Teach SEL Podcast Reflections from a First-Year Teacher
May 29, 2021
A first-year teacher reflects on starting in a pandemic and growing through challenges. She urges trusting your training and trying bold approaches even when they feel risky. The conversation highlights social-emotional connections, building routines that enable learning, and the power of proactive family communication. Self-care, asking for help, and practicing gratitude as a leader also feature prominently.
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Stay True When Your Context Feels Wrong
- Even when teaching feels wrong or isolating, staying true to your pedagogy still matters.
- Jenna felt alone as a new teacher but found that shutting her door and teaching her values impacted students and families most.
First-Year Isolation And Finding What Matters
- Jenna felt like the new kid with little peer alignment and suffered low confidence in her first semester.
- Despite isolation, she focused on what she valued (writers workshop, anti-racist teaching, SEL) and measured success by student impact.
Act Like You Know More Than You Think
- Act confidently because you already have relevant preparation and current pedagogical knowledge.
- Jenna shifted from 'I don't know' to 'I'm ready' and used university training and tech skills to introduce best practices during pandemic teaching.
