How can a novice teacher maintain a positive attitude?

Be yourself. Don't join in and when possible walk away from the negative Nellies. They seem for some reason the ones that always have time to talk. In early-mid August go to the school and notice the rooms decors. Look for 'class rules' you can easily understand. Look for a room you feel comfortable in. Do you see a place to find homework written? Place for papers to be handed in or back? Organized. That's the teacher you want to talk with. See if the school assigns mentors. Meet with him or her well before school starts. Are you comfortable? Are they gossiping or giving you a feel for the school? Get and read now: http://www.amazon.com/First-Days-School-Effective-Teacher/dp/0962936022 He gives many more ideas, very good ones. You don't want to be anti-social, just to avoid the naysayers, so go to lunch and sit with your mentor or any teachers you do feel comfortable with. After a few months, you may decide that a working lunch is the best way to keep your sanity-if you are at a school with griping lunchroom talk. I had probably the worst student teaching experience ever. I didn't start my first teaching job because of that for 3 years. Don't do that. Read Wong's book, you'll feel more in control with each page. Good luck!

dough!! <------ Homer Simpson way!!

I have been teaching for 14, gasp, years. The atmosphere at a school makes all of the difference. Every school I have taught at has been a inner city school with lots of issues. Find out the teacher turn over, a high turn over usually means trouble. My school has students with lots of issues such as poverty, ELL, gangs, parents in prison, etc, but the staff hangs together as a team. It makes all of the difference. Try to talk to the teachers who have been there for several years. Just remember that your first year teaching will be the toughest. Good luck.