1. Dress the Part- You are not dressing up as a good as say a mob boss, but you can still look good, at the very least a tie and black polish-able shoes. Remember, comfort is crucial! As for pants, go for dress-however in smaller schools it is not uncommon to see coloured "denims"-for ladies, you are well expected not to show off breasts, cleavage, toes, or bellies. With that in mind yoga pants may be common in some working environments-for your own personal image it is highly recommended to avoid where them as a teacher.
Really for young professionals it is generally the same in most places. If you don't feel comfortable wearing it-you probably shouldn't be (even if it does look right, it will mess up your vibe for the entire day). Invest something that looks nice and feels good.
2. Be prepared for class- It is not unheard that a teacher leaves something important in their office and needs to run back to claim it. It is also true that different working environments have different norms due to the fact that understandably people make mistakes when "multi-tasking" (not a thing by the way). It is important that teachers remember to bring everything needed to the office, classroom etc. however some teachers are constantly moving copious amounts of things from "A" to "B". This means that there is a higher possibility of leaving "something" behind.
TIP: Take what you need, avoid carrying extra stuff between class and office.
Investment Opportunity: Laptop bag or professional looking school bag.
3. Genuine Listening Skills- As a new teacher you SURELY had "genuine listener" on your resume and cover letter as a marketable skill! If not, you certainly should consider it. But aside from having that skill written down-make sure you "got it down". Listen more than you speak. Take advice, ask questions-don't demand you are right because in reality-you just arrived. More to see than do at this point in your career.
4. Keep it Simple at First- I'll be honest this is the hardest one for me. Choose your volunteered tasks wisely and set goals. Know what you want out of this first experience and then create a plan of how you are going to grow. My first year yielded a marking time till about 9 PM most nights and I would be the first one in the office (sometimes even the school at 6 AM). It worked out, but I certainly felt the relief of difference when I finally got to vacation.
5. Pay Attention to Your Success- Don't get bogged down by a mistake, learn from it and feel proud of what you do well. For every mistake you make, someone else will also make one. You may feel like "I was the last one to mess up and no one will ever forget" until someone else does make a mistake.Not the best way to look at it but in reality the way the human brain works, usually that is how people feel. The best thing to do is reflect on your possible opportunities for improvement in the future. Don't go and frame or create a situation for anyone (making enemies and "framing" are forms of workplace bullying and possibly even discrimination-don't engage in conflicting personalities).
6. Seek Support From Your Colleagues- Help is good, it doesn't make you inferior. You are teacher for goodness sake. Is this not what we tell the students?
7. Set Professional Goals for Yourself- 21 Days of Teacher fashion on social media; 21 days of home made lunches; 21 days of different books read-these may seem like goals and sure to extent they say something about your character. A professional goal should look something along the lines of long term. If you are not that far into your life where you are thinking that you are interested in promotional opportunities in the near future, start off small. Delivery of timely feedback, saying hello to most people that pass you in the hallways, etc.
8. Stay Organized-This is most certainly the hardest for me. Hands down though it makes a difference, especially when you need to role model.
9. Control- Even in the most chaotic of times, you need to remember you are the one who is in charge of roughly 30 people at any given time. Do not snap, lose your cool or break. When you feel a meltdown coming on. Sometimes it is a good time to have an energizing moment with your class or plan some more relaxed activities for the class rather than content heavy materials.
10. See Opportunities Instead of Disasters- As mentioned earlier before, stay positive and look at what you do well; reflecting on failures for the sake of self-improvement is important, but don't dwell on mistakes.
