Schools in Scotland have now returned from the summer holidays. Teacher Rachel Hamill knows this can be a particularly stressful time for those who have just joined her in the profession, so here are her top tips for newly qualified teachers:
A survival guide for newly qualified teachers
1. Plan on your day out from school. Plan your lessons for the next week, get your resources ready. This means you’re not planning at home throughout the week or the weekend.
2. Have a cut-off time. For me, this was 5pm. Find that work-life balance - it’s so important to not overwhelm yourself.
3. Speak up for yourself. Share you opinions. Share your ideas. Get involved.
4. Listen to the feedback your mentor is giving you. They only want to make you the best teacher you can be.
5. Complete your GTCS (General Teaching Council for Scotland) profile as you go. After every CPD session, update it. After every mentor meeting, update it. You will be so glad you did.
6. Get to know the other children in the school. You could, for example, get involved in a club that is directed at a different stage from your class.
7. Embrace every opportunity. Run that art club, go on the residential trip, attend the child planning meeting, go for drinks with work friends.
8. Either be an early worker or an after-school worker - not both. I chose after school as it’s easier because I have no children, but do what feels right for you.
9. Mark the children’s work as they do it. Don’t leave it all until after the lesson, meaning you have to take it all home. Zoom around the classroom with a pen and mark as they go.
10. Wear PE kit to your PE lessons. Take part, enjoy yourself.
11. Find an outlet for yourself outside of work. I love going to the gym after work, specifically boxing. I love going shopping, too. What’s your outlet? Whatever it is, find time for it.
12. Smile. Breathe. Enjoy.
Rachel Hamill is a primary teacher in West Lothian, Scotland. She tweets @misshamill1. This piece originally appeared as a thread on Twitter