Probationer help

Hi,
I am a new probationer starting in primary 2 in August. Feeling a wee bit overwhelmed with everything ....what are your top tips to survival? Research over holidays...what I should do first few weeks.
I’ve not met my mentor yet...but got list of questions...she will probably be fed up with me after day 1!
All my peers feel like me so I know it’s normal.
All advice grateful.
Thank you

 

The main thing you need to do over the holiday is have a holiday! Try not to spend the whole holiday worrying about what next term will bring or waste time trying to produce detailed plans for children you don't yet know the abilities of.

Before this term ends, you could try to find out if your class are meant to be doing a particular topic next term. Spend no more than an hour jotting down some ideas for the topic. Other ideas will pop into your head over the holiday. You could post some a request for ideas on here if you get stuck.

If it would make you feel happier about next term, find out about any schemes the school uses for maths etc. Have a quick look at how they are organised. Don't spend hours poring over them: there will be time enough for that next term.

On the August inservice day, you'll be given information about your class (current levels, medical conditions, behaviour issues, where they are on the reading scheme etc) and then you'll be able to begin planning properly.

Over the holiday make some nice meals for your freezer so that you have good, tasty food that doesn't require preparation for those days next term when you don't feel like cooking. Towards the end of the holiday, make sure your house is tidy and the washing's done so you don't need to do much housework during the busy first week of term.

Don't worry about asking questions. Mentors expect probationers have lots of them. It shows you're thinking about the job and want to do well by your pupils.