Starting new job at Easter

[PumpkinPie2013]

Evening everyone I was lucky enough to have a successful interview last week and have a new job starting after Easter!

I'm very excited but equally very nervous! I'll still be an NQT but in my final term having done two years at my current place.

I know it sounds daft but has anyone got any tips for starting mid year? I really want to do well in my new school and I'm worried I'll get it all wrong!

Would you recommend just a quick introduction and then straight into proper learning - this is my current plan as I want to start as I mean to go on but I may be barking up the wrong tree!

I'm secondary btw.

Any advice would be gratefully received

[lozengeoflove]

Congratulations! I would get lots info on classes during handover and then spend time going over expectations, behaviour etc. Plan lots of engaging lessons too of course. Will you be teaching across all key stages? What subject?

[superram]

I have been teaching 15 years and started at Easter last year. I found it really hard, the kids were really tough. I feel completely different about the school and the kids now. Be prepared it might be quite hard but worth it if it's the right school for you.

[PumpkinPie2013]

Thank you both!

Lozengeoflove I teach Science and will teach across all key stages. I'm going to arrange to go into school before the Easter holiday so I can get class info and familiarise myself with the school a bit more.

Superram I'm glad you like your school now, I'm prepared for it being tough at first but I do really like the look of the school so hopefully I will settle in ok

Very exciting but very scary!

[bumbleclat]

I started in April last year, I found the biggest difficulty was the behaviour management side of things because I didn't know the children that well and hey didn't know me. I delegated behaviour management to the TAs who I would ask to sit with particular children on the carpet when i was teaching or manage behaviour if I needed to show them a practical thing.
Follow through with what you threaten you will do swell don't be scared of parents not liking you!
Good luck, it's lovely the summer term and will be over before you know it.
Since starting back in Sept there have been no behaviour issues at all.

[Minispringroll]

I'm starting after Easter. It's a year group I haven't taught before, but I'm actually really excited about it. My new class will have had various supply teachers for most of the year so far, so I'm interested so see how behaviour is going to pan out. However, I'm not too worried. I usually teach quite challenging Y6 classes, so I hope they'll be ok.
I'm sorry about leaving my current class, but I know that they will do just fine without me. I hope.

I'm hoping that starting in the summer term will be quite nice. I like the summer term, usually. It also means that when we start back in September, I'll have been at the school already for a while, know the planning, staff, children, etc.

[bumbleclat]

Yes I loved coming back after the summer holidays already able to hit the ground running.
Good luck!

[Olivo]

I started after Easter many years ago, the ninth supply teacher they had had in my subject that year. The children told me they would probably make me cry and leave too. I told them I had come from a school where the students were much tougher than them, and it was unlikely. Total bravado on my part......but it worked . It was hard for the first few weeks, but everyone as keen to help, and by the September, it felt like, I'd been there forever, which I have now!

Good luck, and enjoy it!

[GinandJag]

Assuming you have had a decent handover, tell them your name and get straight into teaching.

If you need to figure out what they've been doing by looking at their books, prepare a filler lesson. But since you are starting after Easter, ask the HOD to take in their books before the end of term so you can have a good look at them in advance, and know exactly where you need to pick up from.

[PumpkinPie2013]

Thanks for all the new replies - only just had chance to come back to the thread!

Behaviour management does worry me a bit because I'll be a new face to the kids but I'm going to do seating plans etc. from the start which I hope will help!

Olivio I love thatI'm glad it worked and you ended up being happy at the school!

GinandJag I'd not even thought of asking for the books to be collected so thanks for that tip

Good luck to everyone else starting at Easter hopefully the weather will be getting warmer and sunnier by then which I find really helps

[SueLawleyandNicholasWitchell]

Get a photo print out of the class with names and learn them in advance. Then you'll be able to call them by name and that will help a lot.

[Minispringroll]

Is there a way for you to have a handover day or meeting with the current teacher? I'll be going in to have a look at planning, books, policies, getting info on the class, looking at resources, etc.
At a previous school, we had the new teacher come in and team teach with the old one, to get a feel for the class and to get to know them.

I'm quite interested to find out about my "new ones" and really keen to get started. I've already mostly handed my class over to their new teacher and currently feel a bit like a spare part, who is meant to sit in the corner and not voice an opinion. (I'm not very good with that role...lots of swear words going through my mind,...which reminds me why I'm leaving in the first place...get through the day by quietly humming "let it go...let it go..." every so often)

[PumpkinPie2013]

Thought I'd come back to this thread now as with just over a week to go I'm feeling feeling equally excited and a bag of nerves!

I have my timetable and classes data, schemes of work and I have been in to school this holiday and sorted my classroom.

Next week I need to plan lessons for the first week but I have a rough outline already which is good

So, I'm pretty much all set - I think I actually want the first day to arrive quickly so I can get it over with because the anticipation is making me nervous!

How is everyone else starting new jobs feeling?

[lozengeoflove]

Sounds like you are very organised -pumpkin. Hope you don't get too many school nightmares dreams this week.

Good luck with it all. I'm formally starting my maternity leave next Monday, so kind of like starting a new job