You have almost completed that first, difficult term in school. The pupils in your classes are now familiar names and faces, and you have developed a better relationship with some than others. Terms two and three should be slightly easier and less hectic, but will nevertheless bring their own challenges.
Now is the time to reflect on what you want to achieve in the coming months. Are there any gaps in your knowledge or training that you need to address, for example? Do you need any help or support with your classroom management, and is your work/life balance enabling you to have the lifestyle you want?
Maryse Dare, a former NQT secondary mentor, who is now a mathematics coach, told SecEd: “By now you will have an idea of your own areas for development. Be class-specific. For example, your classroom management may be successful with key stage 3 but you may need support with year 10.
“Ask colleagues to come in and offer suggestions and go to watch the same students with different teachers to see what works elsewhere. If it isn’t working elsewhere at least it gives you a frame of reference.
“One great strategy I employed with new teachers is joint observations. An experienced teacher buddied with the NQT and jointly watched a lesson, chatting (at a low level) to highlight behaviour strategies that were being applied. Many behaviour management techniques are unobtrusive and difficult for new staff to identify so a helping hand may point you in the right direction.”
Dani Best, an NQT mentor at Valley Park School, in Maidstone, Kent, agrees. She said that observing more experienced colleagues was an excellent way of improving your own practice.
“It’s worth asking colleagues in your department if they’re experiencing similar challenges with the same child or group of children, and if not, finding out what they do to keep the problem at bay,” she said. “You must not be afraid to ask for help or advice if you’re finding something difficult.”
As an NQT you should be getting a good and appropriate amount of CPD. Many secondary schools have regular meetings for new entrants and offer twilight sessions to NQTs where they can discuss any problems or challenges and share experiences with other teachers in a similar situation. Sometimes this is done on an inter-school basis with neighbouring secondaries or within Teaching School Alliances.
“Definitely raise any issues or worries that you have with your mentor or head of department,” Ms Best continued. “If you’re not getting the CPD you need then you should say so. Every teacher will have different needs and areas that they need help with. The NQT year should be about tackling these issues and making sure you get the training you need.”
Vitally, NQTs must not get too down about lessons that have gone badly. Often it is only one part of the lesson that hasn’t gone to plan. “You might have one bad class in a whole week of great work, so don’t think about that one for too long. Learn from any mistakes, but celebrate the good bits too,” said Ms Best.
She added that teaching could be quite isolating so it was important to leave your classroom at break-times and meet with colleagues in the staffroom.
“It’s a great opportunity for talking through any problems or frustrations and getting some advice from colleagues who have been there and done it all before,” Ms Best said. “And other staff may be going through the same difficulties.
“It’s also good to just be physically away from the classroom for a while, so you feel refreshed and ready to go back for subsequent lessons in the day.”
Work/life balance is always an issue for teachers, regardless of age and experience. The demands on a teacher’s time are many and varied and will manifest themselves both in school and outside. Setting yourself a routine to deal with the day-to-day tasks that need doing will help you to manage your time.
Ms Dare said: “By terms two and three you will know homework routines and have a handle on the students who need more support and the classes who need more careful preparation to proactively manage behaviour.
“Plan how you will use your free periods. For example, if you have a free period on Monday then use it for marking year 11 homework, or whichever group has handed in recently. Also set aside time for positives: call or email two parents a week to share positives. Good news spreads and this can positively impact on your relationships with students.”
It is also important to find time for yourself, family and friends out of school. Set aside at least one evening a week for going out or not working, if you can, and keep either Saturday or Sunday completely free of any work activities so they don’t eat up your weekend. During the week, try and do as much lesson-planning, marking and report-writing during school hours to limit the amount of time you need to spend on this at home.
The message from Ms Dare is “look after yourself”. She said: “Christmas and New Year is full of family commitments, social events and you will have been catching up on marking and planning so it is likely you haven’t had a full break and relaxation. I remember one year spending Christmas morning marking exam papers to ensure I had time to go out on New Year’s Eve. With hindsight, the papers could have waited.”
She added: “The spring term starts with commuting in the dark, the daylight hours lost due to being in the classroom, so take a short walk outside at lunchtime to get a bit of sun.
“It may seem like time lost but the reality is that if you don’t look after yourself you will not be able to do your job efficiently or to the best of your ability. Build in exercise. This uses the adrenalin caused by stress and is essential for overall wellbeing.
"If you have had difficulty with your voice in the first term then speak to the music department and ask about some voice coaching; your voice is an invaluable tool so look after it well.”
Ms Dare added that it was important for new entrants to keep in mind why they became a teacher, but not to let it take over their lives.
“You’ve made the commitment to train to do one of the best jobs in the world. It’s also one of the most difficult and the challenges are often difficult for those who are not teachers to really see. They don’t see the 1am writing of reports, or the hidden tears in the stationery cupboard. They don’t see the 500 interactions you have or the evening phone calls to check up on that student who is struggling.
“They don’t see the one-to-one support at lunchtimes or the gentle talk with students in your tutor group when you see them wandering around alone at break-time. It is difficult, but it is rewarding and is definitely worth doing. But most importantly, you have to look after yourself first to let you look after others.”
- Dorothy Lepkowska is a freelance education writer.
NQT Special Edition - November 2015
This article was published in November 2015 as part of SecEd's bi-annual NQT Special Edition, supported by the NASUWT. You can download a free PDF of all eight pages via our Supplements page: http://www.sec-ed.co.uk/supplements/