A colleague of mine is teaching a secondary social studies methods class at a local university this spring. He asked if I and another first year s.s. teacher would be willing to speak to his teacher candidates about what it’s like to be a first year teacher. Here’s what I know so far:

• Ask for help when you need it
• Do not isolate yourself in your classroom
• Get involved in your school! I coached 6th grade volleyball and ran the middle school dance and while it was overwhelming at times I am so happy I did it.
• Get to know your students as individuals - this makes ALL the difference
• You will make mistakes - learn from them and move on
• Do your best to involve parents and contact them with positive information about their students (not just concerns). Depending on the school you are at this might seem next to impossible and at times will be.
• Be responsive and communicate
• Sometimes a phone call is better than an email
• Don’t hide behind email as an excuse for not responding
• Create partnerships with your colleagues and borrow ideas and materials
• Don’t be a gossip 
• Heed other people’s advice but listen to your instincts
• Make time for yourself and those you care about outside of school - there will always be more work but you need to be able to go home and relax
• Listen to your students
• Don’t make assumptions
• Smile and laugh a lot - kids are funny! Being serious all the time is boring.
• Be who you are! It’s easy to want to emulate another teacher (and of course you can always learn something) but if it’s not who you are it’s not going to work. I worked with a teacher a few years back who did the “tough love” thing REALLY well. When I tried to do it I came off as a huge asshole. For me, it’s better to be more nurturing and sympathetic. I work better with students one-on-one when trying to accomplish something major.
• Don’t yell, even if you feel like yelling (who likes that?)
• It’s okay to cry - just try give yourself some privacy
• Don’t forget about all the things you learned in your teacher ed program! Reread books and review ideas if necessary. 
• Never quit learning
• Find an outlet… like Tumblr!
• Don’t vent to your significant other too much about your job - it’s not fair to them
• Don’t gossip - I’ll say it again because it’s so important. Teachers can be just like their students in this area and it’s damaging.
• Offer solutions when you’re frustrated with a situation, don’t simply complain
• Advocate for yourself and your students, chances are no one else will
• Apply for grants to get the materials you need to be a better teacher
• If you have curriculum you don’t love use it as a starting point to create something better
• Remember, the one doing the talking is doing the learning
• Have high expectations and hold students to them
• Be consistent!!! 
• Don’t be so hard on yourself
• Have fun!

Students/Parents/Veteran teachers - what advice do you have to add to the list?

More tips mentioned by others and a few more of my own:

• Get to know the facilities and main office staff - they make a lot happen in your building, more than you probably realize!
• Make yourself valuable to your school
• Be flexible - know when to ditch your plans
• If your students are really interested or invested in a concept it’s okay to spend more time in this area. Pacing be damned!
• Make your classroom a safe place for students to share ideas and opinions
• Establish a positive classroom culture - positive reinforcement is powerful and effective
• Take that sick day/personal day
• Don’t simply teach the same lesson over and over - adapt it to different students and classes. This will take some time, years even.
• Focus on the positive
• Finally, “Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.” T. Roosevelt