," he says. "I am here to dispel the myth and prove to these young men that their future does not lie in a jail cell." Mizell was named "Rookie of the Year" for the Suffolk Public Schools.

September
My first day, I walked into class and said, "He be trippin'" is not acceptable here. It's 'he is tripping.'" I covered how to conjugate "to be" through six tenses in standard English. I tell them, "You have to code switch. There's nothing wrong with using non-standard English among your peers, but when you come to school, use the accepted language."

* * *
I have one white student who will not ask me a question, not even to go to the bathroom. I walk up to his desk and try to help him but he doesn't want my help. He runs to my inclusion teacher, who is white.

* * *
I've started an "English tea party" for students to get extra help after school. I called it that to lure the students in. They ask, "Mr. Mizell, are we having tea?" "Sure, we're having tea." But when they get there, they find out we're not having tea, we're going over literature and grammar.

December
The student who wouldn't ask me questions is finally starting to change. I would just go and assist him, and I wouldn't let the special needs teacher do it. I let him know I was there to help him and I'm not racist. But now, he's moving to California.

* * *
I have another student who is making Fs. He comes to class and sleeps. Then I get a note that says he's not in school any more. He got put in night school, I assume because of a behavior problem.

January
My F student came back from night school and said to me, "Mr. Mizell, can I still pass your class?" I said, "Sure, but you have to show me you're trying. You wasted the first semester." Now he's alert and he's making straight A's!

May
A freshman who comes to my English tea party asked me, "Mizell, are you going to be here next year?" I said, "I may, I may not." And he says, "Well, we need you."

* * *
One day I was wheeling a TV into the library, and an English Department colleague says to me, "Young man, what part of this sign do you not understand?"

The sign said, "No students in the library until 4:30." That's because it was during AP exams. When she realized I was a teacher in her own department, she apologized-"I'm so sorry! We should put 'TEACHER' on your back."

"These kids remind me of myself. I went to school here, and I was often rude."

George Ortiz, a former recreation leader and coach in Commerce, California, near East Los Angeles, got his baptism of fire when he started his career as a teacher last fall at Laguna Nueva Elementary School.

August
Sitting behind the desk the first day and hearing my name as "Mr. Ortiz" gave me a feeling of accomplishment. The students from the playground know me and respect me. But there are also students who are seeing me for the first time: Here is this 6- foot 2-inch teacher with a shaved head-they don't know what to expect. One student, Rico, was making rude comments about me out loud in Spanish to another student, not knowing I could understand them. Finally, I introduced myself to him in Spanish. His jaw dropped. I think I've passed my first test.

* * *
We've been doing a unit on how to test a scientific hypothesis. We did a juggling drill and I told them, "If you do it 10 times each day from Monday to Friday, is the number of catches that you can make going to increase or decrease?" Of course, it's going to increase. This should be so easy, little kids could do it. Seventh and eighth graders shouldn't have a problem doing it." But they did not understand.

They kept collecting the wrong data. Instead of counting the number of catches, they were timing themselves, seeing how long they could go. One student caught on to juggling really quick, and he wanted to do it with four bean bags instead of three.

I had to repeat the directions over and over again. I ended up taking a month on that assignment.

I'm finding out that even when you know the material 100 percent, you still have to learn how to teach it.

September
I was walking to my classroom, and all of a sudden a rock hit my head. I turned around, furious, and started shouting at the nearest student, accusing him of throwing the rock because he was smiling and he's a troublemaker.

But then another student, Carlos, confessed. He was trying to hit another student and hit me by accident.

I felt bad. I apologized to the first student, and I asked him, "How come you didn't say anything?" He said, "I was scared. I've never seen you so angry."

Carlos doesn't do any work in the classroom. He is one of those students who just complains about everything. I took him to the office and the principal asked me, "Do you want me to call the parents, and suspend him for three days out of school?" This kid was shaking. And I figured, he confessed, he apologized. I said, "Just give him an in-house suspension."

