First Year Teaching (Secondary Grades) - Success from the Start

Success with your students starts on Day 1. Learn from NTC's 25 years developing key skills and strategies to create positive, productive classroom environments where students thrive. Build relationships with Secondary Grade (6-12) students, establish and maintain behavioral expectations, implement classroom procedures and routines, and use instructional time effectively.

Developing mastery in establishing and maintaining a rich learning environment is one of the great joys of being a teacher. This course will provide high leverage strategies, resources, and support for professional growth so that you can provide students with the engaging, safe environment essential for student learning. This course is aligned to the needs of Secondary Grade teachers (6-12 grade, usually teaching multiple sections of the same content area, like math, fine arts, science, etc. to students 12 years and older).

This course will teach you how to implement research-based strategies in the following areas:

• Setting and communicating high expectations for students;
• Building positive relationships with and between students;
• Organizing the learning environment;
• Behavioral preventions and interventions; and
• Establishing and maintaining routines and procedures that support student learning.

Stellar classrooms don’t just happen—they’re created with the kind of intentional planning and preparation this course offers so that you and your students can be successful from the start!

Syllabus

The course is designed for you to engage with two modules per week, submit two peer assessment projects and then assess your peers’ work. We also know that the start of school varies across the country so we have opened up all of the content and if necessary you can watch the module videos and participate in the discussions at your own pace. 

Recommended Background

Actively teaching, preparing to teach, or interested in teaching in the Secondary Grades (departmental 6-12).

Course Format

The class will consist of videos and discussion posts.  Participants will be expected to respond to instructor and peer discussion posts. Assignments will be classroom based and will be assessed by peers according to provided rubrics.  An end-of-course reflection and survey are required for completion.

FAQ

Will I get a Statement of Accomplishment after completing this class?

Yes. Students who successfully complete the class will receive a Statement of Accomplishment signed by the instructor.

What resources will I need for this class?

For this course, all you need is an Internet connection, and the time to read, write, discuss, and learn about becoming a successful beginning teacher.

I am not sure if I should enroll here, or should enroll in the other course aligned with Elementary Grades. Which course will work best for me?

If you teach in a department based classroom, usually teaching multiple sections in Middle or High School, where you specialize by teaching math, foreign language, language arts, etc. to students usually older than 12, then this is your course! But if you are interested in teaching all subjects in a self-contained classroom, usually in Elementary School (K-5 or K-6) then you should enroll in First Year Teaching (Elementary Grades) - Success from the Start.