6 Top tips for surviving your NQT Year

Over the last three years, I have worked with many NQTs in my capacity as NQT Lead here at YSJ. As many of you begin your new roles as NQTs this week, I felt it was an ideal time to share with you some of the key messages that have been shared with me.

1.     Pace yourself – I understand that the first few weeks of term will be very exciting (and possibly nerve-wracking too) and that you will be wanting to prove your worth as the ‘newbie’ in school by volunteering for extra responsibilities such as clubs.  However, when considering after school clubs, it may be worth waiting until the spring or summer term to run your own club.  Perhaps you could start by helping another member of staff?

2.     Take time to reflect – this may sound like ‘university-talk’ or something that will be very low on your priority list but those NQTs who take the time out to reflect on their teaching, find it extremely useful.  Make notes that will then inform future planning but also think about the longer term and how this will help to develop you as a teacher.

3.     Make time for you – be strict in making sure that you ‘switch off’ from work every evening.  It may be that you join a gym (booking gym classes are a great way to make sure you leave work at a certain time to get there!) or take up a new hobby but make sure you do something that will take your mind away from school.  It may also be useful to set boundaries for what time you leave work, perhaps making sure that at least one or two days a week you leave early and leave your laptop & files at school to resist the temptation to work in the evening!

4.     Talk to others – take time to get to know and chat with other members of staff.  It can be very tempting to shut yourself away in your classroom once the children leave but having someone to chat to about your day and to bounce ideas off can be really useful and often stress-relieving.  Remember your YSJ buddies too – contact fellow NQTs to see how things are going; you may even have some advice for each other.

5.     Be organised – keep a planner/ diary with all significant dates/ deadlines listed and keep looking a few weeks ahead to make sure you know what is coming up as time will fly! Also, keep your classroom neat and organised, this will ensure that you can find things quickly and is one less thing to think about at the end of the school day.

6.     Make use of the YSJ resources – remember that the YSJ NQT website is filled with useful resources, including our preparation pack and NQT handbook.  Over the summer schools will have been sent information from YSJ about you, this includes your Career Entry Development Profile (CEDP).  Make sure that you discuss this with your mentor.

Good luck to those of you who are just starting in your first teaching job, I hope that everything goes well.

Hear from some NQTs who survived their first year of teaching in our recent NQT Webinar.