Dear New Teacher,
Somewhere along the way, we decided that your first year of teaching should resemble a medieval endurance test. Duck your head, grit your teeth, and white-knuckle your way to June. Cancel your social life, set aside your hobbies, and adopt the martyr mindset.
This is nonsense.
With an estimated more than 400,000 teacher positions nationwide either unfilled or filled by teachers without full certification last year, we can’t afford to treat your first year like a hazing ritual. Students need educators who are thriving, not merely surviving. The difference between teachers who burn out and those who flourish isn’t about leaving at 3 p.m. versus working through the night. It’s having the right strategies to feel like a good teacher while you’re learning to be a good teacher. And lots of chocolate doesn’t hurt.
Start with yourself.
Before you worry about bulletin boards or perfect lesson plans, focus on you. Prioritizing your well-being isn’t selfish. It’s essential. Budget at least 10 hours a week outside contract time for planning and grading but set firm time limits for tasks. When the timer goes off, you’re done, even if the quality isn’t perfect. Submit that “good enough” work and watch as the world keeps turning.
Teach every routine.
Don’t assume students know how to do anything in your classroom, even things they “should” know. This includes older students who need to know how to enter class, talk with a partner, and take notes. Walk through each routine yourself and jot down the steps. Show students what to do by demonstrating exactly what they should be doing, narrating each step aloud. Then, have students practice. Plan to teach routines alongside the curriculum for at least two weeks.
Move quickly when students are off task.
When a student is dysregulated, try these silent interventions: Stand near the student but say nothing and keep teaching. Give them a choice: “Do you want to work on this now or read quietly and finish it later?” Silently give them a “Take a Minute” card to choose whether to continue the behavior or make a better decision. Ask them to write you a quick note: “What’s going on? Write it on this sticky note.” These moves help them make better choices without shaming them.
All of these strategies can and should be modified to fit the ages of your students—one size does not fit all! (I offer tips for making these modifications for students in kindergarten through 12th grade in my recently published book, The New Teacher Handbook.)
Learn every name.
Learning names isn’t just nice. It’s nonnegotiable. It shows students they matter as individuals. Give yourself one week if you see the same students all day, two weeks if you teach multiple classes. Get the yearbook and look for your students’ faces and names before school starts. Use seating charts and folded cards with their names on them when they arrive and practice regularly. When students enter your room, greet them by name. Ideally, do this at the door as they enter and take attendance, so no student has their name called out incorrectly.
Practice staying calm.
When student behavior tests you, your emotional regulation becomes your superpower. If you’re trying to calm a student but aren’t calm yourself, stop. Turn away, find a small object at least 20 feet away, and take several slow, deep breaths. Use a simple mantra: “This is hard, but I can do hard things.” The calmer you stay, the faster situations de-escalate.
Notice the good stuff.
Carry a notebook with each student’s name on a page. Record notes on every student who helped a partner with homework or did extra cleanup. Work hard to catch them doing good things. Use the positives for “A great thing I noticed about you today ...” cards. Begin with students who are used to hearing about their mistakes. Call home with these observations, too. It will make all the difference.
Build connections and find your people.
Your goal is to connect with every student, but you’re not trying to be their friend. Show genuine interest in who they are as people. Ask about their weekends, remember their siblings’ names, notice when they get a haircut. These small moments build trust that make everything else possible. Look for teachers in your building who clearly enjoy students and like teaching. Sit next to them at meetings. Ask for help.
Remember you’re growing, not failing.
Every day, notice one thing that went well, even if everything else felt like chaos. Write it down. When you make mistakes (and you will), own them quickly and move on. Show students how to handle mistakes with grace. This isn’t failure. It’s modeling resilience.
Know that this profession needs you.
Teaching feels especially hard right now, but every student deserves a teacher who shows up daily and means it when they say “I’m happy to see you.” They deserve you, not a perfect teacher but a caring one who keeps learning and growing.
Your first year doesn’t have to be about surviving until summer. It can be about discovering that you’re capable of doing this demanding and rewarding job, and that once in a while, you can leave at 3 p.m. and take a nap.
So, take care of yourself, be patient with your learning curve, and remember: We’re all cheering for you.
Welcome to teaching.
