1. Early Bird

Complete tasks early• You’ll forget them if

they are discarded from the front of your head

• The guilty feeling only grows, turning the task in to an obstacle

• The feeling of SMUG SMUGGY SMUGNESS is fabulous

2. To Do List• Keep a little book on you as

you go around school and as things come into your head or arise due to conversations in the corridor write them down

• Cross them out when you have finished them

• Occasionally consolidate your list into a new list and use this as an opportunity to prioritise the things you need to do first

3. Get to know people- be friendly• People have a lot of different

roles in schools and to start with you are not going to know what everybody does

• Get to know people early on• Small gestures• When you need something,

e.g. ICT support or Learning support, you will already know them making it easier to get help

• You will be seen as a team player

• Manners don't cost anything!• Get to know site manager and

office staff (particularly Bursar)

4. Blow your own Trumpet

Find a willing audience• Preferably bound to you

through blood or legal document

• Keep it secret, keep it safe

• Don’t be too much of a big head (don’t believe your own hype!)

• Keep a book of all the nice things people say/ positive progress reports

5. Reflect, don’t compareAvoid comparing

yourself to other teachers/ NQT’s

• They will have an entirely different set of concerns, strengths and standards

• They are probably struggling as much as you, but they have a different way of showing or dealing with it.

There is always one show off who has it sorted, and will update their status with a variety of comments that make you want to punch your own face. Be satisfied that one day someone out there will slap them. Hard.

6. Rewards (for you, not them)

Give yourself treats• These should be regular• They may be either

wholesome or not• Look forward to and

relish them. Pretend to yourself that you are enjoying them even more than you actually are. Exaggerate the good

7. Emotional Rewards for you

These may not roll in for a while

• Especially in Secondary, the kids are less cute

• A year is a short time to form attachments

• Your relationship with them on their journey through school form the basis of the ‘it’s worth it’ moments.

8. Rewards for them• Rewards should be positive

and encourage good behaviour and not a lack of bad

• Specific verbal praise just as important as tangible rewards, verbal praise particularly effective when said to whole class, e.g. whilst doing a whole class activity, it can spur other children on

• Bribery is not always a dirty word if used in a positive way. Offer incentives but Always deliver what you have offered

9. Masking Tape

• Everything in teaching is rickety behind the scenes, held together by masking tape and string

• Make sure that lesson content is the main focus

• Even the most carefully planned lessons in terms of resources can go belly up, it is more important that the students are engaged

10. Plan time effectively• Important to split time

between work time and leisure time

• When working for school try and be productive and don't make excuses

• If you have said that you are going to do that piece of marking that evening, do it

• STOP: For your mental health this is really important. NQT year is a lot of work and having periods of time where you can truly relax is massively important

• LITTLE BUT OFTEN