Teaching students and running your own classroom is one of the most exciting, rewarding, and challenging jobs a person can take on. And if you’re a first-year teacher, you may be feeling a million different emotions as the start of the new school year approaches.
Whether you’re feeling excited, nervous, or prepared for your first year of teaching, you can rely on TPT for the teacher-tested solutions that’ll help you teach at your best. Check out this new teacher guide for elementary and middle school teachers, which offers:
- PreK-8 resources (including ones Made for Google Apps!) created by teachers who’ve been in your exact shoes
- Fresh ideas from millions of other teachers for when you’re feeling stuck
- Helpful strategies for setting up your classroom, building community, and more
Bookmark this guide, and make your first year of teaching (and every year after) a success!
Getting Organized for Day One
As many experienced teachers will tell you, getting organized ahead of time can make a big difference in your first year of teaching. Check out these posts for everything you’ll need to set up your classroom and get prepared before your students arrive.
Building relationships with your students and creating a positive classroom community is one of the most important things you can do as a teacher. It’s also one of the best ways to strengthen classroom management and promote positive student behavior. So what can you do to build a strong foundation from day one? These tips and resources will help you ensure that all your students — no matter what grade or subject you are teaching — feel like they’re part of the classroom community.
Pro Tip: With TPT’s all in one digital learning platform, Easel by TpT, you can assign resources from TPT to your students via a link or Google Classroom. Find resources.
Connecting with Parents & Caregivers
When school days are filled with lesson planning, grading assignments, and managing a classroom, it’s easy to forget about reaching out to caregivers. But these relationships are invaluable for gaining insights about your students. Keep reading for easy-to-implement strategies you can use to build the bridge between school and home.
Taking Care of Yourself
Last but not certainly least: don’t forget to take care of yourself! As a first-year teacher, you’re likely so focused on making a good impression and putting your students’ needs first, that you forget to replenish your own cup. These posts offer practical tips for time management, work-life balance, and words of encouragement that, frankly, all teachers should hear.
As you embark on your first year of teaching, it’s important to note that you won’t get everything perfectly right — and that is a-okay. Some days will be a breeze and other days might leave you feeling deflated. If you find yourself struggling, know that your students are going to remember the care you showed them and the effort you put into getting to know them more than the lesson that could’ve gone better. So, above all, be kind to yourself and remember that teaching is a journey of learning — not just for students, but also for you, too!
