New Teacher Survivor Series
Quick Reference Do's and Don'ts
| Do's | Dont's |
|
Be at work every day. Be reliable. Be prepared. Be on time. |
Never use up your sick and personal days because you have them. Don't constantly come to meetings late. |
| Keep your principal and superintendent informed about the Ag Ed program and FFA activities. | Don't wait for someone else to tell them. |
| Invite administration, board members, and other important community members to all FFA activities. Recognize them if they attend. | Don't assume they know they are invited. |
| Get to know your legislators personally. (see item directly above) | Don't take the approach that the other Ag teachers in the county already know them. |
| *Take pride in your profession, appearance, attitude, and program. | Don't dress like a slob while you require your FFA members to be in official dress. |
| Ask your students to do the same. (*see item directly above) | see above. |
| Always think before you act or speak. | Don't argue with a mad parent, patron, or student when you are upset. Inform them you have a planning period at school and they can visit with you at that time. |
| Follow all school policies. | Never think that you know better than the board or administration. |
| Teach class!!! | 1. Don't send
everyone to the shop because you didn't prepare.
2. Don't let the girls stay in class and surf the net while the boys are welding. 3. Don't assign students to read the chapter and answer the questions at the end, more than once a month. |
| Do your assigned hall and/or lunch duty. Find a substitute if you are going to be gone. | 1. Never skip duty
because your busy.
2. Never assume someone will cover your duty when you're gone. |
| Be a part of the school. (i.e. Go to games, run the clock, announce, take gate, etc.) | Don't be busy on every ballgame and activity night. |
| Be a team player and a part of the teaching faculty. | 1. Don't skip
faculty meetings.
2. Don't refuse to turn in paper work such as lesson plans. 3. Don't refuse to cover another teacher's class if you can. |
| Set goals for your program every year and measure to see if you met them. | 1. Don't go from
activity to activity without a plan.
2. Don't decide the week before if you will be attending an FFA activity or stock show. 3. Never fly by the seat of your pants. |
| Do something for the community every year as a chapter. | Never assume the community will support you because "your" FFA chapter was supported by your home community. |
| Get FFA members involved in a variety of FFA activities. | Never assume hog, sheep, or steer shows and shop alone will keep you your job. |
| Submit PR articles to the local newspaper, often. | Never expect others to do it for you, including your Reporter. |
| Visit SAE projects at least once every two weeks. Leave a note with comments if no one was at home. | 1. Never assume the
students will let you know when you should visit.
2. Never assume everyone knows you have been to their house to check their projects. |
| Send notes and letters to parents and students with information concerning activities, opportunities, and/or invitations to meetings and/or events. | Never write info on the board and expect students to automatically know they need to tell their parents. |
| Recruit potential outstanding FFA members. | Don't assume the counselor knows who should be in Ag Ed. |
| Use the Ag Pickup for its intended purpose | Never use the Ag Pickup for personal use. |
| Always take more than one student with you on trips. Take another student or parent even if they are not participating. | Never take an opposite gender student on a trip by yourself. |
| Count any money a student turns in to you as a part of a fund raiser with the student present and watching. | Never accept fund raising money from a student without counting it in front of the student. |
| Before writing a receipt, make sure you and the student agree on the amount of money turned in. | Never assume the student knows how much money is supposed to be there. |
| Write receipts at the time you collect a student's fund raising money. | Never tell a student you will get them a receipt later. |
| Use the same fund raising collection procedure for adults and parents. | Never assume parents knows how much money is supposed to be there. |
| Deposit money every day and submit your receipt book to the secretary for reconciliation. | Unless it is
absolutely necessary because of extenuating circumstances,
1. Never keep money in your office overnight. Even locked in your desk. 2. Never keep money in your office, during the school day, if it is unlocked. 3. Never save up until you get a big deposit because you think it is easier for the secretary. 4. Never deposit money you have not receipted. |
| Deposit all money turned in. | Never hold back a little just in case. |
| Complete all paper work before purchasing items for the Ag Ed program or FFA chapter. | Never order or purchase items for the Ag Ed program or FFA Chapter without an approved "Purchase Order". Unless you plan on paying for it yourself. |
| Prepare a budget for the year. | Never assume you will have all the money you are supposed to. |
| Keep accurate records of how much you spend throughout the year. | Never assume others will keep you posted on how much you have left in your school accounts. |
| Take students and/or parents with you when purchasing show SAE projects. | Don't assume everyone trusts you. |
| Get receipts for show projects you purchase for students. | Don't assume everyone trusts you. |
| Charge students the exact amount paid for the show animal unless school officials have set a standard fee. | Never add extra dollars to the purchase price of a show animal to cover expenses. |
| Purchase show projects for students after the parents have agreed and you have at least half the money in hand. | 1. Don't assume
everyone will pay you when you bring back the project from a sale or farm.
2. Don't assume they will accept the project you bring back if they haven't already paid you. |
| Keep your personal finances separate from money used to purchase show projects for students. | Don't assume you can keep it straight. Your spouse, if you have one, will go crazy with the confusion and so will you. |
| Require parents and student to go with you on big ticket purchases. Let them write the check at the purchase. | Don't write the check for big ticket items for students. The parent or student should bring and write the check. |
| Do projects for the school. (pipe fence, gates, repair desks, etc.) | Don't take the attitude that you are not the maintenance guy. |
| Try to make your program the most important program in the school. | Don't assume that everyone thinks Ag is the greatest. |