First-Year Teachers Don't Know What's Coming

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“Hi teachers, Grade 1-2 first year teacher here! Please give me some ideas, projects, activites that i can do with students in october, november, december Or math, science, ELA units that you do. Any advice would help as i am starting out and am struggling! submitted by /u/Old_Document_1942 [link] [comments]”

“(Non-US teacher also but I feel like the people in this sub are a lot more nicer than in the German teacher sub) Hey guys I have my first teaching job tomorrow at a special education school grade 8 and 9 (I didn’t study for SE and I am still in my master‘s so in Germany I am not a finished teacher yet but I do get money for it, so it’s not like an internship, I will be the only teacher there). Are teachers with adhd and anxiety here who have any tips for me? Please tell me the anxiety gets bette”

“Hello, I(34M) am completely new to teaching. I just got a job teaching as a Welding Instructor for a local vocational school. I am just wondering if anyone has some tips, advice, anything really. I am completely green to teaching besides running crews and shop management and my crews were 20-45 year old men. Although I am extremely excited for this new chapter I don’t like going in completely unarmed so anything will be helpful! submitted by /u/AutisticTortle [link] [comments]”

“Hello everyone, I need some advice, tips, or tricks for my kinder class. It is my first year teaching and I work in a predominantly Hispanic school. Only four of my students speak English, one is bilingual. I rely on her for my translations and to communicate to the student(s) that need to tell me something. Well we are in week two and I feel like my procedures are just not working. Two of my boys, who both get distracted easily, refused to not do work, walked around my class during carpet time,”

“I am a first-year special ed teacher and I’m already exhausted. I have a student struggling with transitions, group activities, and preferred items. I keep getting different advice: use more visuals, be consistent, give strategies some time to work out etc. I appreciate the advice. I KNOW I’m new and have a lot to learn. But I’m starting to feel like everyone is telling me what to try while nobody is actually coming into my classroom to observe, model what to do, and help us build one consistent”

“Also, OP, please find out if there are any children with severe food allergies - you will either want to avoid using those plants or make sure they know not to handle them.”

“I will be starting work as a student assistant teacher soon for students around 4-5 years old. I have no previous experience, I’m super nervous and not sure what to anticipate. Do you guys have any advice? submitted by /u/No-Way5318 [link] [comments]”

“This is my first year teaching. I knew I wanted to be a teacher. I knew it was my calling at such a young age. I thought school and certifications had prepared for my first year of teaching. I studied all the methods, I subbed while I was in school, and I made sure I wasn’t a stranger to the classroom prior to student teaching. I’m only two weeks into my own class, and I’m drowning. I teach 8th grade English and the amount of behaviors, IEPS and 504s, and work outside of the classroom has me fee”

“Hey everyone! I need some advice. I’m a teacher in north Texas and I love my district. I graduated from UNT in 2024 and have been working at the same school since I got hired mid year to teach 5th grade (Jan-May 2025) Last school year I taught 4th grade self contained and this year I am teaching 3rd grade self contained. I love being self contained and I really enjoyed 4th grade and I like my students a lot this year! It’s early into the school year and I’m having a hard time. I feel burnout com”

“For context, in my country there is a shortage of teachers, but only in problematic schools or remote areas, small villages or cities with close to no public transportation. I will start my first job as a teacher. Since I have no experience, I was only called by these types of schools. I have no car, so I decided to chose one of the problematic schools. I know the content well, my biggest issue now is how to discipline a tough class. I am wondering if I am irresponsible for doing this and I don&”

“This is my first year teaching (ever!) 8th grade ELA at a title 1 school with a lot of behavioral issues. It’s been a wild 2 weeks. Most of my classes are awesome but in 1 class I can’t seem to get them to stop talking/throwing things even with writing up every infraction and speaking with the student, and my classroom management of the whole class is not incredibly strong so it’s hard to pull kids aside without the rest of them going wild. Admin is pretty adamant about keeping kids in the class”

