What I wish I had known in my NQT

yearHannah Williams

Business Studies Teacher Peter Symonds College

Big Changes• Responsibility increases• You are in charge for groups passing or

failing.• Having a tutor group – the work that

comes with this pastoral responsibility• You suddenly have to deal with all the

issues and procedures that being a member of staff brings

Workload• We all moaned about the workload in the

PCGE year but it is about to step up a notch.• Admin will be a constant battle there will be

reviews, procedures and paperwork!!• The first term will be endless and by

Christmas you will be fit to drop• But on the plus side the teaching part of

your job will get easier.

The 10 things I wish I had know in my NQT

Year (1)• Enjoy the good moments and don’t let the

bad get you down.• You will have great lessons or tutorials were

things go well and you feel on top of the world. Savour them

• You will also have times when you feel the worst teacher in the world and wonder if you can continue doing this. Don’t let it get to you. Reflect in a positive way and move on.

2• You cannot be outstanding all the time

cut yourself some slack• If you try to do outstanding lessons

everyday you will exhaust yourself. • It is more important to be

consistent. To understand what students need and will respect classroom management is key.

3• Use all resources available to you

• Ask stupid questions (they probably aren’t as stupid as not asking them)

• Watch teachers (observing others from different subject areas can be useful)

• Copy resources (do you have a central drive where resources are shared?)

• Ask for support and guidance (You have a mentor use them and other more experienced teachers in your department)

• Ask for training (you are entitled to be trained)

4• Don’t try and be someone you are not

• Your teaching style is yours don’t try and copy someone else’s

• It is tempting when you see a respected teacher in your department to want to copy them.

• You are not them. Take the things you can use but stay true to yourself.

5• Be organised – when the pressure hits

organisation and knowing where things are will help

• Organisation and planning means your lessons go well.

• Your students know when you are struggling and are disorganised you need a safety net in lessons to help you organisation is that net..

6• Learn the students names quickly • This will help you to discipline and

praise better.• Students know when you are unsure of

their name they will play on this.• I try to learn 4-5 names a lesson don’t

overload yourself.

7• Don’t isolate yourself• You are busy, you run from class to

class there is no time to talk to people.• Make sure you do talk to people get

out and go to the staff room or canteen at least once a week. It will be good for you.

8• Find short cuts

• Labels or pro forma marking sheet• Have a comment bank for reports• Have a system to record key

information on students for easy recall

• Find ways to make it easier

9• Lessons will go wrong you sometimes you

completely miss the mark. This is not a problem it is how you handle them.

• Trust yourself you know when it isn’t working the key is to not plough on regardless have the confidence to change tack.

• Having back up resources even pens and paper can total change a lesson. (worth watching at home)

• You will start to know what is right for class A is not the same for B and trust yourself.

10• You will make mistakes

• learn from them and move on. • Dwelling on things is not helpful.• They are a useful tool to make you a

better teacher.