Coping with tough situations as a new teacher is all par for the course, but it can certainly take its toll on how much you will like your job from the get-go. Knowing in advance what to expect would be ideal, although there are many instances that can arise in the course of your educational career that you never read about in the textbooks. Making that much-discussed but seldom realized smooth transition from student (at a university) to teacher can be challenging. Let's look at some stressful scenarios that may come about during your early years of teaching and how you can cope with them and come out smiling on the other side.

Chaos in the Classroom

If you are the rare and lucky teacher who gets a classroom full of well-behaved and well-mannered students, be amazed and consider yourself the most fortunate teacher ever. There will always be some bad apples in the mix that will cause you some trouble and spread chaos. This may be especially true for first year teachers who have not yet established a reputation and are sometimes tested by their charges. The best way that you can prepare for impending chaos is to carefully plan out the beginning stage of the difficult first year, and organize your classroom well ahead of time. Determine what you expect from your students and set this out in definite and very specific guidelines that you put in writing and distribute to your students. And stick with it. Consistently remembering and enforcing your own rules is the only way that you will ever see order in the classroom, and although it may seem difficult at first, you will thank yourself when you don't have students climbing the walls and hanging off the ceiling.

Friends or Students?

Many first year teachers have only been out of high school themselves for a few years, which puts them at a very close age to their students if they are teaching the upper grades. There is a thin line between teacher and friend when the age differences is so minimal, but at all times, remember who is in control. It is one thing to wish to be accepted by your students, but a whole other ballgame when your students think of you as merely their buddy and not an authority figure. In fact, becoming too close to your students because of your similarities in age will be an open invitation for conflict and possible disrespect on your part. The main principle to remember in these situations is to keep your private life just that - private - and to remember that you are the adult, no matter how much you care for your students. The line between you is a thin one, so don't cross it.

Tests from Parents

New teachers are often tested by parents, especially if they have other children in the same school and realize how fresh you are to the educational system. Set your expectations and make them clear. Just because you are new to the game doesn't mean that you can't play well. Your interactions with parents should be calm and level-headed, friendly but always firm. You will understand this concept the more that you deal with your students' parents, and much of your interaction with them will come from trial and error and experience. Some teachers recommend that you remember the old adage of not letting them see you "sweat"; basically it boils down to not letting parents push your "buttons".

Being a Doormat

Non-tenured does not mean doormat. While it is not true for all schools, sometimes the new "kid" on the block ends up being used for all they are worth. Set boundaries right away and don't allow yourself to become enslaved by other teachers or faculty because you're trying to win friends. You're working for yourself and it's not a popularity contest. Helping out from time to time is okay, but feel free to say "no" without feeling guilty or without worry of reprisal.

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