Tips for New Teachers: Advice from An Experienced Educator

Starting a new job as a teacher is exciting, which is probably why you’ve sought out tips for new teachers. However, it can also feel completely overwhelming.

Whether you’re stepping into a high school content area, a new grade level, or working with an unfamiliar age group, the first week often moves faster than you expect. Meanwhile, you’re learning school culture, meeting new students, connecting with students’ parents at open house, and trying to plan for the next day…all at once.

Nothing fully prepares you for managing lots of students, building professional relationships, and balancing time management with your own well-being. In fact, many new teachers spend too much time perfecting bulletin boards instead of protecting their energy. However, academic success doesn’t come from exhaustion. It comes from showing up as your best self.

So before the upcoming year sweeps you away, pause. Reflect. Reset.

If you could go back to your first week, what would you say? Would you focus on classroom routines that encourage good behavior? Or would you remind yourself that teaching is one of the most rewarding professions—but only when you create sustainable habits?

As you step onto this career path, consider this your honest, practical reminder: take care of yourself first. Because when you protect your energy, your entire class benefits.

The Tips for New Teachers that Beginning Educators Need Most

When you’re a first-year teacher looking for advice, you’re typically looking for things like classroom management, review games, or time-management tips. And those are all very worthy and important in your first year of teaching, and even throughout your teaching career. 

That said, there are a few things that don’t get enough attention. These are things that will have just as big (if not a bigger) impact on your teaching career. Things like:

• Whether or not you take your lunch break or work through it every day
• If you take work home with you at the end of the day
• How you deal with a bad day in the classroom
• Whether you do the hard work of finding and maintaining your boundaries
• Developing a growth mindset when it comes to defining your own success

These may all seem a little silly, especially if you’re fresh out of uni with a teaching degree that still has wet ink. But I assure you, in the world of education, these are just as important as what sort of things you’re searching up on Teachers Pay Teachers.

But, because I know you’ll be looking for classroom things, here are some blog posts for the other stuff for that, too. Check out the tips below, and then come back for these. 

• Tips for Parent-Teacher Conferences
• Classroom Rewards Systems that Work
• Fun Review Games for the Whole Class
• Tips to Save Time When Planning Your Week
• Classroom Jobs: How to Effectively Use Classroom Helpers

If I’d Read a Letter with Tips for New Teachers, Here’s What I Wish It Had Said

Now, let’s talk real life for a minute. I have made no secret on this blog of how hard teaching became for me. And if I’d had the following letter, maybe I would have listened, or maybe I would still have done things the wrong way and ended up right here anyway. But, I must try to help anyone in the teaching profession who landed here not make the same mistakes I did.

Because, reality is, my fellow educator…teaching is tough. And we need more than the best binder printables if we’re to meet all of the demands of the school day (and the career as a whole!)

So, whether you’ve landed here on the first day of the school year as a first year teacher or as one of my fellow veteran teachers, I think these reminders can go a long way in helping you follow best practices to have a successful school year.

So, let’s jump in.

Tips for New Teachers from Someone Who’s Been There

Dear new teacher, 

I want you to believe and know you are so capable, my friend, and you have so much to give. You have ALL the skills required to be a great teacher in your new career, BUT… I need you to be aware of some essentials before you start.

Tips for New Teachers About Taking Care of Yourself

I know you may roll your eyes when I say this, but you absolutely must take care of yourself. Treat this as the most important thing you can do as a classroom teacher. While you may be passionate about teaching, it can easily take over every aspect of your life if you let it. 

• Have a notepad beside your bed. This can help you have a place to jot down those late-night thoughts that creep in and let your brain relax and know that you won’t forget. 
• Create a way to unplug from the school day and take a deep breath to unwind from the stress that can become part of your daily life as a teacher
• Learn how to prioritize rest and get good sleep. Unplugging from the school day is going to be essential if you’re to get good sleep, which is a key to success
• Learn to practice self-kindness. Things will go off-course sometimes. Expect it, but then move on. Teaching is a journey that requires constant reflection and improvement. 
• Implement a self-care routine and stick with it. Self-care is more than baths and journaling (although I do find those things to be helpful sometimes!) Finding the right practice for you has so many benefits that will show up in your teaching career.
• Practice stress-management. Make stress-management part of your daily schedule. The best way to make a more positive impact in your students’ lives and have more good days in the classroom is finding a better way to manage stress. Over the long-term, you’ll prevent burnout that could end your career. 

