Tips for First Year Teachers: 6 Lessons from Veteran Teachers Who’ve Been There
Being a first-year teacher is stressful. There are so many things that just aren’t covered in your teacher education program, and it can be nearly impossible to keep up with everything on your to-do list before the year even starts.
A while back, I asked a group of veteran teachers to share their most valuable advice for new teachers heading into their first year. There were so many good answers that I grouped them into six common themes. Here’s what the veterans want you to know before your first day.
1. Give Yourself Some Grace and Celebrate Successes
During your first year of teaching, every day is another first. You’ll encounter different challenges and learn something new constantly. One big theme among the advice these veteran teachers shared was simple: have realistic expectations for yourself, and celebrate the progress you’re making, even when it feels small.
Here’s what the veteran teachers had to say:
“Balance your time by accepting help, enjoying life outside of teaching, and by not expecting perfection!” – Libby from CuriousFox
“Keep a journal celebrating your successes and areas you want to work on.” – Carrie from My Book Boost
“Veteran teachers aren’t perfect and neither are you. Give yourself a break and look at what you have accomplished instead of what you still need to do.” – Renee from City Girl in Third
2. Ask Questions, Lots of Questions
Your first year of teaching comes with a million questions, from how dismissal really works on the first day to what to do after your first tense parent phone call. It can feel overwhelming if you try to figure it all out on your own.
Before school starts, ask your mentor or a veteran teacher on your campus if you can check in with questions throughout the year. As the day goes on, jot down anything you’re wondering about so you can ask when you have a spare minute.
Questions can be big or small. Anything from “where can I find more chart paper” to “can I come watch you teach place value so I can see how you do it” is completely fair game your first year.
Here’s what the veteran teachers said about asking questions:
“It’s okay to not know everything! Your teammates would much rather you ask them how to do something or what something means instead of guessing.” – Georgia from Anderson Academics
“Don’t be embarrassed to ask questions! You will NOT know everything you need to know your first year, and nobody expects you to. Smile and ask!” – Jan from Laughter and Consistency
3. Don’t Try to Do It All
Teacher burnout is real, and the fastest way to get there is by trying to do everything at once. This is especially true your first year, when everything feels new and high-stakes at the same time.
There’s no surefire way to prevent burnout entirely, but there’s a lot you can do to lower the risk. This post on finding work-life balance walks through a real burnout prevention plan worth building before you need it.
Here’s some advice from veteran teachers on preventing burnout:
“Keep it simple. New teachers often find themselves burnt out by November. Use premade materials, like those on Teachers Pay Teachers, to keep your sanity.” – Brenda from Enjoy Teaching
“You don’t have to be perfect and original. Give yourself time to relax and sometimes say to yourself, ‘this is good enough, and I’ll make it better next year.'” – Jenny from ELA at Home and School
4. Get Organized and Have the Right Supplies
Getting organized early can make a huge difference in your first year. Whether it’s collecting student information at the start of the year or building a system for tracking missing assignments, you’ll need to figure out what works for you.
Beyond the cute organizers and containers from the Target Dollar Spot, think about how you’ll organize the information you actually need for lesson planning and family communication. You’ll very likely have students receiving special education services or intervention support in your classroom, so a simple student info sheet that tracks accommodations and supports for each student is one of the most useful things you can build before the year starts.
Here’s some more advice on organizing and preparing your supplies:
“Buy yourself a Keurig. If you don’t like coffee, start to like it. You’re going to need it!” – Ashley from Ashley’s Brainy Centers
“Create a couple of sets of materials you need for each student when they start with you, nameplate, cubby or hook labels, birthday icon, workbook, and put it in a large ziplock bag. Keep the sets in a spot that’s easy to access. You’ll get a new student at some point in the year, and if you can quickly grab everything you need, it’ll save you time and stress.” – Growing Roots Classroomoom
5. Build Relationships First
Relationships are the foundation of a good classroom experience, for both you and your students. Spend real time getting to know your students from day one, and you’ll have fewer behavior issues and more engaged learners all year. In fact, building relationships is genuinely the key to good classroom management.
If you’re not sure where to start, this post walks through the first steps for building relationships with your students. And don’t stop at students, get to know your school secretary and custodians too. They run the building in more ways than you’d expect, and a good relationship there makes everything easier.
Here’s more advice on the importance of building relationships:
“Parents are often one of the most intimidating parts of being a new teacher, but you are actually on the same team. Relax, they are people just like you looking out for the best interests of their child.” – Kelly from Created by Kellyann
“Get to know your students! Learn each student’s background and what motivates them. This builds a trusting relationship, which is the first step to classroom management.” – Laura from Discovering Hidden Potential
6. Take Care of Yourself
Self-care is genuinely important, not a nice-to-have. Your entire workday is spent tending to the needs of your students, making sure they’re happy, healthy, and making progress. It’s just as important that you take care of yourself.
Schedule your self-care time deliberately during your first year. Otherwise, you’ll likely find yourself so overwhelmed that you skip it entirely, which is a recipe for burnout. Self-care doesn’t look the same for everyone. Whether that means making sure you have the essentials in your teacher bag or carving out time for something just for you once a month, do what you need to do to take care of yourself. You can’t pour from an empty cup.
Here’s more advice on self-care:
“During this exciting and hectic first year, remember to take time for yourself through a hobby, exercise, or friends and family. Staying balanced will help both you and your students have a great year.” – Rachel from Classroom Confetti
“Don’t forget to pay attention to your health! Exercise and a good night’s sleep will help you be the best teacher you can be for your students.” – Princess Netherly from Teaching, Love, Cupcakes
7. Classroom Management Is the Foundation for Success
Having a strong classroom management system arguably shouldn’t be at the bottom of this list, since it’s one of the most important pieces of running an effective classroom.
Before the school year starts is the best time to think through your important classroom routines and how you’ll teach them in those first weeks. Building a plan doesn’t have to be overwhelming. This post outlines the most important procedures to cover, and you can map out a real plan for all of them in under an hour.
You won’t regret the time you put into a strong classroom management system and real practice of routines at the start of the year. It might feel like it’s eating into instructional time, but it pays off in dividends as the year goes on.
Here’s what veteran teachers have to say about classroom management:
“Classroom management is one of the critical factors in a positive learning environment. One of the most important things for first-year teachers to consider is how you will organize and teach your classroom expectations, procedures, and routines.” – Queen of the Jungle
“Students come to our classes with multiple capabilities, diverse interests, and awesome brains. One brain-compatible way to optimize their talents is to co-lead with them, so they help develop authentic learning tasks to meet your shared goals and rubric criteria.” – Ellen from Brain Leaders and Learnersin Leaders and Learners
You Can Do This!
You only get to be a first-year teacher once. This last piece of advice is a good reminder: you will be great, and it’s worth enjoying the ride.
“Your first year of teaching is like riding the world’s most thrilling roller coaster. Your learning is at a crazy scary incline when you first start off, but once you get through that climb, the ride is amazing. Good luck this year!” – Learning Lane
Keep Building Your First-Year Toolkit
This post is just one piece of getting ready for a strong first year. For everything else, classroom routines, behavior support, organization systems, and sub-day prep, visit the complete Classroom Management & Organization hub, organized by topic and by whatever your biggest first-year challenge happens to be right now.
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