He came back after that a totally different student. He started doing work and showing up more. Hey, I'll take a blow to the head if these students will get their act together. But I could end up with a concussion.

These kids remind me of myself. I grew up and went to school here, and I was often rude. My sixth-grade science teacher is still here, and he said to me, "You're on the other side of the desk now, getting a taste of your own medicine."

The most influential person in making me a teacher was my coach, Mr. Tanner. I was always testing him. I considered myself a bully and I wanted to know how much I could get away with. But he saw something in me. He put me in my place, and I became one of his better athletes. He got me into sports and sports got me out of trouble.

October
We were doing a baseball lesson, and Rico wanted to throw the ball real hard to this other kid, who did not know how to catch. And Rico said that really loud. I was so upset, I ran up to him in front of the whole class and started yelling at him. He got scared. I told him, "Go sit down, you are benched today."

January
Nothing was working with Rico. He was making fun of people and not doing work. It was horrible. But the other day after winter break, I asked him how his vacation was. He was telling me what he did, and he made a comment that was inappropriate. He was expecting to be in trouble, but to me it was funny. And to the other students it was funny. After he saw me laugh, he did his work that day, and now he's doing better.

He likes to be the class clown, and I was punishing him for that, but in reality this kid is very smart. So now, I'm just letting him be sometimes.

He grew up where I grew up. I visit my mother, who still lives in the area, and I see him hanging out and stop to talk to him.

* * *
I'm working with another student who hangs out at the park. He's into cars. We do a lot of car talk and we talk about how his family is doing. When I was growing up, I used to see his brothers hanging out. So we've connected.

His parents are very strict; they never let them do anything. He came with them to a parent-teacher conference and I told them, "He's a kid, you've got to let him do things."

So they let him go to an auto show and he was very excited. At that time, we were dealing with the laws of motion, and he did a poster project connecting the laws of motion with that car show.

April
Rico is moving, and he's bummed out. So am I. I was the first one he told. First, he asked, "What do you think of Pico Rivera?" I said, "It's not a bad area. Why?" He said his family is going to Pico Rivera, and asked if I knew I know any teachers over there. I told him it's a good school and I do know some teachers.

May
My students have just finished a neat solar system report. I broke it down very simple for them. There were particular things I wanted: a bibliography, resources, pictures, websites. I gave them an example of how to do it. I think that was the problem with the juggling project I did at the beginning-I didn't give them an example. This time, they did some really good quality work. They've improved 100 percent.

"I walked in, introduced myself, pushed the nervousness aside, and got right to it. The butterflies went away and excitement reigned!"

Melissa Balog was chair of the NEA Student Program from 1998 through 2000. Last September, she took a job teaching English at the Sage Park Middle School in Windsor, Connecticut.

September
I slept about two hours last night. I was finally a teacher, the experience I had talked about for the past two years.

I walked in, introduced myself, pushed the nervousness aside, and got right to it. The butterflies went away and excitement reigned!

A veteran teacher was sent in to help me during homeroom, but after five minutes, she said, "You obviously don't need my help," and left. My ego soared!

* * *
We have to give Connecticut Mastery Tests, and I'm running around with a box of tissues, even though my kids are only taking the practice test. One kid totally shut down. He wrote on his test booklet, "I can't do this. I'm dumb."

What will happen to the kid who doesn't grasp all these concepts? Will he ever get to do a job that doesn't require him to look at someone and say, "Paper or plastic?" It breaks my heart.

October
My fourth period class is bright but chatty. It's hard to get their attention. So one day, I started teaching in Spanish. I was a Spanish minor in college. The kids were looking at each other, saying, "What is she talking about?" Finally one of them got up the guts to say, "What are you saying?" I said, "You weren't understanding me in English, so I'm trying Spanish." I had their attention that period.

