Handling the Stress of EOG's

We are entering the season of the End-of-Grade testing. This season has proven to be the most stressful season of the school year for students, staff and parents. It is extremely stressful for the Language Arts and Math teachers as the test reflects there success in teaching
. As an elective teacher I sympathise with them however, a lot of sacrificing takes place for me as well.
I often think that people forget about the stress, anxiety, and requirements of test administrators. I speak from that perspective because of the consequences associated with making a mistake while administering. I remember as a first year teacher how nervous I was when receiving the in service as the counselor began to review the legalities involved as an administrator along with the severity of the consequences.
From a parental standpoint I appreciated the requirements but as an administrator of the test I second guessed if I wanted to participate. Non-participation was not an option so I read the material and studied it to ensure that I did not error. At this point I feel comfortable in this process but can not help but notice the look on the faces on the new teachers at the meeting. What are some suggestions to deal with the stress of this season?

Mentoring

In the most recent post I've noticed that everyone seems to be on one accord when it comes to the importance of mentoring. I would like to again reinterate that without the guidance and assistance of my mentor I would not be the teacher I am today. With the most recent cuts in funding within our district there are no longer "paid" mentors which potentially lessens the possibility of veteran teachers pursuing this added responsibility. Just recently we were presented the opportunity to attend mentor training this summer in our district to support the new teachers and reduce turn over.  I think it is fair to say that college and student teaching is not enough!!I began to research online support communities to supplement the first year or novice teachers who need this support. I found an interesting website that offers this support.
See the link below:
 http://www.educationworld.com/preservice/classroom/mentoring.shtml

What are your thoughts on this subject? Do you believe that it is our responsibility to "give back" to the profession in the form of mentoring teachers recently entering the profession? If not why and have we become selfish in one of the most giving professions on earth??

The First Days of School

When I began teaching all new teachers were required to attend a two week Beginning Teacher Institute prior to our first day of school. The development of this Institute was to provide support and guidance for new teachers. This two week session was to prepare for the "reality" of the classroom. I noticed however, the primary focus was not the delivery of the curriculum per say but on classroom management. There were additional training requirements for middle school teachers in this area because of the physiological changes for this age group which can be a detrimental time in their lives.To properly prepare us we attended group sessions, scenarios and demonstrations of potential issues that were probable in the classroom. We were offered various conflict resolution strategies, counseling techniques and tips on being proactive to prevent and rectify these situations.

Once I entered the classroom and began to teach it became clear to me why the emphasis was placed on classroom management. Regardless of the prior preparation or details of my lesson plans if the class was not manageable there would be little material taught. Each new teacher received a copy of Harry and Rosemary Wong's, First Days of School. Upon receiving the book I read it quickly because it was an easy read with an interesting layout. I did not realize at that time that this book would become a great resource to me as I embarked on my teaching career. After years of teaching I have found myself continuing to refer to this book because at times you may have to "start over" with your students to re-establish classroom rules and norms.