First Year Teachers Advice
- Prepare as Much as You Can
- Never Stop Learning
- Tune Into the Needs of Your Students
- Connect for Support and Advice
- Persevere, Take Care, Keep Calm, and Teach On
First year teachers can expect many surprises. The experiences you have will be formative and intense in ways that are both stressful and joyous. Although coming back into a classroom after summer break can be intimidating for any teacher, a new educator’s feelings about the first day of school will likely be excitement mixed with uncertainty, anxiety, and nerves. What will keep the students excited and engaged? How can you prepare for the unexpected? How will you connect with fellow teachers? Here are five of the most important pieces of advice for educators who are entering a school for the first time, according to the National Education Association.
1. Prepare as Much as You Can
The importance of organization and preparation might seem obvious, but there’s no such thing as being too prepared. No amount of education and training can fully prepare you for a classroom of your own, so over-plan for the things they did teach you well. You want to enjoy your first group of kids and not worry about catching up. Practice good time management, have consistent expectations for your students and take notes on what works and what doesn’t work in the classroom. At the same time, be flexible and open to making changes at the drop of a hat.
2. Never Stop Learning
Even as a teacher, the learning never stops. Teachers learn from their own students, their own research, collaborations with other teachers, professional development courses, and the day-to-day work of running a classroom. Collaboration is key, and you must try to know what you don’t know. Always be willing to continue learning, and avoid falling into the trap where you automatically assume that veteran teachers don’t know anything because you’ve just graduated and are up-to-date on the current best teaching practices. In most cases, veteran teachers are, in fact, current on strategies, and they also have experience on their sides.
3. Tune Into the Needs of Your Students
Rest assured that you’re not the only nervous one in the class. Students are nervous and excited, too. Remember to encourage your students’ desire to learn, but also keep their feelings in mind while you build a base of classroom norms. Try to avoid getting caught up in the day-to-day mechanics of teaching. If you are too worried about powering through a lesson, you might miss students’ natural curiosity and excitement.
Related: How Can Teachers Use Social Media to Connect With Students?
4. Connect for Support and Advice
Connections to other teachers and mentorships are invaluable to first-year teachers in the field. Asking for help by reaching out to those who have taught for years can make a world of difference for newbies. Keep in mind that finding great mentors for support will not be easy, but new teachers aren’t expected to know everything. There’s no shame in asking for help. Try to find someone who will not only a mentor but also an emotional support throughout the year.
5. Persevere, Take Care, Keep Calm, and Teach On
A teacher’s job isn’t finished once the bell rings. Rather, teachers work hard outside of the classroom, too. One of the best tips for new teachers is to remember to take breaks, make time for self-care, and simply keep at it. Don’t be hard on yourself; you aren’t perfect, and you won’t be great at everything on the first day. It takes years of practice to get into the swing of the educational system, so get your rest and provide your kids with the love and support they need. Remember that you are learning, too.
Teaching is an important, enormous job, and it takes time to build capacity, skills, and knowledge. Keep reading professionally, building supportive relationships with colleagues, building your structure, and reflecting, and you might be surprised to find that in a few years, you’ll be the one offering pieces of advice for first year teachers.
