Calendar of Needs and Concerns of Novice Teachers

August	September	October	November	December	January
Orientation Issues: Mentor assignment School layout Resources Procedures & Policies: Class assignments Schedules Grade books Duties Pay day Lesson plans Dress code Discipline Principal’s expectations School and District Policies Instruction: First day plans Curriculum guide EOC and EOG testing Am I Ready?	The first observation Grading Pay day Discipline and classroom management Resources Lesson plans Time management Non-instructional duties Parent contacts and conferences Paperwork, paperwork, and more paperwork!!	Time management Staff development (vs. workdays) The end of the grading period Regrouping for instruction Report cards Progress reports Parent conferences New instructional units Homework vs. extracurricular activities Procedural questions Field trips Halloween! Book fairs Exhaustion and disillusionment Self-confidence Instructional funds (or lack of)	Motivation (reports cards have been received) Thanksgiving schedule Interference from football, volleyball, etc. Curriculum alignment Formal evaluations Fatigue	Grades Exams End-of-course tests Exhaustion Money—Christmas is here! Vacation Holiday programs Discipline—Christmas is here! Self-doubt Mid-year crisis Second semester Finishing this term Pass/Fail rates Apathy (the students’ and their own!) Student motivation Are my students learning…?	Back on task—vacation is over! Students’ progress—Are they where they need to be? Possible retention (letters to parents) Writing tests Illness and absences (students’ and teacher’s) Disillusionment—again. Is this all there is?

Calendar of Needs and Concerns of Novice Teachers

(continued)

February	March	April	May	June	July
Testing—EOG, Writing Retentions Final evaluations Easter vacation & the weather Summer employment Cabin fever (students’ and their own!) Classroom management Changes in student behavior…(See cabin fever) THEIR JOB	End-of-grade testing Class academic standing Retention policy Spring Break! The weather! THEIR JOB Covering the curriculum Cumulative folders	Testing—EOG, EOC Exams End of school timelines Retention—again! Parent conferences Observations and evaluation Professional development plan THEIR JOB Summer jobs Chaperoning end-of-year field trips	Testing—still!! Class standing Pass/Fail rates; retention Next year’s supply order Parent concerns Classroom motivation End-of-year reports Cumulative records Constant disruptions—field trips, the intercom, end-of-year programs THEIR JOB	Paperwork, paperwork, and more paperwork!! Book counts Fines Report cards Check-out list Classroom management Cumulative folders	Summer employment Next year’s assignment Next year’s students Pay day AM I READY?