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New Teachers

TEA welcomes you, and we want you to stay! Check out these classroom resources and tips that can help you and your students. Click Here
New Teachers - What you Need to Know

What you need to know can often be what mentors and Association Reps sometimes forget to tell you–the basics. It’s information that they simply take for granted. So, if you already know where to park and you have your gradebook in hand, here are some more things to know and have.

Know:

  • Your school hours
  • Your classroom and curriculum duties and responsibilities
  • Additional duties and responsibilities such as bus, hall and lunch duties
  • The contract language or policy on:
         Homework
         Dispensing medication
         Referrals to special programs
         E-mail and Internet usage
         Grading
         Fire Drills and lockdowns
         Field trips
  • How to handle a sick day, personal leave day or an emergency for you
  • Who to contact in case of a classroom or school emergency
  • When faculty, team or other regular meetings are held
  • Where and how to get classroom supplies
  • How to communicate with parents
  • How to fill out school forms
  • How and when you are paid; payroll deductions
  • What insurance coverage you have
  • When is open house and what is the policy or procedure for it

Be sure you have:

  • Required district forms such as W-2, insurance enrollment, teaching license, contract
    Grade book or other student record forms
  • Calendar
  • A copy of the student handbook

Forms you will need during the first week:

  • Accident reports
  • Absence reports
  • Hall passes

Other Helpful Resources

 

People Resources:

  • Your mentor
  • Your Association leaders and building representatives
  • Your Uniserv Coordinator
  • EA Headquarters Staff (800-342-8367) in Instructional and Professional Development, Government Relations, Communications, Research, Organizing, Higher Ed and ESP.

Websites

The Tennessee Education Association serves more than 55,000 members across the state by providing information on professional development, bargaining, legislative action and communications. Find conference schedules, the latest education news and important dates to remember as you explore this site. Use the links on the left to open a world of information for Tennessee's Teachers.

 

Beginning Teachers on the Web, again provided by NEA, includes hands-on tips, printable resources and interactive features especially designed for new teachers in the NEA Teacher Toolkit.

 

Tomorrow’s Teachers—2003 is an NEA program designed for college students looking to be teachers but there are a variety of resources that can help you deal with the first days on the job.

 

Works4Me provides weekly practical classroom tips submitted by teachers across the country. You can join the mailing list and receive two tips each week, courtesy of the National Education Association. Also available is an archive of more than 400 tips, ideas and solutions that you can use in your classroom right now.