Tips to Survive (and Thrive) in Your First Year Teaching
Whether you’re still preparing your first classroom for your first set of students or you’re already welcoming learners to school, your first year of teaching will be a whirlwind. It will be exhausting, exhilarating, joyful, challenging, and chaotic — but ultimately, if you make a difference in your students’ lives (and we’re confident that you will!) then it will all be worth it.
Here’s some advice from teaching veterans and former teachers on how to survive — and even thrive — in your first year as an educator.
Thank you for all that you do to foster a love of learning in a new generation of leaders!
“My best advice for first-year teachers is to establish routines right away. Routines in a classroom help everyone know how they will be functioning with everyone else in the learning environment. When students know what is expected of them, they know how they can succeed right from the start.” — Susie McGeean, McGraw Hill Curriculum Specialist & Former Teacher
“Figure out how to make the students work! Without a doubt, I worked harder than my students that first year. I thought I was making them work, but I wasn’t. Often, I just created more work for myself. Eventually, I realized the value of creating opportunities for my students to work together and make their own meaning out of texts instead of me telling them. Education has changed a lot since I began 24 years ago. When I began, all of our projects were done with butcher paper, poster board and markers. Today, with so much technology readily available at schools, I would encourage you to reach out to your Library Media Specialist. He or she can help you integrate technology in a meaningful way in your classroom. The students will be engaged and you will, hopefully, have created less work for yourself!” — Stephanie Griffith, Middle School Library Media Specialist, from her blog The Ups and Downs of the First Year
“School should be welcoming, fun, encouraging, and engaging. At the core is building relationships — do that with your peers, your students and their families, and your school community. It will provide support that you will need and appreciate. You have the best job in the world!” — Mindy Spelius, McGraw Hill Director of Academic Design, Science & Former Teacher
“Know what a teacher’s schedule looks like. Most people think a teacher’s work day is when school starts to when school ends. That is so not the case. A teacher’s day begins very early and ends late. My first year of teaching, I felt like I was working a lot of hours, but making a list of the things I needed to accomplish in the classroom helped get me home earlier. Also, having students help clean up activities saves you time once the school day is over. Since teachers work long hours on their feet, remember to get a wardrobe you feel comfortable in and be sure to look at your school’s dress code before you go shopping.” — Blaine Dunsmore, Educator, from her blog A Teacher’s Perspective: Five Things I Wish I Would Have Known as a First Year Teacer
“My advice to any new teacher is to get to know your community because you will be a part of it whether you are engaged in it or not. Kids talk to their parents, parents talk to other parents, parents talk to other teachers — give them something good and exciting to talk about. You will have a profound impact on families as a whole if you understand the culture of your school and allow that to be a driver for strategizing within your classroom.” — Steve Loori, McGraw Hill Integration Operations Manager & Former Teacher
“Read the curriculum and standards. As soon as you get the keys to your classroom, make sure to pick up the teacher manuals (or student textbooks) that are available to you. Even if you do not have the stomach to read through the curriculum and standards for the year, at least skim and scan through them so you have a heads up on what is not only expected of you as a teacher, but of your students. I would do this to see the progression and pace of the school year (especially for English/Language Arts).” — Samantha Gari, Teacher, from her blog 10 Things to do Before Your First Year Teaching
“My first year teaching, our principal reminded us in a staff meeting to say something nice to each student on that first day. Compliment them on their pretty barrette, their smile, their penmanship. The students felt immediately seen and something as simple as that let them know that they were liked. It alleviated some first-day jitters and started our relationship on a positive note.” — Sara Bhonsale, McGraw Hill Regional Director of Sales & Former Teacher
“Listen more and talk less. This one is a goal of mine for the year, and I don’t just mean that for my work in the classroom. This applies to everything — from our relationships with students and colleagues and others to our every day lives. Figure out which veterans you can trust and seek their advice — listen to what they have to say and figure out how to make it work for you. Beyond this it’s also applicable in our classroom settings — plan your lessons so that you are talking less and the students are speaking more. Put it on them. You might be shocked at what kind of incredible things your silence will bring out of them. It sure sounds easy, but I think we all know how difficult it can be.” — Jeremy Lenzi, Educator, from his blog Advice for New Teachers from an 18-Year Veteran
“Don’t think that you have to know it all and do everything yourself. Lean into the knowledge base of your colleagues and administration. They have been in your shoes before, and have tons of wisdom, tips, and tricks for how to be a rock star in the classroom — Learn from them!” — Bill Kearney, McGraw Hill Senior Sales Rep & Former Teacher
“Learning is not a continuous line. Nor is it an easy path. The learning journey is filled with wrong turns, dead ends, and frustrations…. Understanding and balancing peer personalities, administrative and peer expectations, school climate, with student and parental needs, day to day instruction and assessment, and curricular demands, is a daunting task. It’s akin to riding a unicycle while everything is on fire. Understand that the discomfort in each area of learning will breed deeper understanding and learning in the long run.” — Gerald Paterson and Barry Saide, Principals, from their blog Advice for New Educators: Dream BIG!
“Put aside your worries about classroom management, teaching strategies, and academic success; instead choose to focus on loving and supporting your students and everything else will fall into place. You are exactly what your students need.” — Janis Effner, McGraw Hill Project Manager & Former Teacher
