Being a new teacher on a team with seasoned teachers can be intimidating, especially when it is your first year. I have found that many teachers who have used the same lessons from year to year welcome the opportunity to add new, exciting activities into their lessons. I would mention an activity you created or would like to try at your next planning meeting and offer copies and/or the lesson plan to with it if any of them would like to try it. This way, they can use it if they would like it and they will likely appreciate that you shared an idea.

I would suggest sharing an idea only after you have already used it successfully in your classroom. Whether it's a lesson plan or an instructional strategy, it's important when presenting ideas that you feel confident in using it and can talk knowledgeably about it. You may want to share your idea with just one colleague with whom you feel most comfortable first. It will be helpful when talking to a group to have someone supporting you and backing up what your saying, especially if you are nervous. Finally, make sure you can justify the activity or strategy by what is in the best interest for students. Even if seasoned teachers feel comfortable with the methods they have been using for years, it's hard deny doing the things that will help students be successful.

Some veteran teachers are scared of change, but most welcome new ideas. I am a fairly new teacher (6 years) and my colleagues are veteran teachers (20 years+). If I have a lesson or activity that I think can be useful to them, I talk about it in a conversational manner, describing how my kids enjoyed it and how much they learned. Usually when I am speaking of it in an excited manner, they tend to be intrigued and ask to see it. Many times, they will try it in their classroom, and almost always they say it was very helpful. So, I would try to just bring it up when you and your colleagues are just having a conversation and see how receptive they are. They may have you start emailing your new lessons to them.

I am fairly new to teaching and during my first year teaching I would talk about different ideas that I had or that I had found during our planning time. I would just throw the ideas out there and let them think about it or we would talk about it, but I also made sure I didn't make them feel like this was the only way to do it and I was being pushy. I think that first building a relationship with your co-workers so that you all trust one another is the most important thing. Once you have that foundation it is much easier to share ideas with each other, new or old.

I had (and sometimes still do) the same problem. I am only in my 3rd year of teaching but everyone else on my team has no less than 10 years and has 34 years of teaching experience. I was very nervous about sharing some of my ideas to begin with and would just use them in my own classroom. I begin noticing that the other teachers would come in and ask me what and how to do what I was doing. From there, I decided it wasn't fair for these teachers to have to come ask me so I begin just mentioning it to them. If they wanted to use it they could, and not use it if they didn't.

It is important to share new information and I think very helpful as well. When sharing such ideas, everyone should keep an open mind during the discussion. You should feel confident explaining the new ideas with everyone, whether they choose to use the ideas or not. If it works well for you, then share it, it might work well for others if they give it a try (who knows!). Part of being a teacher is keeping up-to-date with new ideas, research, and technology.

I am a first year teacher as well. My method for doing things like this is just sharing what I have done in my classroom that was a success. When we plan together that is usually when ideas are shared among each other. Most of the veteran teachers are not interested in using technology but I have found that they first need to learn how so that they are comfortable doing so. Once they hit that comfort zone, they will love using it. I taught the veteran teacher on my third grade team and she has become obsessed with using it.

This is my first full school year teaching, but I come off seasoned because of my training and my approach to teaching. I've found that my confidence has offended some of my colleagues, but it's important to understand that you are still a teacher regardless of your tenure. Your strategies are just as effective, if not more, as your counterparts--especially if they're research-based! Be confident and share your ideas. You may never know how they could be received until you present your thoughts!

It is hard to teach an old dog new tricks. I tend to believe you should share what you have to offer. It's not like you are pressuring them to use your strategies and techniques. This is my second year teaching yet try to send my teammates different activities I am using in my classroom. This is also a part of your TKES evaluation at the end of the school year.

Ah yes, teachers can often be quite snobby when it comes to a new teacher and their ideas. This is actually understandable, because educators are thrown new ideas every 3-5 years, only to find they will be gone as soon as the implementation has begun. This no doubt causes many teachers to be cynical, but not all of them. If I were you I would figure out which teachers you can share with which ones you can't. You will only frustrate yourself if you offer ideas to teachers who will never be interested, no matter how good the ideas are.

I believe the solutions presented on this page are appropriate and sensitive to the veteran teachers' concerns. I agree with the other solutions; you should ensure the idea is successful before sharing it with your colleagues. Also, as a first-year teacher, be prepared to explain how the idea will benefit the students' learning in the classroom. I understand your feelings as a first-year teacher and believe you should also take an active role in learning from the effective teaching strategies the veteran teachers utilize.

Just because teachers have been doing the same thing for years, does not mean that it necessarily works. As we all know students change and methods of teaching should accompany these changes. Personally, I am big on data and research. If a method can be backed by student data then it should be suggested rather than using methods simply because this is how it has always been done. When you bring it to them be sure that it is data driven and research based.