Start Your Comeback: Rebuilding after Divorce, Empty Nest, and Loss of Spouse
I'm Toni and a certified Life Coach. Is there a major life transition benching you? Let’s create a winning game plan to move into your new adventure.
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Start Your Comeback: Rebuilding after Divorce, Empty Nest, and Loss of Spouse
Chalk Dust and Growing Pains: The First-Year Teaching with Andrea Ward Fernandez
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The classroom door closes behind you. It's just you and thirty expectant faces. Your teaching degree prepared you for lesson plans and pedagogy—but did it ready you for the real-world challenges of your first year? Whether you're a brand-new educator or a seasoned veteran, this episode delivers candid insights about navigating the often overwhelming transition into the teaching profession.
Toni Thrash unpacks the common hurdles first-year teachers face: from managing overflowing to-do lists and establishing effective classroom routines to creating engaging lessons and finding that elusive work-life balance. With warmth and honesty, she shares her own strategies for avoiding burnout, including her determined efforts to complete work during school hours rather than letting it consume evenings and weekends.
The conversation takes a fascinating turn when Spanish educator Andrea Ward-Fernandez shares her unique perspective on transitioning to an American classroom. Her initial culture shock at expectations around classroom decoration, precise scheduling, and school traditions offers both humor and profound insights about the unwritten rules of educational environments. Andrea's most valuable advice? "Don't be afraid to ask questions and have a teachable spirit"—wisdom that resonates for educators at any stage.
Teaching is more than lesson delivery—it's community building, continuous learning, and self-forgiveness when things don't go as planned. If you're feeling overwhelmed by classroom challenges or preparing to enter the profession, this episode offers practical strategies for seeking support, developing organizational systems, and embracing the growth that comes with each new day at the whiteboard. Remember, every master teacher was once a nervous newcomer. You've got this!
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Is there a major life transition benching you? I know you may be asking what's next? What's my purpose? What if? Because I've asked those too.
Speaker 1:Welcome to the Start your Comeback Podcast. I'm Toni Thrash, a certified life coach, and I want to share the tools and practical steps to help you create a winning game plan to move into your new adventure. Hi, welcome back. You are listening to episode 99. Today I want to discuss a topic that is important about this time of year, especially if you are a first year teacher or no one. This episode is for you, even if you are a seasoned, veteran teacher. This might rekindle something you put in a closet at the back of your mind many years ago.
Speaker 1:First-year teachers face a significant learning curve as they transition from theory to practice. They encounter challenges related to classroom management, lesson planning, student engagement and self-care. Overcoming these challenges requires dedication, seeking support and embracing a growth mindset. With the first day of school quickly approaching, I'm gearing up to be sure I'm well rested and hydrated, because that first day I usually collapse early because I'm so exhausted. However, if this is your first year teaching, you might have a few of these challenges. You may feel overwhelmed because the sheer volume of the tasks and responsibilities can seem daunting and responsibilities can seem daunting. Classroom management, establishing routines and setting expectations and managing student behavior requires skill and practice. The dreaded lesson planning. Creating engaging and effective lessons that cater to diverse learning needs is a continuous process, and actually this is one of my favorite things to do Balancing structure and fun. Finding the right balance between structure and flexibility in the classroom can be challenging. Then, and only then, do we sometimes even think about self-care, because prioritizing your personal well-being is crucial to avoid burnout.
Speaker 1:I have set a routine daily to take care of myself. I do it almost every day. It's different for everyone, but you have to figure out what is significant for you and what works for you so that you're able to savor your downtime, and what works for you so that you're able to savor your downtime. The other thing that I think is the biggest issue that we and, trust me, we all struggle with this it's just time management, because we have to effectively manage our time For planning and grading and other tasks. That is a key skill we have to develop and here's my go-to.
Speaker 1:I try and work extremely hard to plan all my lessons in my off periods, as well as do all my grading. I'm a science teacher, so it's a little bit different, I think, but I try really hard not to bring work home Now. There are periods during the year I can't help it, but for the most part I do my work at school and that way I can take care of everything while I'm there. If you don't mind, I'd like to let you listen in on my conversation with my colleague, andrea Ward-Fernandez, as we discussed this not long ago. As we discussed this not long ago, andrea, thanks so much for coming back for this episode on some transitions that new teachers need to learn or didn't understand and are. Here we are.
Speaker 1:Thanks so much, toni, for having me back. This is an episode basically on how new teachers to the field that you know. You've been to college, you've gotten your degree, you've done your student teaching, but now you're on your own and possibly in a brand new school in a different city or, as in your case, a different country, and there are things that you think, oh, this is going to be a piece of cake because I did my student teaching there, or I did this while I was in Spain, but yet then you realize it's not the same and so that's. We're just going to have a conversation about that today. So tell our listeners kind of what the biggest struggle that you faced or obstacle that you faced when you first started your job here in the States, and what was that like.
