1. What can the New Teacher Expect? Chapter 14
Dr. Paul A. Rodriguez

2. --Stuart D. Chandler, 5th Grade Teacher, Aurora Colorado
Surprises of the first year
The school milieu: the shock of familiar
Administrators: mixed bag, as well as many hats and pressures
Peers: a mixed blessing
Instruction: so much to learn
Students: friends or fiends?
Parents: natural allies with different agendas
The strange and the familiar
Beginning teachers are often overwhelmed by their initial exposure to school
False sense of security—new teachers have an enormous pressure and strain on the beginners
Signs of stress—many new teachers experience depression and self-doubt
School: a foreign culture—culture shock is the feeling of dislocation that people experience when they initially live in a foreign country.
Rather than saying, “I have a job,” I say with delight, “I am a teacher!” it’s so much more than a job. It’s an awakening.
--Stuart D. Chandler, 5th Grade Teacher, Aurora Colorado

3. Principals as colleagues—the principal is now a colleague, a fellow educator joined with you in the common task of bringing civilization to the young
As leaders—principals are the official leaders in the school
As helpers—principals are helpers
As policymakers—principals are policymakers
As crises managers
As facilitators
As dispenser of rewards
As judges
As buffers
As sacrificial lambs
Different priorities—confusion and potential conflict between the administrator and the new teacher may be expected
Types of help from administrators:
Dealing with specialized problems, such as an extremely reticent student
Put you in contact with specialists
Demonstration lessons or special presentations in your class
Observe you in action, and provide focused feedback on your lessons

4. Colleagues—can be an ever-ready source of ideas and lead to their desire to stay in teaching
Positive negative influence—sometimes colleagues can undermine a beginning teacher’s idealism, lowering their standards and offering no help at all
Changing views of children—studies show that the longer college students stay in teacher education programs, the more positive and warm their attitudes toward students become
Idealism—becoming a teacher, they have high ideals in general and become particularly idealistic about children and education during their preparation
Students expect discipline—a discipline problem occurs when someone violates the expected orderly pattern of classroom behavior. Students are accustomed to being taught by experienced teachers who know how to manage and control them, usually rather effortlessly
Social distance—establishing an appropriate social distance comes with experience
Shared goals—the parent and teacher are natural partners. Both are working to help the child become a more fully developed person, and both want the child to be happy, sensitive, intelligent and well balanced

5. --Herbert Kohl, Teacher and Educational Writer
Differences in perception
Varied perceptions—teachers and parents are quite likely to perceive the same phenomenon in very different ways
Judgments on students
Differences of social class and experiences
Overburdened parents—working several jobs
The pain of change—going to school changes the child
Privilege and responsibility—will vary with teacher and parent outlooks
Teaching journal—can be any notebook that is large enough to hold your teaching thoughts and suggestions
Cultivating humility—humility is a virtue that has been all but drowned out in our modern culture
The love of nurturing and observing growth in others is essential to sustaining a life of teaching. This implies that no matter what you teach or how you present yourself to your students, you have to be on the learners’ side and to believe that they can and will grow during the time that you are together
--Herbert Kohl, Teacher and Educational Writer

6. Values of mentor—am experienced teacher who is willing to act as a guide and confidant through the first year
Establishing communication with parents—is a major goal and very essential
Physical health—teacher need to keep themselves healthy
Mental health—the stress and strain of a new teaching position can cause mild and severe depression. Know the signs
Key Terms
Culture shock
Mentor
Social distance
Teaching journal