November
One young man drove me nuts. He would not stop talking and walking around, no matter what I said. I'm not a yeller, but I was screaming inside my head. I kept calling his Mom. One day, she broke down crying and told me she left before the child woke up in the morning and did not get home until after eight most nights. The television is this boy's role model. So I compromised with him-if he did his work for the period, the last three minutes were his. The entire class closed their books and the time was his to sing songs, tell a story, whatever. It worked! After a while, I weaned him away because he was learning to be on-task without the reward-most of the time.

February
A lot of my students have parents my age. Their mothers had them when they were teenagers. I graduated from high school in 1992. Things are so different now. Kids are not allowed to be children. We have girls walking around in tight short skirts, very sexual at 13. I'm under 30 and it freaks me out. A lot of them say, "I want to find love and get married," which is great, but you have to keep your head. Today a student asked me what I thought of a certain boy. I said, "You're a lot smarter than that: Get your education, have money in the bank, and then you can choose the man, he won't choose you."

May
I went to a concert Monday night, and I had a drink beforehand. Who should I run into but one of my students, scalping tickets! I was paranoid-I thought he might suspect I had had a drink. I was off duty, but I'm a teacher! I have to go to school with this boy.

June
The best thing in teaching is seeing students really grasp what the author is trying to get across. One of my groups is reading The Pearl by John Steinbeck, about a poor fisherman who finds a pearl. It's a dense read for 13-year-olds. Some of them flipped out when they found out it was supposed to take place in 1945-it was that old. But then one student said, "It doesn't matter-the words connect through the generations." I was floored-and so happy!

"My first day and already I have a big problem. All my students want the other sixth-grade teacher!"

Rosita Force didn't plan to teach. "I got my Mrs. instead of my BA," she explains. But she loved helping her daughter learn to read. So she went back, got her teaching degree, and last year started her new career at Franklin Elementary School in Omaha, Nebraska.

August
My first day and already I have a big problem. It's the other sixth-grade teacher, Ms. Fennell. All my students want her! She's great, so I can't blame them!

The day began with one of my students crying because she wasn't in the other sixth-grade classroom. It ended with another student standing on a chair in the front of the class screaming.

* * *
The screamer kept acting up. But today, as I was driving to school, I saw her and her mother. I pulled over and we had the best meeting right there on the corner! Mom said she totally supported me and said her daughter would be better from then on. I felt like I had new life!

September 11
What a terrible day! It's my daughter's 12th birthday, and I brought candy for the class to celebrate. At 9:20, Ms. Fennell came in to tell me about the terrorist attacks. I didn't know what to do. I told my class the news and added that we also had a job to do like the President. Their job was to continue to learn.

Finally, I decided to pass out the birthday candy. I think they were relieved to have to think about something else-or maybe that was just me.

At the end of the day, I reminded them that tonight would be a great opportunity to tell their parents how much they loved them.

October
I had no idea how to teach classification in science. So I called the school district's director of science, Mary Solberg. I said I was new and lost, and would she please come help me. We hit it off, and she's giving me lots of help.

* * *
I often feel like the village idiot. I can count on making some stupid mistake daily.

At the same time, I feel I can relate to my kids. I grew up in a single-parent home very close to here. I was a bad kid. I stuttered and at odd moments I would walk around the classroom. So I don't expect them to sit still. I told them it's not okay to distract someone else from learning, but it's okay to walk around. One time, the principal said, "You must have been a brat. You know what to say."

I still can't sit still, that's why I'm a teacher.

* * *
Thursday night was my first parent-teacher conference. I told Daniel's mother he wasn't getting his homework done. She works two jobs and is not home in the evening to check on him. I said I would be willing to pick him up at 7:15 a.m. on my way to school. So now Daniel comes to school with me and gets his work done. I am glad for this time to connect with him and give him some one-on-one help.

November
Today seemed a little wild-the students were very excited to have a break. I am "giving thanks" for the break, too!

Daniel has been consistently ready when I pick him up in the morning. But I didn't realize how much I had come to depend on that hour alone from 7:15 a.m. to 8:15 a.m. I find myself even more pressed for time.

