Slowchat Highlights

When you’re a new teacher, getting started with professional development can be overwhelming and confusing. Where do you even begin? Enter the Teacher2Teacher community to share their nuggets of knowledge for new teachers!
In last week’s slowchat, hosted by teachers Lyndsay Nottingham and Sarah Thomas, we asked you to share your best #BiteSizedPD tips for new teachers. Read on for 10 of the T2T community’s responses and share your own in the comments below.

1. “New teachers must build a strong personal learning network [PLN] quickly! I love Twitter for that very reason. I keep learning from incredible teachers!”—‏@EdTechTraveler
2. “Push yourself and your students, but be patient with each as you do so. Neither you nor they become great in one day.”—@DarrenLukenbill
3. “Build strong relationships with your students. It will go a long way!”—@tammykflores
4. “Observe other teachers, reflect, focus on what works for kids, ask for help, be a learner.”—‏@irisdagmar
5. Tomorrow is a new day! Reflect and move on. Ask yourself what did they learn and how do I know?”—@nickgbeckett
6. “Make your peace with not knowing all the answers. It humanizes you to your students and reduces your own stress level.”—@leahkurtz2012
7. “Designate ‘me’ time at least once a week.”—@MINDmapMATH
8. “Shift your question from, ‘What do I want kids to know?’ to ‘How can I make them think?’”—@guygambone
9. Let them see you in their community sometimes. Shop, study or worship where they do once in a while.”—@MrsMartinSoars
10. “At the end of the day, if you remember it’s all about the kids, then everything else will follow.”—@mrkim_ebinger

Don’t miss this week’s slowchat about overcoming the challenging October and November days—use #T2TChat to join in the conversation with hosts Lyndsay Nottingham and Sarah Thomas. And don’t forget to follow us on Twitter if you don’t already!