Opinion
Teaching Download

9 Tips to Help You Survive Your First Year of Teaching (Downloadable)

By Gary Kowalski — August 15, 2024 1 min read
Vivid Color image of vintage books, an apple, a bell, and a globe sitting on an antique, wood desk.
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

The first year in the classroom can be overwhelming and exhausting.

“Everything from my classroom culture to my instruction spiraled out of control my first few months, and the reality of having my own classroom in an underresourced community hit me hard,” writes teacher Gary Kowalski.

To help first-year teachers manage an overwhelming transition into the classroom, Kowalski, who has taught 8th grade English/language arts and social studies for the past 10 years, penned an opinion essay with guidance on how to create a calm and inviting classroom environment right from the start.

See Also

School Setting Superimposed on Modern Community Head Profile Icons combined with an Abstract Geometric Pattern. Classroom management, early career teacher professional development.
Vanessa Solis/Education Week + DigitalVision Vectors + Anastasiia Neibauer/iStock
Teaching Opinion How to Ace Your First Year of Teaching
Gary Kowalski, July 9, 2024
5 min read

Below is a helpful guide you can take with you (or even post on your desk as a reminder to yourself) and share with others.

Download and share.

Vanessa Solis, Associate Design Director and Dominique Bander, Opinion Editorial Assistant contributed to this opinion article.

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
School & District Management Webinar
Harnessing AI to Address Chronic Absenteeism in Schools
Learn how AI can help your district improve student attendance and boost academic outcomes.
Content provided by Panorama Education
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Science Webinar
Spark Minds, Reignite Students & Teachers: STEM’s Role in Supporting Presence and Engagement
Is your district struggling with chronic absenteeism? Discover how STEM can reignite students' and teachers' passion for learning.
Content provided by Project Lead The Way
Recruitment & Retention Webinar EdRecruiter 2025 Survey Results: The Outlook for Recruitment and Retention
See exclusive findings from EdWeek’s nationwide survey of K-12 job seekers and district HR professionals on recruitment, retention, and job satisfaction. 

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Teaching Opinion Advice From Over 1,200 Experienced Educators at Your Fingertips
Need help with using AI in the classroom? How about teaching students to write? Or fostering relationships? Plenty is available here.
1 min read
Conceptual illustration of classroom conversations and fragmented education elements coming together to form a cohesive picture of a book of classroom knowledge.
Sonia Pulido for Education Week
Teaching Tips for Easing Students Back Into Routines After Winter Break
Educators on social media shared their insights on how they resume class following the winter break.
2 min read
Buses parked covered with snow
iStock/Getty
Teaching Opinion I Left the Classroom to Be a Horror Writer. Teaching Was Good Preparation
I loved my job, but not the conditions. Fiction writing helped me face my fears.
Marguerite Sheffer
4 min read
Illustration of an interior classroom at night, scary atmosphere.
Gina Tomko/Education Week and Getty
Teaching Opinion Teachers Are Faced With Constant Challenges. Here's How to Overcome Them
Three veteran educators offer their expert guidance on how to manage even the toughest classroom scenarios.
9 min read
Conceptual illustration of classroom conversations and fragmented education elements coming together to form a cohesive picture of a book of classroom knowledge.
Sonia Pulido for Education Week