“My school is, kinda last minute shifting to an 80 minute schedule up from 38 minutes last year. I’m so used to it I don’t know how to shift. Of course I can combine two lessons and just kinda make it work. However on a 45 minute schedule if my lesson made it to 25 minutes, I could always kinda stall for a few minutes and then let students work on their homework or something like that. But with 80 minutes, even if I make it to 60 minutes I feel like it’s too much to stall for 20 minutes. Right no”

“Fellow first year teacher here and boy do I feel this! I have a very basic curriculum that is way above where our students are currently at. I am winging everything day by day. Students have been back a week and a half and I’ve had two breakdowns so far. I want it to work I really do but TBD if I’ll be back next year I guess! My fellow first year teachers at my school are also drowning 😩”

“Hi all, Soon I’m beginning my first practicum placement at a high school teaching grades 9-12. I’m wondering as a young person myself, what is the best advice to build relationships and connect with the students while maintaining respect and a sense of authority in the room. Any general advice welcome! ☺️ submitted by /u/Existing_Speed7494 [link] [comments]”

“Going on wk 6 of teaching as a brand new sped teacher of a self contained elementary aut class after many yrs as an aide. It goes w/o saying, but this is very different and in a lot of ways, much harder. Not just bc I have the responsibility of running my class to be safe, accessible, and equitable, and engaging for my students and aides. I’ve been blessed by the teacher gods with amazing aides thus far whom all have yrs of experience working with littles and have been teaching me so much. I mak”

I'll check it out!

“We're in this boat together, and we're going to make it (even if the waves feel pretty turbulent)! Have an amazing first year!”

“Hi! I hate to admit that I’m lost. I got hired last minute in a position I have absolutely zero experience in (grade-wise). The past two days have been very rough (week 3 btw). This is also our safety drill week! Yesterday, we had to practice lining up in the hallway and staying quiet in line for ten minutes before dismissal. Today, admin came in because during our earthquake drill week had to start over because they were talking. I cannot get them to stop talking when it’s important. And we go”

“I’m a first year teacher & new single mama of a 5yo kindergartener & a 1.5yo. I’ve been teaching now for a week. Last week, I was half dead. This week I’m about 2/3 of that. Any one else in the same boat? How are you dealing? I love my iced coffee, which I have in the am, but when I get home I want to pass out but obviously I can’t as a mom of two littles. submitted by /u/pizzaprincess915 [link] [comments]”

“Hello teachers! School is right around the bend, and I'm trying to get everything all prepared for the first week of class next week. I'm a little excited, but the predominant emotion is terror haha. I'm teaching 4th grade, which is new age level me. My classroom is pretty much done, so I'm trying to get routines polished and written out. I just finished drafting a daily schedule (though who knows how long that will last). I know as a first year teacher I'm going to be coming”

“Hi all! I just got hired for a permanent teaching position VERY last minute in a new city and I am feeling a bit overwhelmed. The first instructional day is on Tuesday. I have teaching experience in both occasional and longer term roles, but I’ve never started off the school year with my own classroom. I’m teaching elementary French and the Arts (Kindergarten-Grade 6). I would love to hear ANY advice anyone has about how to start off the first week, how you organize your classroom and routines,”

“Yes the content of the class was covered in my degree lol. Like they said I just want advice on classroom management and other things a first time teacher might want to know”

“Anyone have any tips/advice for a possible middle school first year health teacher? I’m starting to apply to jobs so tell me everything I need to know! submitted by /u/Klutzy-Answer9685 [link] [comments]”

“I got hired at the district I wanted, at a school I was hoping for, but then now that it’s the actual day I start, my anxiety kicked in and I’m psyching myself out. I have 9th-10th graders for math (Alg1 and Geo), I’m not starting on time, and on top of starting in the middle of the week at month 2 of the year, I don’t even know where these kids are at or what their sub covered while I was going through onboarding. Lurking here I know that year 1 is fully just survival mode and I have been texti”

