With graduation approaching, I know that many of you education majors are going to be walking into your own classroom this fall. As an education major myself, I am extremely nervous to have a classroom of my own. But, I have found many ways to help. So, here are a few tips you can use as you enter your first classroom!

1. All students have different ways of learning

Did you know that there are 7 different types of learning styles? The students in your classroom could be visual, auditory, verbal, kinesthetic, logical, interpersonal, or intrapersonal learners. Sounds crazy, right? You might be thinking, how am I going to be able to accommodate every single one of these styles for 25 students, maybe more? Well, you can use visuals such as maps, pictures, etc. Also, make sure to engage your students in conversation when teaching a lesson. For kinesthetic learners, make sure to include hands-on experiences. Also, add in ways to make them think about the lesson to be more logical.

Lastly, ALWAYS give them the option to work on problems in groups or by themselves. Every student has a preference that helps improve their learning. The best thing to do is observe your students, and always accommodate for every learning style the best you can.

2. Use technology

Today, technology is becoming more advanced than ever. With the click of a button, students can find the answers to anything. That is why as teachers, you will need to use that to their advantage. You can take the opportunity and dig deeper into your students’ education. It can even be an advantage for you. Say you’re struggling with how to teach a lesson; you can always investigate new ways on how to engage your students with technology.

This doesn’t mean let them be on their smartphones all day, but show them that incorporating technology into their learning is useful.

3. Let your students teach

When I was in high school, the one way I learned what was being taught the best was if I taught it back to someone else. Why would we have the student teach us if we are the teacher, you ask? Well, it is said that if the student is told to make lesson plans or present a topic on their own, they will learn more because they are given the opportunity to simplify it in a way that helps them understand. Letting your student teach can’t always be a bad thing, at least it gives you a break right?

4. Failure is okay

As future teachers, we need to remember that we are not going to succeed in everything the first time around. Many successful people did not get to where they are today just off of pure luck. First-year teachers have to make mistakes in order to know how you want your career to go in the future. Knowing that you might fail could also help you be more confident.

Being confident is going to help you become a good role model for your students as well because they need to know that just because they got a 40% on their 1^stmath quiz of the semester does not mean that they are going to fail the entire course.

5. Keep classroom habits

One thing you should have in your classroom is a habit. For example, if you are a math teacher and you are always trying to get your students to practice their multiplication problems, you can schedule a timed multiplication quiz at the same time every day. Another example could be an English teacher giving their students 20 minutes of free reading a day. These habits give your students something to look forward to and give your classroom structure.

6. Don’t be afraid to have fun

Who wants to learn in a classroom where everything is boring? In school, I know you all had that one teacher you did not want to see every day. Do NOT be that teacher. Be the one that all the students can't wait to come see. If it’s a nice day, go teach your lesson outside. Incorporate some funny videos (that relate to what you’re teaching of course), or even pictures. Crack jokes, and show the students it's okay to have fun in school. Making the learning environment fun is going to help your students want to learn, trust me.

7. You’re not just the teacher, you’re still a student

Believe it or not, you will learn the same, if not more, from being inside the classroom. As a teacher, you may learn to be more patient with your students through the years. Remember to pay attention and know that the more you practice, the more you will learn.

Now, I hope that all of the future educators reading this can learn something. Don’t forget to have fun in your classrooms and to go back to these 7 classroom tips if you ever need to. Good luck in your first year, and remember to be confident!