Best Kept Secrets That Will Turn You Into A Successful First Year Teacher

Dear first year ELA teacher,

So, it’s your first year teaching ELA… and you’re already wondering if everyone else got a secret instruction manual you somehow missed.

Take a deep breath. You are not alone.

The first year of teaching can feel like a whirlwind—lesson plans, classroom management, grading, meetings, student needs, and that constant question in the back of your mind: Am I doing this right? I remember walking into my first classroom feeling excited, nervous, and completely overwhelmed all at once.

That’s why I wanted to put together something genuinely helpful for new ELA teachers. I asked experienced, classroom-tested ELA teachers to share their best advice for surviving the first year—and not just surviving it, but growing through it.

So read this slowly. Save it for later. Print it if you need a pep talk on your desk. Come back to it on the days when teaching feels hard, messy, or heavier than you expected.

Let’s see what veteran ELA teachers have to say about making your first year smoother, more manageable, and a little less scary.

Work routine:

1. Mental health over everything! Remember a job can be replaced, but your sanity is more important. Make sure to take time for yourself even when it feels like there’s NO time.
2. You do not have to do it all. Pick two or three things to funnel your focus that will be the most beneficial for you and your kiddos.
3. No matter the chaos, just go with it! If your lesson plan doesn’t go exactly right, it’s ok!
4. There is always more than one way to do things. What works for others might not work for you and vice versa.
5. Ask for help when you need it and do more listening and less saying “I know”.
6. Everything doesn’t have to be graded.
7. If you’re not sure, ask! The experienced teachers are there to help.
8. Never leave on a Friday without being fully planned and prepped for Monday.
9. Don’t take work home. It’s probably not worth worrying about. Don’t give up your life for your job!!
10. Don’t try to be perfect right from the beginning. Take time to learn your curriculum and students.
11. Don’t be afraid to change things if they aren’t working for you or your students.
12. Make shortcuts a priority. As teachers, we have to find ways to make the work easier, less taxing, less stress-inducing. And then, when it comes time to sign off, really do it.
13. Keep a file of positive things: email printouts, notes, pictures from students… anything that makes you smile and feel validated as a teacher. Then, on a frustrating day, pull that file out as a reminder that you are making a difference, despite whatever has you temporarily doubting yourself.
14. Always cover yourself with a backup in case technology fails.
15. Include volumes of visuals and build vocabulary. Vocabulary is key and not every student has “lived” the American experiences to have the background knowledge to grasp the lesson.

Relationship with students:

1. Start stricter than you are because you can ease up and enjoy, because it is harder to reel in when you have been too easy.
2. If you are wrong or make a mistake, own it, because you will model that your room is a place where we learn from our mistakes.
3. The little things matter. If there are opportunities to build connections or teachable moments for your students, they’re more important than anything else you have planned that day.
4. Kids work for people they feel respect and appreciate them.
5. Choose your battles. Figure out the rules that you are going to enforce, and then die on those hills.
6. Get to know your students and find ways to show them you are interested in them as individuals.
7. Don’t engage in power struggles – once you do, the student has already won! Be firm, but compassionate!
8. Be strong in discipline, but show them you care about them as people. They will love you, if they know you love them.
9. Don’t take anything the kids say personally. Don’t give a child the power to hurt your feelings or manipulate your emotions because they’ll definitely try!
10. The students will give you attitude at times. Try to laugh with them as much as you can.
11. Be consistent and set boundaries. Consistency and structure make the day easier for you and your students — especially the ones who don’t have it at home.
12. Expect the unexpected, let nothing rattle you. Have a few comebacks ready to go when kids try to shock you!
13. Laugh at yourself. Be the role model that shows them to enjoy life, even the mistakes.
14. Don’t tell them personal information – keep it light, they are your students, not your friends.
15. Don’t assume a smiling student equals comprehension. As an ESL teacher, some students of many cultures will smile at me as I teach or give directions. That doesn’t always mean they comprehend. Check on them, give them a “buddy” who they interact well with.

The most important piece of advice:

Whenever you feel overwhelmed, anxious, or unsure of yourself, pause for a moment. Take a deep breath and remind yourself: I can do this.

Because you truly can.

Dear first-year ELA teacher, congratulations. This year may be challenging, messy, and full of unexpected moments—but you are capable of handling more than you think. Take the advice that speaks to you, adapt it to fit your classroom, and give yourself grace as you grow.

Your first year doesn’t have to be perfect to be meaningful. Keep learning, keep trying, and remember: you belong here.

Have an amazing first year and remember we are all here to support you! If you want more tips, tricks, inspired advice and excellent resources throughout the school year, right in your inbox, subscribe below for free to the Snappy Den Academy Club.