“My girlfriend is a first year teacher and her first job is teaching history in a rural high school. The kicker is she has to teach grades 8-12 and is trying to juggle lesson planning for 5 different classes, one or two of which wasn't a part of her major in college as I understand it. I was wondering if anyone has any tips or suggestions as to a way to lighten the workload for her as she spends most of her time away from school getting ready for the next couple days. Or if there is something”

“Hello! 👋 Im starting as a SPED teaching assistant for an elementary school tomorrow and I'm super nervous! Ive worked with teenage boys in a residential hospital/school setting so I dont have regular classroom experience. How do you communicate with the kids and build a rapport? Im used to working with teens and have little experience with k-1. What are some techniques for de-escalation that work for younger kids? How do you handle crises? How do you work alongside the teacher? I dont want”

“First time teaching middle school. Need your tips and tricks as it’s looking I have a challenging group (very talkative and active). Thank you all submitted by /u/Various_Peak_5241 [link] [comments]”

“Hi everyone! I'm a recent graduate, and I started subbing last year, but I'm still very new to teaching. I took on a vacancy at a local school, which lasts the whole school year. I have more experience working with 2nd - 4th grade, but I have subbed for every grade in elementary school (aside from kindergarten). That said, those were all short-term assignments. My main thing is figuring out a work-life balance (and getting enough sleep). For the full-time teachers and fellow long-term su”

“So long story short , im a resident substitute filling in for a 7th grade science and math position until they can find someone to fill it , they have offered it to 2 people and both turned it down . All of my classes are very illbehaved ( cursing, yelling , back talk , elopement ) Last week was safety week and during one of the drills that was a lock down drill I had a student laugh during the entire thing .... afterwards I leaned down next to him while sitting in my chair and quietly told him”

“Hello Teacher Hivemind! I am a 27 y/o non-binary teacher in my second year of teaching. I teach at the middle school level (6-8) and I have been at the same school for both of my years of experience. I am fully out to my school community (I go by Mx. [Name]) and introduce myself with they/them pronouns at the beginning of each school year. I have had virtually zero negative experiences with my gender expression until last week, and am seeking your advice about how to handle the situation. A stud”

“I just graduated with my BA in history and got a job at a local school working with upper elementary kids teaching 40 min lessons before sending them back to their teacher of record. I have loved every second of it. For as long as I can remember I have wanted to be a teacher but I have been scared off of it these past few years and pivoted to museum education and getting my MA in Public history. This new job has me rethinking that though. Do I get my license through my work and then teach while”

“Let me first say that I'm not officially "student teaching" yet. That's for next semester. I'm currently in the phase of school where I co-teach for one class period every day of the week. So far I love what I'm doing, but today was my first "bad day". By that, I mean I woke up with a migraine, I have a sore throat, students were a little more chatty than usual, and I had a couple of kids disrespect me. I'm posting this because I just want some general tip”

“Hey! So I’m a long term sub with second graders. However, I’m certified in High School and did all my student teaching and a year of teaching in high school. The issue is I’m used to a certain kind of humor with high schoolers. And while I tone it down a bunch for my younger ones (less sarcasm and such) today, I fear I made a mistake. This one kid was off task and goofing off while he was supposed to be working. So others got some free time after they finished. So when I tell them to put away th”

“I'm in 2 gen ed math classes (different grades), do two daily interventions, and do two twice-a-week interventions. One prep. Fortunately, we try to get IEP meetings set up for after school.”

“I wanted to ask more experienced teachers what are some of the biggest differences and challenges between being a first year and second year teacher? Note I’m a high school teacher. submitted by /u/Educational-Ad6923 [link] [comments]”

“Hello, I am new to posting so forgive me if I make any mistakes. I am a first year teacher, I just started at my high school last week. Now schools in my district started a few weeks ago, and I was brought in because there was an immediate position available due to unforseen circumstances. Now I am going through an ACP route and I barely got my SOE a week before I was hired by the district and 2 weeks before I was placed in my current position as a teacher of record. On day one, they were not ex”

