Dear Fellow Teacher,

Getting started in a new primary school classroom can be very daunting, scary, and stressful. It can be straight out very difficult.

Many teachers feel overwhelmed, nervous and unprepared before beginning their first primary school teaching position. In fact, if I was to survey all beginning teachers I’m confident over 90% would be feeling worried about their first day at school.

Teachers aren’t eased into their new role: we’re thrown in the deep end. Standing in front of your very own classroom is nothing like the student experience of taking a lesson. Virtually overnight, you are an expert and there are big expectations of you.

From your first day you will be expected to:

• attend professionally to routine administration matters
• have your classroom set and ready for Day 1
• know the appropriate expectations for every child in your class
• ensure there are no timetabling issues and, if so, fix them fast!
• find resources and have them ready for all lessons

New teachers are also be expected to:

• support those students who require individual attention
• contact and establish positive communication with class parents
• identify, plan and assess appropriately for each child’s level of ability
• vary your teaching strategies to cater for each individual child

..and that's just to name a few.

More than 17 years after stepping into my first classroom, I still remember the sheer fear and dread – and the sense of needing to survive – that I experienced as a new teacher.

Abolish (well as much as humanly possible) those scared and nervous feelings that you have about walking into the classroom with easy to follow checklists and virtually fail-proof activities that will get you started and help you survive your start to teaching.

A small sample of the essential things this guide will give you:
 

• The 5 critical points you MUST find out from your Principal before you arrive at your new school
• How to find the most important resources within the school (and yes… I even tell you what your most important resources are)
• Is your classroom prepared? The fatal mistake of all beginning teachers, make sure you check off this checklist
• Revealing the secrets to running a smooth First Day
• The 5 MUST DO’s that you need to have set up in the first week
• Have you got a behaviour management strategy that you know will work? (use these step by step strategies that have been tried and tested)
• An easy to use, 4 step discipline plan that actually works
• A ready to implement 5 week unit plan with brief lesson plans (save yourself the stress-all you need to do is follow the plan)