Hi there, teacher friend!! Since you’re here, you probably either JUST snagged a new teaching job or are planning to in the very near future, yes? Either way, CONGRATS! Starting a new job is so exciting and full of adventures. I’m STOKED for you.

So, whether it’s your very first teaching job or you’re headed back in after a break, these little tidbits will definitely add a few new ideas and thoughts your tool belt. So, before you get out there and make the coming year the best one EVER, here are 20 MORE tips for surviving your first year of teaching.

Miss the first 20 tips? They’re RIGHT HERE.

** This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase any of the products I already love and am linking for you, I’ll receive a small percentage of the profit that the website makes from your purchase at no extra cost to you. :) Such a win-win-win! **

1. Get a whistle.

My first year of teaching, I didn’t think I’d need a whistle. I couldn’t imagine what I’d use it for. BUT…let me tell you, hollering “HEEEEYYYY SARAH!! THAT’S NOT SAFE! PLEASE GET DOWN. SARRRAAAH….SAARRAAAHH!!!! COME HERE,” across the whole playground while you stomp your way through the hot sun to tell Sarah that she’s not using the slide correctly gets really old, really quickly. Even just getting your kiddos to line up when recess is over seems easy, but giving all those instructions while attempting to get louder than all of your students’ noise isn’t as easy as it seems.

A whistle will save your voice, get their attention quickly, and help your kids see you as someone who stays calm and doesn’t need to yell. I had a few different whistles that meant different things, kinda like the Von Trapp kids in The Sound of Music. Haha! One whistle was just to get someone’s attention, 3 long whistles was “line up”, 2 whistles was a warning…etc. Do what works for you, explain it explicitly to your students, and then use that whistle instead of yelling.

2. Grab some editable newsletters to send home each week.

Sending a newsletter home to your students’ parents is a really effective way to keep everyone in the loop with minimal effort. Simply including the topics you’re covering in the coming week, special events going on at school in the next month or so, and any important reminders is awesome for helping parents feel involved and informed each week.

I always had a bunch of parents who told me how nice it was to get an update from me about things each week since their kiddos didn’t always remember those kinds of details. I wrote my weekly newsletter as part of my “lesson prep” for the following week and emailed them to all my students’ parents and passed out a hard copy on Monday.

For more tips about communicating with parents, click here!

3. Learn the procedures, protocols, and expectations for teachers at your school.

Knowing what’s expected of you as a teacher is almost as important as making sure your students know what’s expected of them. You may need to learn how you go about requesting a day off, how to submit lesson plans, how and when to drop off your students to special area classes, where you’re supposed to be during morning or dismissal duty, expectations for staff meetings, even where you’re expected to park or which bathrooms are designated for teachers only. Might seem simple, but learning those kinds of details will help you feel confident in doing your job during those first few weeks when things can feel a little chaotic.

4. Put together binders for small group time.

Having binders ready for you as you start small groups is a great way to be prepared every time you call a group to your table. Keeping the binders with data of student learning, small group plans, and any supplies you use repeatedly for small group times ready to just grab and use cuts down on waiting time and ensures your ready to teach for the entire small group time.

Having a separate binder for reading small groups and math small groups is perfect for keeping your data, plans, and supplies organized and easily accessible. Small group time can speed by super quickly, so having everything you need in a binder is awesome for using your time wisely.

5. Teach procedures for EVERYTHING.

Yeah. EVERYTHING. It might seem like common sense to you or you may think you don’t need to explain how to do every little thing, but teaching procedures will save time in the long run. You may consider teaching procedures and expectations for:

Going to the bathroom
Sharpening pencils
Using and storing supplies
Asking for help
Walking in line
Sitting on the carpet
Independent work time
Center time
Small group learning times
Recess (outside & inside)
Acceptable behaviors
How to behave in hallways and other classes

The list goes on and on! But think about the things you need your students to know and do a certain way. Then, explain it to them very clearly and practice together. Definitely makes for a smoother-running classroom!

6. Start and end the day together.

By starting and ending each day together, you’ll build relationship and community in your classroom super simply and consistently. It doesn’t have to be a LONG time either. Just sitting together to play a quick “good morning” game or read part of a book for 2 minutes before dismissal gives kids something to look forward to as they get to enjoy time with you and their friends.

