Things I Wish I Knew My First Year Teaching: Real Advice for New Educators

Starting a teaching career can be both exhilarating and overwhelming. You’ve spent years preparing, but once you’re finally in the classroom, it can feel like you’re treading water in the deep end — lesson planning, behavior management, parent emails, and the endless question: Am I even doing this right?

Trust me, I’ve felt all of it: the excitement, the exhaustion, the joy, and the “what-did-I-get-myself-into” moments. So, if you’re a new teacher, take a breath. You’re not alone — and you can do this.

Here are eight pieces of advice I wish someone had told me at the beginning of my journey — things that can help you thrive instead of just survive while building a foundation for long-term success.

Lesson plans are important. They help keep your day organized and your instruction intentional. But don’t get too attached — because your students might need something totally different than what’s on the agenda.

Sometimes a lesson flops. Sometimes a fire drill pops up. Sometimes your students just need to move, laugh, or process something big. Being flexible isn’t a weakness; it’s a superpower.

The goal is not to become your students’ best friend, but you do need to be someone they trust. That connection builds day by day, through shared experiences and showing up with consistency and care. Get to know your students. Laugh with them. Incorporate their interests. Play a silly game. Sing the songs. Connection is the key to classroom community and ultimately, learning.

Start each morning with a greeting and morning meeting, including a class song or cheer. Add in elements of getting to know you and celebrating everyone throughout the year. It all adds up, and it’s worth it!

One of the best pieces of advice is to focus less on calling out misbehavior and instead focus more on celebrating the good stuff. Praising students who are following directions works far better. Highlighting the positive sets the tone for your whole classroom.

Catch your students being good. Celebrate small wins. Shout out kindness, responsibility, and effort. This will build a classroom culture where students feel seen and confident that they are doing a good job, and they’ll rise to meet those expectations.

Being a “fun teacher” is great, but being a “consistent teacher” is essential. Set clear rules from day one, and follow through. Yes, taking away a privilege or enforcing a consequence is hard, especially early on. But your students are watching, and they’ll learn to trust you when you mean what you say.

Remember, structure is what really helps students thrive! It helps them feel secure, and your students will respect the consistency.

Learning your classroom management style while also figuring out your school’s norms can be tricky. Give yourself grace. You’re learning a lot all at once!

Classroom management can be tough, especially with young kids full of energy and big emotions. It’s one of the hardest parts of teaching, and every year brings new dynamics.

Something that helped me was to lead with empathy. Ask yourself, What might this student need right now? Also, be kind to yourself. It’s okay to try, reflect, and adjust. You don’t have to have all the answers, and compassion goes a long way.

Teaching can feel isolating if you try to do it all alone. Find a mentor, a teammate, or just someone to vent with, laugh with, and share ideas with. Teaching is better together.

Here’s a truth I wish I had embraced sooner: not everything needs to be graded! Just because you collect it doesn’t mean it needs to go in the grade book.

Focus on meaningful assessments, and let some work be for practice only. Your time and energy are valuable!

Prioritize your workload. You don’t need to stay late hours just to make endless copies or set up new centers. Not everything has to look cute and be perfect. Yes, we want what is best for our students, and it is important to set goals and continue to grow, but please remember this: balance is key to not experiencing burnout. This was something I had to learn the hard way, unfortunately. 

Focus your energy on what truly matters for student growth!

The school year can feel long at first, but the secret to surviving is to take it one day at a time. Trust your training, lean into your passion, and remind yourself that you are qualified! You’re learning, you’re growing, and you’re making a difference.

Take care of yourself and, most importantly, believe in yourself.

You’re not just a teacher. You’re a difference-maker. And this is just the beginning of your amazing journey!

Warmly,

Debbie