Speaker 2:Okay, that's an easy question. Okay, that's an easy question. So I, the first big obstacle. Mind you, I've just moved to a, you know, totally new country and I walk into my classroom and I, I mean, I didn't know what was expected of me, and I have people telling me that I'm expected to. There's a lot of stuff in my classroom when I walk in. There's a lot of boxes that I need to move and that I need to organize. And, you know, people are telling me, yeah, you're expected to decorate your classroom. And I'm like what? Like wait, wait, nobody said this. Like what is this? This is totally new for me, because that's not something that is done in Spain.
Speaker 2:I mean, granted, you know, especially in elementary, middle school, yes, there will be some decorations, but I was trying to think back really hard when I was in fifth or sixth grade and I was like, yeah, maybe there was one poster on the wall, but that was it.
Speaker 2:And so, you know, all of a sudden, I walk in and I'm expected to organize all this stuff and I need to think about, oh, like what do I want my classroom to look like? Am I going to put my students in pairs of two or four groups of four. Where do I want this? Where do I want my desk? Where do I want you know the rest of the stuff? And then, after you figure that out, it's like, oh yeah, now you need to like put wallpaper up and buy all this stuff. And do you want a lamp? And do you want you know this here? And I'm just like, wow, you know the inside of the classroom and also the outside. So that that was the biggest obstacle I faced when I got here, because this was just something completely foreign to me.
Speaker 1:That's actually very funny. It is funny now. It probably wasn't funny then because, if I recall, I don't think you had a lot of days to do that because you got here so late and I'm assuming that that transition for you was pretty big and pretty overwhelming at the time. Yeah, so as you get your room decorated and you prepare for, like, meet the teacher, and you need certain items, like you need tape and staplers and and those kinds of things how easy you know was that and like, did you automatically know who to go to or did you have to? You know, hey, who do I go ask for some staples?
Speaker 2:that's a very good question, yeah, so a lot of the times it was summed up into I don't know who I need to go to. I'm just gonna ask the first person, like random person that I see in the hallway or that's you know, that has a classroom right next to mine. Or let me go to Kelly Wonderful Kelly, kelly, if you're listening to this, thank you. I have gone to her many a time throughout the year, like where do I, who do I go to to get this? Or where do I need to get this? How go to to get this? Or where do I need to get this, how do I do this? And she very lovingly and, you know, kindly redirecting me to the right person that I needed to go to for whatever I needed yeah, kelly is like, she's like your comfort zone, because I go to her all the time for all the crazy things.
Speaker 1:I get a wild crazy idea. Then I'm, I'm in her office. What was it like? Like as far as it transitioned from like you know, I know there was a period of time for professional development before school started and then you meet the teacher and then you're the kids coming into classroom and and how, the functionality of the time in the classroom, how did that go for you? The classroom, how did that go for you changing classes for them and and learning all of the in-between things like that.
Speaker 2:So it was very interesting because the my homeroom, they were also new to middle school, it was their first year in middle school and so it was my first year at, you know, our school and it was their first year going into middle school. So it was it was pretty interesting. But no, my kids are awesome, they're amazing and so we kind of just learn together. A lot of the times it was hard, things like being on time and, you know, doing stuff like that. That was a bit of a struggle for me, just because you know, once again, I'm coming from this dynamic in Spain where you say a time and you know it's around that time ish, but if you're five or ten minutes late it's okay, and I, very early on, learned that that was not a thing here and that that was not acceptable.
Speaker 2:I remember the first time and this is going off a little bit of what I was saying well, it's in the same direction but I remember we were told that we had to be in the cafeteria, like downstairs in the cafeteria at 105. Like the kids had to be in the cafeteria at 105. And so in my brain I'm like, okay, well, if we leave at about 103, more or less, we'll make it in time to go downstairs and go to the cafeteria. Hint, no, we made it in like maybe 107, 108, 108. And I would come into the cafeteria and I found out that the other classes were already in there and the kids were already eating. So I was like, oh, I need to adjust this and I actually need to leave my classroom at like one so that the kids are actually in the cafeteria eating by 105. So it was just little stuff like that that you know, slowly but surely, I just had to learn to do.
Speaker 1:What would be like, maybe your top one or two things that you would tell, like a new teacher who is coming in to our, our school family if you will, because we are, we are a family. What would you tell a new teacher, maybe who's never taught before, who's coming into our middle school as a teacher? What would be the like top one or two things that you would tell them is the most important thing they need to be aware of or to do.
Speaker 2:The top one thing that comes to mind is don't be afraid to ask questions. Don't be afraid to go up to people and to just ask. If you don't know where something is, just ask. If the person you're asking doesn't know, they'll find someone that will and you'll eventually get to what you need. But if you are not asking questions, I think it's going to be really hard.
