Your first year as a teacher is a challenging but exciting time, and ATPE is here to make the road as smooth as possible. “Even though ATPE is a big organization, it’s still a family,” says Cierra Griffin, who finished her first year of teaching in May 2018. “You connect with people who are in the same boat as you. A lot of my classmates are a part of ATPE, and we can call each other and say, ‘Hey! This is how my day was, this is what’s going on.’”
 
But it’s not just the connections that make ATPE meaningful for new teachers—it’s also the resources. ATPE offers free online professional development on topics that matter to teachers at any stage in their career.
 
“It’s always refreshing to go to the ATPE Professional Learning Portal and see classes on a topic like classroom management,” says Griffin. “As a first-year teacher, that’s major. It’s part of what they evaluate you on. But being able to learn how other teachers handle it is really helpful.”
 
Here are just a few more ways ATPE is there for new teachers—now and throughout your career: 

• Your First Classroom: ATPE’s free download is a valuable “quick start” guide for new educators. It includes checklists for preparing for your first day, tips on managing your classroom, strategies for communicating with parents, and more. Download this essential resource today.
  YES Texas!: The YES Texas! Advisory Council helps ATPE meet the needs of future, young, and new educators, and makes sure we deliver products that meet those needs. ATPE takes the council’s recommendations to heart—we have created many new programs for young educators based on their advice.
• Discounts: ATPE offers exclusive discounts for members. You can more than recoup the cost of your membership in savings at places you shop every day! Take advantage of your ATPE discounts today.   
• Leadership Opportunities: ATPE volunteers serve in leadership roles across the state. Boost your career while building stronger connections with your colleagues by volunteering with ATPE. And check out ATPE’s new leadership academy, which will help you develop the skills you need to be a leader on your campus and in your community

“A lot of my college classmates that I graduated with, if they did not sign up right after graduation, they have now,” says Griffin. “I get emails all the time asking me, ‘Can I still sign up?’ Yes, you can!”
 

First-time professionals can join at a discounted rate until Oct. 31, 2018. Join the largest and most trusted educator group in Texas today at atpe.org/join.