I loved reading an appropriate chapter book or read aloud with my kids at the end of the day. It was such a nice way to calm down and get ready to go home. And a quick morning meeting when we discussed what the day would look like, played a quick game together, or just shared a story or two was a nice way to get to know my students throughout the year too. These school themed books can make for great read alouds for little ones!

7. Welcome kids with something easy and non-threatening.

Having something that’s fun and risk-free to work on when they first come into your classroom is a great way to reduce anxiety in your new students. If they walk in to find something on their desk that looks “challenging” or something they don’t know how to do, it can make them feel more anxious or worried.

I liked to have something like coloring or play dough waiting for them to “work on” on their desks. That way, every kid feels like they can come in and complete the task without needing help. For the first week or two, this is a nice way to help students feel comfortable and look forward to coming to school each morning.

Want more playdough activities? COME SEE!

8. Understand your school’s dismissal process IN YOUR SLEEP.

Dismissal can be one of the MOST stressful times of the entire day if you don’t know what’s expected. Where are you supposed to be? Where do you send your kids? Wait, you needed a walkie?? Where is THAT?! Most schools have a system they use to make dismissal run smoothly and quickly, so ask your principal or team the details about how it works BEFORE the first day of school.

9. Keep important paperwork organized and easily accessible.

Another tip that needs a binder! Haha. At the beginning of the year, there are a BUNCH of forms that go home to parents and come back with all kinds of information on them. Personal information, contact information, information about getting students to and from school, and even some health information (if it’s relevant) about families comes to you on these forms and it’s important to keep this information confidential and organized.

I’d recommend 3-hole punching all the forms and organizing them in your binder according to family. That way, you can find all the information for the family all at once and you know exactly where it all is when you need to reference it.

10. Get comfortable with saying “I’m sorry, I made a mistake.”

Beyond just being a human and obviously making mistakes every now and then, I think it’s super important to teach your students how to be humble enough to admit when they’re wrong or make a mistake. Seeing someone they look up to, like their amazing new teacher, being willing to admit when they’re imperfect is a such a meaningful example of how to be a kind, good human.

So, you’re gonna mess up. And it’s totally okay. Admit that you messed up, you’ll learn from your mistake, and give yourself grace. It happens to every single one of us…it’s how we learn.

11. Have your behavior plan in place before Day One.

Decide with your team or grade level or school what your behavior plan will be BEFORE your kids get to you on day one. It’s important to introduce the expectations, procedures, rewards, and consequences that first day or two so that they’re aware of how their behavior will affect their year in the classroom.

I always used a clip chart and behavior chart for my younger students (K-2) and a tally mark system and school “bucks” set up for my older students (3-5). But, definitely choose whatever sort of system works well for the level you’re teaching and the school you’re at and be ready to explain it as soon as those new kids are with you. :)

12. Introduce “Secret Trash” to your students ASAP.

This game was a GAME CHANGER for me. I always got so many compliments on how clean my classroom was because of this game. Every once in awhile at the end of the day, I’d tell my kids there was a “secret” piece of trash that I noticed earlier in the day. I’d give them 30 seconds to silently pick up every single piece of trash they could find, big or small, and keep it all in their hands. Then, at the end of 30 seconds, I’d tell them to stop and stand by their desks, hands out, showing their trash. I’d walk around “looking” at their trash to see who found the secret piece of trash. Then, I’d announce the person who found it and they’d get a small prize or treat. Super simple, fun way to clean up without breaking your back each day!

13. Prep for the next day before you leave for the day.

When I was a student teacher, my mentor taught me to always prep and lay out whatever would be needed the next day BEFORE I left school for the day. The reasoning behind this was that you just never know what tomorrow might look like and it’s a nice stress-reliever to know that everything is set up for tomorrow, even if you can’t be there unexpectedly.

Maybe you or your kids wake up sick, maybe you’re called into a parent meeting and someone has to cover your class, maybe there’s an accident on the only route to school and you’re an hour late? All kinds of things can come up in life, so it’s nice to have everything you’ll need for the day set up and ready for the day before you even walk in the room that morning.

I always left my lesson plans (including my school computer log-in information), books, manipulatives, and copies out on my desk. Then, even if a team member had to go in to explain things to a substitute or something like that, at least there was SOMETHING to go off of and no one was left hanging. And YOU don’t have to be freaking out that there’s nothing meaningful for your students to do while you’re away.

