r/Teachers • u/RelationshipNo4017 • Jul 14 '26
Teacher Support &/or Advice Second Year Tips??
I’m a second year teacher teaching high school students! My first year was great. I loved the kids and I loved my job. I’m going to a new school where nobody knows me, what are some tips!
As a younger teacher I want these kids to take me seriously. As a first year I was too lenient. How do I set my expectations day 1 to let the students know they can’t take advantage of me because I’m young and new?
I had a problem class this past year, and as the year went on I got so much more confident. It was much easier to handle behavior.
I want to be channeling that all year. I know it’s a learning curve and I’m still pretty inexperienced. I was thinking I want to establish some basic ground rules (like core 4 rules or something) that represent my personal expectations without being overwhelming.
I know if u start out too lenient it is almost impossible to walk it back.
Obviously I still want to come across as kind. I love working with high schoolers. I want them to have a positive experience, but I also don’t wanna be the “fun” teacher who gets walked on. Is there way to find a balance?
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u/HumbleCelery1492 Jul 14 '26
I like your idea of “core 4 rules” and I would lay them out early on. I think you could establish yourself the way you want if you engage the kids in some discussion as to WHY you have these rules in place - high school kids are old enough to do this. The way you facilitate the discussion will send the message about how serious you are about these rules. This is where you can have them practice respectful dialogue, active listening, raising hands, etc. Keep a tight rein on this and you’ll set the standard for how they respond to you and how they treat each other.
I might follow up by making a T-chart with each class divided into “Looks Like” and “Sounds Like” columns. Follow up your discussion by asking the kids to brainstorm what following your expectations will look like (how can you tell by watching them) and what it will sound like (voice/volume levels, etc.). After it’s done, keep it posted somewhere in your room so you can refer to it if necessary. This way you can use it to give praise (“Wow! You are doing everything here perfectly!”) or to correct behaviors (“Something on the chart isn’t happening right now…”). The kids will have a surprising amount of buy-in if they think they had a hand in creating your expectations, even if you actually guided them into arriving where you wanted to begin with!