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How I Survived My First Year Teaching at YES Prep

June 14, 2011 by Laura Clare Somers

teachers with the oprah check It was a sunny day in April when I got the call from Phil Wright, the fearless YES Prep Southeast Campus School Director, congratulating me on being chosen for a teaching position. I jumped for joy – well, as much as my tiny cubicle at my previous job would allow - because this was my dream job, at my dream school. I would finally have the chance to become a math teacher and serve motivated and inspiring students in a low-income area. Once over the initial excitement, the next question was: “Now what?”

It turns out, when you sign on as a first year teacher at YES Prep, there is a whole lot of “what.” I was soon contacted by leaders of Teaching Excellence, the wonderful alternative certification and teacher coaching team that supports all first year YES Prep teachers. I was to attend a two-week induction period, during which I would gain all of the necessary skills to conquer my first year in the classroom. Well, it turns out that you can’t learn everything there is to know about teaching in just two week, but Teaching Excellence did a fantastic job of preparing me and my fellow new recruits for the challenges that lay ahead.

Day one of the school year arrived after a frantic week of trying to get my classroom “ready” for the 100 new students that were about to grace its presence. My first flounder happened in the first five minutes of the day when a student introduced herself and I responded: “Laura Somers, nice to meet you!” I had completely forgotten that I was now “Ms. Somers” and that first names of adults were a thing of the past. Oh well, on I plunged into a hectic first week of figuring out what on earth I was supposed to do with 35 students in a classroom for 100 minutes at a time (7^thgrade math utilizes a double block system, where students attend math class for two class periods in a row).

Enter my savior of my first semester of teaching: Instructional Coach Ashley Harris. Teaching Excellence provides each first year teacher with an Instructional Coach – a wonderful angel who appears once a week to observe your class, debrief the ups and downs of the observation, and problem solve any issues that the new teacher may have. Without the help of my Instructional Coach, I would have been drowning in a sea of lesson plans, guided notes, grading, and student misbehaviors. Ashley was always able to help me stand back from the week, take a look at the big picture, and refocus my goals. She aided me in setting up routines, procedures, motivational systems, and everything else that made my class ultimately successful by the end of the year.

Throughout my first year of teaching, I was consistently supported by colleagues and team leaders alike. I was fortunate enough to be a part of a wonderful and collaborative Content Team, where all 7^thgrade math teachers come together to plan the curriculum, share resources, and improve teaching strategies of specific objectives. The administrative team at my campus offered help at every turn, whether it was breaking down mounds of data into something meaningful or bringing a delicious Sprinkles cupcake by my classroom during Teacher Appreciation Week. The vertical alignment between grade levels allowed me to collaborate with both 6^thand 8^thgrade math teachers to ensure that we were providing consistent and rigorous instruction for all students, regardless of grade level.

Now that my first year is over, and I finally have the opportunity to breathe and reflect on the accomplishments my students achieved this past year, I can see that challenges which once seemed insurmountable — likeintroducing variables during our Algebra unit — were just tiny speed-bumps along the road to success. The support given to first year teachers at YES Prep is one of a kind, and it is a whole team of people that I have to thank for my achievements. So consider this my formal thank you to each and every one of you who helped me along the way; from your simple words and notes of encouragement to providing invaluable content resources, this year would not have been the same without you.

Laura Somers is a 7^thGrade Introduction to Algebra teacher at YES Prep Southeast. She attended Texas A&M University (Whoop!) for her undergraduate and graduate degrees, and worked as a commercial real estate appraiser before delving into the world of education at YES Prep Public Schools.