Last Spring I reached out to some first year teachers in my district to do some “research” on what kind of support first year teachers need in the classroom. Brittany was one of the sweet teachers who responded and met up with me at a local coffee shop after a long day of teaching fourth graders.
Our friendship started there, then I got to know her more when we attended the Kagan Cooperative Learning Conference together, she filmed with me for Operation Organization, and she helped me figure out how to post stories to my Instagram!
First Year Teachers
Brittany was such a joy to talk to. Because she just wrapped up her first year and is in the throes of year two, we chatted all about that first year. We talked about some of the things we didn’t expect during our first year, things that surprised us, and ways we have dealt with difficult students in our classroom.
Brittany always gives us a quick overview of Kagan Cooperative Learning and talks about the awkwardness of saying hi to Dr. Kagan even though he didn’t remember her or her friends. She shares with us about Class Meetings and how important it is to incorporate meetings, team builders, and class builders into your daily schedule.
I know that you will leave this episode feeling encouraged. And mostly, you will leave feeling validated. Teaching can be so isolating and I know sometimes I felt like everyone else was doing just fine, it was only me struggling. But when Brittany, an Instagram superstar, opens up about her struggles, it reminds me that we ALL struggle!
Resources from the Podcast
I’d love for you to have a listen HERE! And I would especially love it if you shared it with your other teacher friends!!!
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