Embarking on such a rewarding career as teaching is a key moment and opens up a whole new world of potential, but it also comes with a set of important responsibilities.
It is well worth remembering that being a teacher demands that a code of conduct and a set of standards is rigorously adhered to at all times. One false move, such as an accusation of sexual misconduct, as an extreme example, would require you to speak with a sex crime attorney today in order to try and salvage the situation and get your career back on track.
Let’s take a look at some of the mistakes that have the capacity to ruin a new teacher’s career before it has a chance to truly develop.
A lack of willingness to learn
When you first earn your stripes and become a qualified teacher it can be easy to make the assumption that you know almost everything there is to know about teaching and it is now a matter of following a well-trodden path to success.
Unfortunately, that attitude is often a recipe for potential disaster and it should always be remembered that gaining the qualifications needed to teach is just the start of the journey.
A new teacher needs to be willing to learn and develop their skills with an open mind.
A lack of strategy can quickly stall your new career
Most successful teachers have a clear strategy for success that they use as a blueprint that is then adjusted according to the impact that it has on the students.
A good tip to follow for a new teacher would be to always judge the impact their style of teaching has no new students and adjust it accordingly.
A lack of willingness to develop strategies could make it harder to get the positive response to your teaching methods that get you noticed and allow you to progress.
Perfection is very hard to achieve
As a new teacher, you will want everything to be perfect and you will no doubt be fired up to deliver outstanding teaching to your students.
It is wise to be mindful that it is not possible to do everything perfectly and mistakes will happen.
Knowing that you are going to fail sometimes and it is inevitable that there will be good and bad days is a good mindset to adopt.
Managing student behavior
One of the most popular reasons teachers leave the profession is because of their inability to manage student behavior.
You should know that good student behavior is critical to student learning and one of the problems you will face as a new teacher is the fact that your university education doesn’t give you much preparation for this.
Maintain a professional distance
The most major mistake that a new teacher can make is to blur the line between the teacher and student relationship.
Building a successful relationship with students is often key to teaching success but it should go without saying that if any encounter with a student brings your conduct into question, it is the sort of scenario that can quickly ruin a career.
Teaching is rewarding and challenging in equal measure, something that new recruits quickly discover.