Speaker 2:And just have a desire to continue to grow and to learn from others who know what they're doing, who have been doing this for you know a lot longer than you and they have a lot more experience than you do. And so, yeah, I mean it's just summed up and don't be afraid to ask questions, because I mean, especially like Tony was saying, you know, our school truly is a family, and anytime I had questions or I didn't know, you know the route that I was supposed to take for anything, there were always people there. They're always willing to help you out and you know whatever you need and they'll just literally drop what they're doing and they'll be like I'm there, what do you need? So don't be afraid to ask questions and have a teachable spirit. That's what I would say.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I think that's so important because you know I'm, because I've been a coach for so long. You know coaching basketball and tennis and volleyball and all the things, and you can always tell when someone's coachable and willing to listen or to ask the questions. It's so valuable to be able to do that, because then you have other people who think they know it all and they're going to do it wrong just because you were simply too stubborn I to ask for help. That's something that I've learned gosh like. If I don't know it, I'm gonna ask, and I never want to assume that I know it all because I don't. What has been your favorite thing? This is your second year going in. We're just going to end on this note. What is your favorite thing that you've learned and found out about living in the United States and teaching at a Christian school? What is your favorite thing so far?
Speaker 2:That's a pretty big question, toni. I think I'm going to break it down into two, because there's one, you know, something that I love about living in the US, and then something that I love about teaching. Would that be okay, absolutely. So I think the main thing that I've discovered and that I've learned this year is I just love being around my students, man. I love getting to know them, their personalities, I just love teaching them and I love being around them.
Speaker 2:I love I'm just grateful to the Lord for allowing me to to do this job, to be able to in some way, maybe shape or form, be able to plant a seed in them and just help them grow and become all that they want to become right. And as for my most favorite thing in the US, man, that's a hard one. I think my most favorite thing now is just the community that I found that the Lord has given me throughout this past year. It's been amazing. All the people that I've met and, yeah, just people that the Lord has just surrounded me with in the whole process of learning and growing and in a new country has just been amazing, and I felt so supported and so loved and so taken care of.
Speaker 1:So yeah, I love that. That's huge. You know we love working with you and thanks again for agreeing to come back and have another conversation about a completely different topic than before, but to just share what you've learned, share your heart, the things that you're excited about, the things that you've learned and the things that you recommend other people learn. I just really appreciate you coming back and doing that. Thanks for being here.
Speaker 2:Absolutely, thank you.
Speaker 1:Gosh, can you relate to Andrea? Some of you probably can. She had more than most people to learn because of just coming from another country and then having to learn all things American and the expectations. So I really appreciate her for being here. But before we end today, I wanted to take a moment to discuss how to overcome the learning curve in general. It's something that she talked a lot about.
Speaker 1:Number one just seek support, connect with people. People I have found are so willing to help and they have such good intentions and they have such wisdom and and if you go to them, they're going to be willing to talk through some of those things. And also, just so you know, we have a middle school guidance counselor, or just counselor, and I utilize her all the time. I'm always in her room for a few minutes once a month or whatever, just to just talk through some things that I'm struggling with. The other thing that I think that we have to learn and to remember is to embrace and have a growth mindset, because we have to view those challenges as opportunities for learning and improvement. This is an invitation to be coachable. I am constantly learning new things and I'm thrilled to learn them Well. I mean most of the time, be patient with yourself, because learning these things takes time and it's okay to make mistakes along the way, but one of the things I've found is to have some strong organizational skills, utilize tools and strategies to manage time and resources effectively. There are so many cool apps and programs out there to help us. We need to take advantage of those. Obviously, we need to focus on students' needs, making sure that we're adapting our teaching strategies to meet the diverse learning styles and needs of our students, and celebrate the successes, recognize and acknowledge progress, both big and small and I'm not just talking about in your students, but for yourself as well, especially because that's what this whole episode is about. Always seek to have some sort of professional development, attend a workshop or go to a conference and training sessions to enhance your teaching skills.
Speaker 1:Now, whether you're stepping into the classroom for the first time or returning for your 20th year, this episode of Start your Comeback offers a timely reminder of the challenges and triumphs that come with teaching. We talked about the steep learning curve first teachers face, from classroom management and lesson planning to adapting to school culture and prioritizing self-care management and lesson planning to adapting to school culture and prioritizing self-care. We also heard from my colleague, andrea Ward-Fernandez, who shared her unique journey as a new teacher from another country. The bottom line teaching is a calling, and while the first year can rattle your confidence, it also has the potential to shape you into the kind of educator you've always dreamed of being. Growth takes time and mistakes are part of the process, and community is your secret weapon. If you're a new teacher, hear me loud and clear you're not alone. Bookmark this episode and come back to it as needed. Better yet, share it with a teacher friend who could use a dose of encouragement and practical advice. And, if you haven't already, go to my website and sign up for all the news concerning my upcoming book Start your Comeback that will be releasing this October.
Speaker 1:It's packed with tools, strategies and real life coaching wisdom to help you navigate life's transitions. Tools, strategies and real life coaching wisdom to help you navigate life's transitions, including ones like the start of a brand new career. Stay strong, stay hydrated and remember you were chosen for this. You've got what it takes. I'll see you next time. Hey, thanks for listening. I don't take it for granted that you're here. Hey, thanks for listening. I don't take it for granted that you're here. You didn't listen by mistake. If you want to reach out, you can DM me on Instagram at Tony Thrash Until next week. Remember, there's still time left on the clock. Let's get you off the bench to start your comeback. I want to give a special shout out to Country Club for the original music. You can find them on Instagram at Country Club.