At the same time, I am surprised at how much I am beginning to care about each student. Ms. Fennell told me, "The first six weeks are the hardest because you haven't fallen in love with your kids yet." When she said it, I thought, I don't know if I am capable of "falling in love" with my students, but maybe I am.

December
One of my students is writing a letter in school to her Dad, who was shot and killed earlier in the year. This is her first Christmas without him. I hope she can find some peace by writing down her feelings.

* * *
Daniel is doing well on his homework, but he got suspended for fighting in the cafeteria. His body has a will of its own. He doesn't seem to realize what he has done until he is getting in trouble for it.

* * *
I can't wait for Christmas break. I don't think I have ever been so exhausted in all my life. Many people have told me that you only have your first year once-I hope they are not lying.

January
Daniel has decided he doesn't need to come in the mornings anymore. I hate to have him stop because his grades have been so good, but he does need to take responsibility for himself.

February
My father died on Friday, February 15. I knew on Monday that he would be lucky to make it through the week. I told my students that if he died, they would have a sub and I really wanted them to behave. They all made me sympathy cards. The student who had lost her father gave me a big hug-my eyes filled up with tears.

March
Daniel was one of the winners of the Science Writing Contest! When he heard his name announced, he jumped up and down. I was excited, too!

May
Tonight is graduation. Daniel said to me, "Thanks for being so mean to me this year, Mrs. Force-you made me a better student." Then he gave me a quick hug and went home.

What's NEA got for new teachers?

New teachers-many of them excellent!-are often left to sink or swim. NEA offers them a lifeline, in the form of programs, resources, and national campaigns to strengthen the profession.

• The NEA UniServ Program supports state and local staff who deliver services to NEA members. Says NEA's Kathy Trobridge. "If you run into trouble on the job, this Association staff person will at a minimum try to help you understand the situation. You won't be facing it alone."

  "The UniServ program has done an outstanding job in representing our members on the local level," says NEA President Reg Weaver. "And it's crucial that UniServ directors continually evaluate member needs so they can offer the kinds of services most beneficial to them." Local Associations have stepped up efforts-through bargaining, politics, and public pressure-to get districts to provide better programs to help first-year teachers become successful, confident educators.

  To contact your local Association, ask which of your colleagues is a building representative or contact your state Association for the field staff member who serves your school district.

• The NEA Student Program, whose members are college students preparing to enter the profession, works to strengthen the education and training these students receive and readies them for the classroom through mentors, workshops, grants, and more. OK, it may be a little late for first-year teachers--but they can tell classmates still in school about this great resource. For more info, visit www.nea.org/students/.

• NEA plays a major role in the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (www.ncate.org), which accredits schools with teacher preparation programs based on research-based standards.

• NEA also helped create-and remains actively involved in-the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (www.nbpts.org), a group that sets benchmarks of quality teaching and offers certification in 24 fields. A good resource to at least compare yourself against when you run across the question: "What's 'quality' teaching?"

Check www.nea.org regularly for information. This could help you!

Help from the NEA Professional Library

NEA publishes dozens of books to help educators do their best work every day. Six are designed especially for first-year teachers.

These books include tips, blank forms, checklists, sample lesson plans, and the shared experiences of other teachers-practical help that can get first-year teachers through the hardest year of their teaching careers.

They give specific suggestions for how to deal with disruptive students, how to write a lesson plan, how to deal with parents-the nuts and bolts that make the difference between a successful, satisfying first year and a nightmare.

The First-Year Teacher
by Karen Bosch and Katharine Kersey for K-8 teachers

Countdown to the First Day of School
by Leo M. Schell and Paul Burden

Pitfalls and Potholes: A Checklist for Avoiding Common Mistakes of Beginning Teachers
by Barbara A. Murray and Kenneth T. Murray

Bright Ideas: A Pocket Mentor for Beginning Teachers
by Mary C. Clement

The Discipline Checklist: Advice from 60 Successful Elementary Teachers
by Ken Kosier