Tips for New Teachers to Maintain Your Physical Health

The thing about maintaining your physical health is that it never seems important until it’s too late. When you’re focused on each week’s lesson plans, optimizing your teaching style to the latest requirements from admin, or responding to students’ caregivers, you might be tempted to let things slide. 

Don’t do this. 

The biggest challenge is seeing how the dots connect between physical health, self-care, stress management, and the longevity of your career. Here are some things to keep in mind so you don’t sacrifice your most important resource as a teacher: your health.

• Take care of your voice. Until you are an elementary school teacher who’s lost their voice, standing in front of a rowdy class that won’t settle down, you’ll never appreciate your voice like you should.
• Eat healthy food and don’t skip meals. You will pay for it later when you are so hungry and grab for the chips or junk food when you get home. Here are some quick & easy snack ideas for busy teachers
• Take your lunch breaks and sit down to eat. This is going to give you time to take a breath and practice that all-important stress management, but it also signals to your brain that you’re worth the effort. 
• Drink plenty of water throughout the day. You need to be properly hydrated. (And don’t worry, your body will get used to being hydrated and you’ll stop needing to run to the restroom so much!)
• Take your sick leave when you’re ill. I know substitute teacher plans are challenging, but have at least one backup plan ready for each unit so you can focus on taking care of yourself when you’re sick.
• Don’t self-medicate with coffee or wine. Look for healthier ways to cope with stress. 

Things to Know About Classroom Management

A good classroom management plan starts being enforced the first day of school, and continues throughout the school year.

Whether it’s your first time in front of a class or you have years of teaching experience, sit down before the start of the school year and decide on your plan for the classroom. This will help you maintain some sense of order for the whole rest of the year. Here are some tips for new teachers for better classroom management:

• Have a clear classroom management plan. Yes, I just said this, but it’s worth stating again. What’s your plan, and how will you enforce it?
• Keep your resources filed and organized so you can use them again the next year. This means keeping templates for things in binders, and making sure to keep your laptop organized and properly labeling things as you download them onto your computer. 
• Be productive with your time and stay organized. This will help you get the most out of any planning time you have, and make it easier to follow through with your stress management plan.

Tips for New Teachers About Your Mindset and Professional Relationships

Your mindset and professional relationships will show up in all areas of your teaching career. And having the right mindset and/or support from other teachers is one of the most effective ways to make a positive difference as a teacher. Here are some ways to combat hard days as a teacher by working on your mindset and professional connections with other teachers:

• Collaborate with colleagues. Building relationships with experienced colleagues will teach you all the best tips for new teachers. Whether it’s trading ideas or lesson plans or ideas for a new seating chart, new educators will benefit immensely from collaboration.
• Ask for help when you need it. From the time you’re student teaching to being a new-career teacher with your own classroom, you’ll have to work on things like behavior management, getting students to follow the student handbook, and other things that your teaching credentials only somewhat prepared you for. Find someone with good field experience to help you out when you need it most.
• In that same vein, seek a mentor. Some schools allocate a mentor for you, but if not, find one of your fellow teachers you trust and ask them to mentor you. It doesn’t mean you have to be best friends, but having someone who can teach you and help you through challenges is a great way to become a better teacher.

Some Encouragement for Hard Days

Finally, I know this is a lot to take in, and I want you to know, you don’t have to do it all or be all for everyone right out the gate. Good teachers are built over time, and you’ll learn something every single year that you didn’t know before. So be encouraged that it’s not up to you to be perfect from day one.

If you’re looking for on-the-go encouragement, ideas, and tips for new teachers and for more experienced educators, Truth for Teachers has an excellent podcast and covers some really hard-hitting topics!

Start Here and Grow Into Yourself as a Teacher

Teaching truly is one of the most rewarding professions; however, it also demands intentional self-care. Over time, you’ll grow in your subject area, refine your time management, and strengthen relationships with your entire class. Meanwhile, you’ll discover that academic success depends just as much on your well-being as it does on lesson plans.

Although each school year brings a clean slate, remember that growth happens in small moments. The next week won’t be perfect. The next day might feel messy. And yet, every single day gives you another opportunity to reset, model a positive character trait, and build connection with your students.

So protect your energy. Choose progress over perfection. Focus on meaningful student work instead of flashy displays. Additionally, lean into professional development that supports both your craft and your mindset. When you prioritize sustainable habits, you not only serve your students—you safeguard your future on this career path.

You don’t have to do every new thing at once. Instead, take it step by step.

The upcoming year will challenge you. However, it will also stretch you in beautiful ways. These tips for new teachers will help you show up as your best self, give yourself grace, and remember: the favorite teacher your students need is a healthy, balanced one.

You’ve got this.