Anyone got any advice for 1st teaching placement?

[twinsufficient]

I am about to start my first teaching placement on Monday and hoped there might be some top tips from those who have been there. It's not the children I'm worried about more things like where to sit in the staffroom,etc! Please share your wisdom...

Simple things can give a really bad impression - make sure you are dressed appropriately, arrive early and appear organised!

With your mentor then main thing is to be a proffesional - complete lesson plans on time, have resources prepared and ask questions. Be enthusiastic.

Give yourself a day to work out the dynamics of the staff - you will soon be able to work out if everyone has their own cup or sits in certain places.

Be friendly to the other student teachers - as no doubt you will all need to have a shoulder to cry in the first term!

And don't let the buggers (including staff) get you down!

Sounds as though you've been reading those books that tell you all about the staffroom chair etiquette but aren't so helpful about the stuff that actually matters! You're new; no-one will expect you to know where to sit or really mind anyway. Bring your own mug and tea, though...

There will be some old cynics (who, me?) who might ask why you want to teach and try to put you off - ignore their horror stories; you'll acquire enough of your own to amuse/shock/bore (delete as appropriate) your friends and family with soon enough.

Don't tell the kids stuff about yourself unless you are ok with them knowing that. They will be very nosy interested in you. You don't say if you're teaching primary or secondary, but if any questions are too personal, I always ask them why they would be soooo interested in me!

Hope Monday goes well - let us know.

I am not student anymore but as a teacher who has taught in many school I thought I would add my points. Hope this isn't presumptive. Also, not trying to be condescending but have put obvious things as they easily ger forgotten when you are busy and nervous!
Take a mug and teabags/jar of coffee/small container of milk and a packed lunch. Yiu will figure out if this is really necessary later but be prepared or you might go hungry and thirsty!
Don't be afraid to ask questions, nobody minds although pick your time -if a teacher is in the middle of teaching then you may have to wait.
Take a variety of pens/pencils and paper to make notes. If you have a USB stick, take that for schemes of work and set lists etc.

At some point you WILL write on a whitebpard in nonwipeable pen. We have all done it. The thing is how you deal with it. Don't walk off and leave it for the next user of the room. Ask for help from the person who teaches in that room or your mentor or any passing teacher. If all else fails the science prep room has stuff that will get it off.
Every staff room has an idiot who will tell you how bad everything is and try to pull you down. Noone else will speak to them so they target students who don't know any better - ignore.
Check your flies after going to the toilet - easily done.
Is is Ok if I sit here? before sitting down
Don't hog the photocopier and computers. Everyone else needs them too. Is it a common omplaint that if there are 3 computers in the staff room for general use, they are always all being used by struydents writing assignments. Be considerate and offer to give yours up if necessary. Same with photocopier - yes use it of course but for no more than 10 minutes at a time. I could tell stories of students trying to photocopy whole books in the last 10 minutes before school starts when the queue is massive. Remember most teachers will have far fewer frees than you to do all this.
Office staff and TAs are your friend. They are overworked and poorly paid so remember to say thank you and treat them with respect. If you get on their right side they will do loads for you!
If you make a mistake, own up. We all do it and I have found thsat if you go to someone and tell them what you have done and ask or help or advice they will bend over backwards for you. If you try to cover it up and they find out, they will make your life difficult.
Try not to run into school as the bell goes. It will be difficult if you have childten but you need those 5 or 10 minutes to get your head and resources sortyted. Ditti end of school.
Are you driving? Car parks are always a noghtmare and never enough spaces. Don't block anyone in, if you absolutely have to, put a note on your windscreen saying who you are and who your mentor is, in secondary what subject you are. If someone has to leave in an emergency they need to find you to get out.

Sorry, wrote far too much! good luck - it will be fine.
One last point, that may not apply to you. Late entrants to teaching who have had fairly senior positions before hand often forget that they are now the junior and not the boss! Yoo don't call the shots and can't order others around anymore. It sounds obvious but too many forget.

mnistooaddictive - top stuff, especially about using a wipeable board pen!

Thanks all. I am going to be in a junior school very local to me so at least I know the area/what kind of kids go there etc. Tbh I am more worried about writing on an IWB with a real pen as when I'm nervous my brains go to mush!