14. Leave a sweater in your classroom.

School’s temperatures can be all over the place and, in my experience, you don’t usually have control over it. Maybe it’s cold outside, but the heater is blasting inside. Or, maybe it’s hot outdoors and the AC is set super low. Whatever the situation is, I always found it was best to wear some layers that I could adjust as needed AND to have a sweater in my classroom always, just in case.

I usually used my classroom sweater for warming up when I was too chilly, but I once lent it to a student who had an accident in class and was SO embarrassed. So, it has lots of uses that you may not even know you need it for yet!

15. Get yourself a tiny teacher bag.

By “tiny teacher bag”, I mean a small bag for tiny things like your favorite pens and things you use every day. I keep flair pens, my favorite pencils and sharpies, little binder clips, sticky notes, white out tape, regular tape, and even bobby pins or hair ties in mine. It’s so helpful to have them all in one spot when you use the same things every day when grading, taking notes, lesson planning, or teaching small groups. Tiny teacher bag.

16. Create an easily accessible list of the best ways to contact parents.

I’d recommend keeping a page in the front of your lesson planning binder or on a frequently used clipboard that has every parent’s best email address and phone number on it. You may need it quickly if someone is sick, gets hurt, or there’s a last minute question about dismissal or a meeting. It’s nice to have this kind of list quickly on-hand and not somewhere you have to dig for it.

17. Only ask questions that will benefit EVERYONE in staff meetings.

Seriously. I’m ALL about asking questions when you don’t have the information you need, BUT…stop and consider what kind of question it is before asking in a staff meeting. If it’s a question that many people will benefit from hearing the answer to, ASK IT for sure! But, if it’s a question that is specifically geared toward ONLY you or you’re the only person who needs the answer to that particular question, I’d recommend waiting until the meeting is finished and then pulling the appropriate person aside to ask your question.

I only say this because usually teachers are super ready to get out of the meeting and off to their own tasks. So, popping in to ask a question that ONLY pertains to you can be tricky to be patient with. Haha! :) So, again, if it’s a question that most people will benefit from hearing the answer to, go for it. But, if it’s specific to only you, just write it down and ask someone afterward. Your fellow teachers will so appreciate it.

18. Use your kids!

Y’all. You have 20-30 kids in your room, all with 2 hands, who are willing and capable of helping you. DO NOT stack every chair on every desk after they leave…have them do it as part of their end of day routine. DO NOT pick up supplies or scraps of paper off the floor…they made the mess, they can clean it up. USE YOUR KIDDOS (in the nicest way)! They can help and a good majority WANT to help. It’s great for developing a sense of responsibility and encouraging classroom community.

You can use your kids in all your routines (entering and leaving the classroom, lunch time, special classes, end of the day, etc.), as well as assigning them jobs depending on what they can handle. Jobs like paper passer, ground inspector, and desk diary are ones that help your classroom run in an organized way and teach your students to be responsible and take pride in their space at school. Everyone wins!

19. Make a plan for indoor recess.

Whether it’s due to weather, school policies, or a special event, you will most definitely have to have indoor recess at some point throughout the year. Indoor recess can feel stressful because your students can’t run around and get their energy out like they normally can.

So, having a few things around for when you need to keep your students having fun while staying indoors is essential. Here are some ideas that worked well for me:

Grab a few games from Goodwill
Have some coloring pages ready to pass around
Set up a “Creation Station” with art supplies they can get creative with
Pull up a GoNoodle brain break
Keep some critical thinking toys around, like legos, blocks, puzzles, etc.
Grab some “early finisher” games and activities for them to play with

20. Become friends with the people who work in the front office.

The amazing people working in the front office are SAINTS, y’all. They deal with tons of rude parents, cranky co-workers, unexpected strangers, and all kinds of other details that you might not even know exist. They’re some of the hardest working people in the school and you definitely want them on your friends list.

So, it’s always a good idea to be super kind to them and thank them often. The people who have worked in the front office of the schools I’ve worked at have been the absolute best and have saved me from having to deal with lots of drama that I would have otherwise had to handle myself.

Also, if you’re friends, when you forget to post your attendance, they’ll call you and remind you with a laugh. Haha!

Alrighty! There they are. 20 more tips to help you feel more prepared this year. I know you are going to do amazing things this year and your students are SO lucky to have you. You are EXACTLY the teacher they need and you are where you are on purpose. No one can teach those kids the way you can. Remember that.

Now, off you go to be your incredible self and teach those kids know how smart and capable and loved they are. You’re going to absolutely ROCK this school year!

Cheering you on always!