Every time I ask my students about their real worries, one subject keeps repeating like a bad fried breakfast - going into a new school for the very first time on teaching practice - and the long placement in particular.

It seems there’s often a high level of anxiety associated with that moment - when your sweaty palm first pushes against the school gate. This whole experience can seem fraught with so many opportunities to mess things up.

Transported back to your own schooldays by the smells and sounds peculiar to schools, you aredesperate to make a good first impression as the “new kid”. You recall your mum’s advice about the supreme importance of a cleanhankie, your tutor’s advice about avoiding staffroom politics, and your fellow students’ advice about being “dynamic” (there are always, it seems, some superior students who pronounce on everything from triple mounting displays to handling parents) So how do you make that good first impression?

For a start, you should introduce yourself politely to the secretary. She, or sometimes he, is often the gateway to everything and everybody. Befriend her and she will put you straight on everything practical that you need - supplies, use of the photocopier and so on. Every school has its own system and some have systems that are so complex and arcane that the friendship of thesecretary is paramount.

Try to dress in a vaguely neutral style. Err on the side of “smart”. Your preference outside school may be belly tops or Death Metalhoodies, but your placement school is not the best place to show your kooky fashion sense. This may not be fair, but it’s true.

Remember to call the head and the other class teachers by the names they offer. And learn these names as soon as possible. Calling the headteacher “Mrs ErmI?” will not impress her one little bit. Unless you’re very unlucky and the school is hideously formal, the staff will probably expect you to call them by their first names to their faces but by their surnames in front of the children, so try not to get this the wrong way round Be sure to take notes during your teaching practice and collecttogether all the relevant information about the school during your initialobservation days. Finding out all you can about the ethos of the school and its systems will help you to fit in more easily once yourteaching practice starts.

When you’re introduced to people in school, greet them with a firm (but not crushing) handshake and a warm smile. This will make a better impression than nervously pulling your collar or avoiding eye contact.

Next comes an obvious point, but many people forget it in a cloud of nerves: don’t be afraid to show an interest in the children if they are working or playing in theplayground. Don’t interfere with a whole-class session if the children are engaged in tasks when you’re shown round the school - but do look at what they’re doing. They’ll be keen to show you. In general, it’s best to take your cue from the teacher in these situations.

Hard as it may be, you should try as much as possible to relax and enjoy yourself. Remember that no one is trying to trip you up, and most people in your placement school will be doing their best to make you feel at ease.

It’s also helpful to share your experiences with your fellowstudents, although salacious gossip should be avoided. This will help to remind you that you are not alone.

Lynn Huggins-Cooper lectures on the PGCE course at Newcastle University