How to succeed as a new science teacher

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Try these teacher-tested approaches to help you thrive in your first years of teaching

A chemistry teacher burning something in a practical class

Source: © Gorodenkoff/Shutterstock

Get practical and succeed with these hacks during your first years in the classroom

The first few years of any career are the hardest and it’s no different for teaching. That said, it doesn’t mean those years can’t be the start of the most fulfilling career.

As a classroom teacher, you need to be able to adapt to the needs of the pupils who sit in front of you. It can be easy to feel overwhelmed by the constant changes as the terms roll by, but rest assured, you are not alone. We’ve certainly both been there.

Here are four hacks to help you enjoy your first few years of teaching.

Save some time

With time management so crucial in helping you to deal with your workload, prioritise time saving. Getting to grips with technology will help. It allows us to challenge students in new ways and simplifies lesson preparation. Online you’ll find a wide range of resources to ease the burden of marking and to make giving feedback much more efficient for both you and your students. Dedicate some time to embrace technology. Some of the technologies teachers turned to during remote teaching are still so useful now; try these five suggestions.

Perfect your practical skills

Students gain a lot of understanding from doing practical work themselves and from watching you demonstrate experiments. Done well both can have huge benefits, but getting them right isn’t always easy. We know from a recent RSC report that the pandemic has had a huge impact on the experiences of trainee teachers and their preparation for delivering effective practical lessons.

That means time spent with your mentor, your school’s science technicians and more experienced colleagues is extremely important. Talk through both practicals and demonstrations with them before delivering them to a class. And take every CPD opportunity offered. Look for online sessions and courses, as well as in-person events (Covid permitting, of course) and take advantage of online video demonstrations, such as these for 16–18 and 14–16 students, as well as EiC’s Exhibition chemistry series.

Students gain a lot of understanding from doing practical work themselves and from watching you demonstrate experiments. Done well both can have huge benefits, but getting them right isn’t always easy. We know from a recent RSC report (rsc.li/332Vlro) that the pandemic has had a huge impact on the experiences of trainee teachers and their preparation for delivering effective practical lessons.

That means time spent with your mentor, your school’s science technicians and more experienced colleagues is important. Talk through both practicals and demonstrations with them before delivering them to a class. And take every CPD opportunity offered. Look for online sessions and courses, as well as in-person events (Covid permitting, of course) and take advantage of online video demonstrations, such as those from the RSC for 16–18 and 14–16 students (rsc.li/3ozQiqR, rsc.li/3Gnr70J), as well as EiC’s Exhibition chemistry series (rsc.li/31o17U9).

Observe a colleague and profit from their tips

You’re probably looking at your timetable and thinking it’s looking fuller than it did during your training year. It may feel like you have too much on to use a precious hour observing another teacher, but watching an experienced colleague and having a conversation designed to improve your practice will have a long-lasting impact. You never know, they might share a tip that has helped them over the years and can transform your teaching. That certainly happened for me. As an NQT, a colleague explained how they set timers. I now consistently use them in lessons to make sure engagement is high and pace is fast.

Look after your well-being

The well-being of both staff and students in schools is high on the agenda – and rightly so. As teachers, we need to look after our own well-being to ensure we have the capacity to help our students when they are struggling.

Picture being on a plane before it takes off. The safety briefing always remind you that in the event of an emergency you must put your oxygen mask on first, before helping anyone else. It’s the same here.

Try to follow the advice we give our students. If you are struggling, speak to someone. Your training year and first years in the classroom are very tough, but there is support both within your school and further afield. Speak to those you trust and who you know can put things into perspective for you and don’t forget the Education Support Helpline is available at any time.

Try to follow the advice we give our students. If you are struggling, speak to someone. Your training year and first years in the classroom are very tough, but there is support both within your school and further afield, for example EiC’s Well-being hub (rsc.li/2ZW3lZU). Speak to those you trust and who you know can put things into perspective for you and don’t forget the Education Support Helpline (bit.ly/3GnrvfH) is available at any time.

Finally, remember why you started teaching in the first place. There may be times when things are particularly tough. Teaching is a difficult profession and one which is forever evolving. Be true to yourself and your core values. Listen, reflect and most importantly, try to enjoy it. Try to laugh about the things that didn’t go as planned and do something different next time. Some things will work out better than others and you have time to learn what these are. It will always be important to try new things, to find out how they work for you and the students you have the privilege of teaching, but at the start of your career it is vital.