“Hi everyone! I’m 20 years old and I’m about to start my first official job as an assistant teacher in a private school. I’ll be working with a third-grade class, and I’d really appreciate some advice from experienced teachers and teacher assistants. I have some experience teaching English, but it was mostly private tutoring with a few teenage students, so working with a whole class of younger children is new to me As an assistant teacher, I’ll be helping with classroom management and student saf”

“I figured out the coursework thanks to someone else on here. I passed the SWD exam, EAS, but still have to take the multi subject exams. Which certificate do you apply for on TEACH? Would it have to be a supplementary certificate if there is a school that wants to hire me as a teacher or would I just file an initial certificate for SWD? I keep going back and forth between all the different certificate types, B, C, G, etc....any help is appreciated!! submitted by /u/Inner_Trade1281 [l”

“25F, I’m in school for early childhood education and I plan on teaching public elementary school (maybe private if possible but I’m not holding my breath.) When I started classes I had major imposter syndrome when it comes to running my own classroom which is why I’m still working on my bachelors. I know I’m capable and now that I’m a little older I feel more confident in myself, but lately I’ve read only bad things about being a teacher (for any grades). Can current or former teachers tell me a”

“I am a secondary (6th-12th) ESL Teacher in my 2nd year and I’m creating a master document and spreadsheet for my colleagues. I want to know what you would find helpful as a non-ESL teacher or as an ESL teacher. Please include any questions I should include for explanations, edit, or remove in the document before I share it to my coworkers. I’m worried if some questions sound very condescending or if it’s just doing too much and I should scrap it all together. I shared it with my mentor (ESL) and”

“Hello!! This is officially my fourth year of teaching. I teach Kinder right now, though originally I came in wanting to do 4th/5th grade. I do well with the littles, and enjoy it, but ive found that I dont enjoy teaching the little ones as much as I do the upper grades. I love them, but i feel like as years go by, it feels more and more and more like being a nanny and a teacher rather than just being a teacher. My mood reflects in my teaching, and I know these kiddos dont deserve someone who see”

“I'm a second year teacher coming back after a couple years off. I was a late hire (hired the week school started) and am just now able to get started. Wednesday will be my first day. Any suggestions on how to make the classroom mine after a sub has been there? Any important things I need to do in my first couple days to establish myself? Should I start with building the community then lead into curriculum? Any advice is welcome. Thanks! submitted by /u/TheTexasTherapist [link] &#”

“I’m starting my first subbing job for elementary on Friday for 5th grade math, and I’ve already watched videos on how to manage/introduce myself to the classroom, write down a general note at the end of the day, and a teacher pm’d me on Messenger saying we can talk whenever her classes switch. What are some things I should ask her? Or what she might expect me to ask her? She doesn’t know I’m a first-time sub, and I’m not sure if I should bring it up. But I’ve got icebreakers and a reward system”

“Plan 10 times more things than you think you will need for the first day. The day will move fast and will be completely overwhelming and will not go how you plan. Just have many backup plans.”

“Whether you're a teacher and it's your first year or you've taught for a few years and have some ideas on what first year teachers should look for in their first job! submitted by /u/Peanuts676767 [link] [comments]”

“Routines and expectations. Do some fun activities during the first week as community builders, but make sure routines and expectations are a big focus. I’m talking basic stuff like what to do when students arrive in the morning, traffic flow through the room when getting supplies, expectation on how to treat the supplies they’re given, call and answer routines, bathroom routines, and every other thing you can think of. Make a class charter of expectations which doesn’t include “no statements”. W”

“Hi everyone! This fall, I am working full time as a para while getting my masters in education. My grad classes start tomorrow, and I can already see assignments involving detailed lesson planning and activities. I was wondering what your strategies were for planning your lessons based off of state standards? Do you have a specific layout? Do you write down and map out your ideas first? I struggle with my creativity sometimes lol. Any tips appreciated!!! (I am in MA, perks if you’re a teacher fr”

“Hi! I am a first year secondary science teacher. I studied middle level, so I’ve been adjusting. I teacher largely 10-12. I teach enviro, physical sci, and forensics. I got lucky after jumping through some hoops and now after a week of thinking I’d have no curriculum and have to build my own, I now have curriculum that was bought that I can use. It’s insanely helpful and I’m grateful, but there are some assignments it gives that if I was a student and got assigned it I’d be so annoyed. Like, a l”

“6th grade but in an elementary setting. Tomorrow is our first PD day and then the kids come on Wednesday. Any words of wisdom are welcome! submitted by /u/awalruswalksintoabar [link] [comments]”

“Hello I am a new teacher and we have to submit our Professional Development Goals for the year… feeling stuck. I asked one of my coworkers and she mentioned how she’s teaching how to take different types of notes. I’m still in my alt cert program so that feels like way too much for me to take on at this time 🫩 I thought of my goal being differentiation, but I don’t know how I could apply and track that without losing my mind. Do y’all have any examples/ideas of goals that are fairly easy to tra”

“I am a 1st year teacher. I currently am working as a push-in ELA teacher. I am kind of freaking out because I have 70+ students that I am responsible for meeting all of their minutes and tracking all of their goals. Is this an unreasonable amount? It feels like an insanely high caseload compared to my college student teaching experiences. If so, what do I do about this??? Any and all help is appreciated!! submitted by /u/Available-Squash2078 [link] [comments]”

“I am currently enrolled in a Masters of Arts in Teaching program and have my first interview as a TA coming up! I have no experience in a classroom or with young kids tbh 🙃 what questions should I expect/prepare for? I was in corporate america and recently changed career paths now that im in my 30s. So any and all advice is helpful going into this! submitted by /u/Imaginary_Unit_7594 [link] [comments]”

“I got an interview tomorrow for 2nd grade, and I will be doing both the Q&A and demo lesson. The lesson will be about 30 mins and I would some help and advice for what lesson to do that's both easy and effective for hopefully landing a job. I haven't had an interview for a teaching position since May, so I want it to be a good one. Thank goodness it's ELA too- I feel that's my strong suite compared to math. What would you suggest? submitted by /u/fan714 [link] &#3”

“I’ll keep this short and sweet. I’m teaching 4th grade. I already have ‘reading an analog clock’, ‘situational awareness’, ‘the buddy system’, ‘ai literacy’, and ‘interacting with police’ on my list for things to teach, and I’m also doing a “what would you like to learn” morning opening to see what they’d be curious about. When you were a first-year teacher, what did you do to fill in the gaps if you taught the younger grades? I’m still waiting on the bulk of my curriculum, which is making me a”

“Hey everyone! I'm an incoming student teacher and I just have been told about the school I'm going to & I'm going to be placed in kindergarten! :D I'm soooo excited but nervous.. any tips or advice you could give me before I start? I have 0 teaching experience with kids and I wanna leave a good impression with my cooperating teacher and my students :) submitted by /u/hifujaku [link] [comments]”

“I live in upstate New York, and my district just brought back a FLES Spanish program as a special and asked me to take the position. I’ll be teaching grades 4–6, and I’m starting to panic because school starts Wednesday and I really don’t know how to lesson plan for FLES. The curriculum I was given is extremely broad, so I’m struggling to figure out what to teach, in what order, and how to structure each lesson. From talking to other teachers, the district had this program many years ago, but th”

“I am a first year school librarian, and I have a one hour fourth or fifth grade class once a day. While I have my master’s degree in library science, my bachelor’s is pre-k through third, so my big kids are a little outside of my wheelhouse. I would love to read chapter books with them (and I do during optional book clubs) but since I only see them once every other week, I’ve been reading them picture books. So far I’ve read them The Day You Begin and What Do You Do With An Idea (which I thought”

“Based on our unit end dates, we’d have to start academics on the second day of school. I know they want routines and procedures the first week but I’m at a lost. What is your take on this? submitted by /u/QuirkyAndCool [link] [comments]”