Do you remember your first year of teaching? If you think back, are there some things that you wish you had done differently? (vigorous nodding “YES” of the head here ?) The good thing is that all of us had experiences that we learned from during our first few years of teaching. We all made some first-year teacher bloopers and lived to tell the tales and pass on our expert advice. (Especially #6!!! ?)
1 – Saying “YES” to Everything
Even as a first-year teacher, you can still speak up and advocate for yourself in a tactful way. Don’t allow anyone to push you around because you’re new. 
You have many years of teaching ahead of you to volunteer for committees, participate in after-school tutoring or clubs, and actively participate in or chair school events.
First-Year Teacher Blooper 2 – Thinking School Prepared You for Anything
Ahhh… those wonderful college courses. Upon graduation, we think that we are ready for everything the classroom and our students are going to throw our way. (insert about 100 laughing emojis here) Truth be told, there are so many things that we didn’t learn in college, so when you land that first job, just make sure that you are humble and willing to learn from the veterans. Teaching is a learning roller coaster.
3 – Working Late and on the Weekends
Leave your schoolwork at school. What doesn’t get done can wait believe it or not! You need a personal life and if all those cute games aren’t ready then life goes on. Kids will learn with the plain stuff. Go home and enjoy your time off. REMEMBER ? there is no award for being the last car in the parking lot!!! Please go home and take care of yourself too. Your students and classroom will benefit from you doing self-care.
4 – Creating that Pinterest Classroom
It took you hours to create every bulletin board perfectly. Student name tags are straight and already taped down. Each table has pencils sharpened, fresh crayons out of the box, and a cap on every gluestick. Then the first day of school comes and by the time the end of the day bell rings, your beautifully crafted classroom looks like a tornado swept through it. The library corner has books all over the floor, a third of your dry erase markers have been pushed in, and you’re missing a cap on four of your gluesticks. ? Next year, don’t worry so much about having a perfectly decorated classroom. Your students will love whatever you have set up.
First-Year Teacher Blooper 5 – Comparing Yourself to Others
Every teacher comes into the profession with strengths and areas to refine. It is important that we support each other instead of trying to compare our test scores and classroom management styles. Give ourselves grace. Teaching during these times is new to everyone, so if you’re a veteran and especially if you’re new, give yourself a ton of grace because it will get better and easier.
6 – Sharing Your Personal Information with Parents
This takes the cake when it comes to first-year teacher bloopers. Never give out your personal information, especially your cell phone number! Parents WILL call at the worst possible time and expect your full attention at 9 pm at night. They will want to talk to you about homework assignments, their child, and other school-related items. Make sure to set your “office hours” and stick to them. Setting boundaries is a good thing! (And watch out on social media… YIKES!)
7 – Being Down on Yourself
First-Year Teacher Blooper 8 – Being Afraid to Talk to Parents
There’s no such thing as over-communicating… parents should never be surprised when it comes to their child’s academics or behavior. Make sure that you are sharing the positives along with the negatives. Parents don’t want to always be called when something bad happens or their child gets into trouble. A happy note from time to time is also much appreciated. For more tips and tricks on communicating with parents, check out this quick read.
9 – Staying in the Wrong School Environment
Take the time to get to know your teammates. Are they the right fit for you? Do you feel supported by your colleagues and administration? Don’t feel like you have to stay at a school that does not make you feel at home. For the amount of time that we spend in our classrooms and school environment, it needs to be a positive place for you. If after the first year you are unhappy with your work conditions, shop around. Teachers are in high demand and you do have options.
10 – Using One-Size Fits All for Classroom Management
Having a classroom management system is a must-have for any teacher, but be prepared that your plan will not work for every student in your class. You have to be flexible and willing to work with those students whose behaviors need more than your management system. Be open to trying different accommodations to meet your students’ behavioral needs. Here is a list of different classroom management systems you can try. Also, make sure you are consistent and follow through with your consequences. Switching things on your students all of the time doesn’t help, because they are never able to get into a routine.
First-Year Teacher Blooper 11 – Writing Out Extremely Detailed Lesson Plans
Unless your principal asks that you have very scripted lesson plans, spend your time doing other things. To quote a teacher friend of mine…”A week’s lesson plans can be written on a sticky note.” Find a planning system that works best for you. It might just be jotting down the activities and master worksheets that you need to create and copy. Maybe you like writing down the guiding questions and standard or lesson objectives.
The only time that you want to be specific and super detailed in your plans is when you are going to have a substitute. Help them out with scripted plans. It will make their day a lot easier, your students’ learning more engaged, and your stress level a lot less.
12 – Grading Everything
Yes, your students do need grades, but you don’t have to grade every single paper that they turn in. Choose the important papers that you want to check for skill understanding and use in your grade book. Otherwise, you can drown in grading papers every night and weekend. Your time can definitely be spent doing other things, like taking care of your health and well-being.
13 – Trying to be “Besties” with your Students
Now hear me out on this one. Don’t get trapped in this first-year teacher blooper of wanting them to “like” you. You can show your students how much your care without being their “best friend”. You are still an adult and their teacher. Treat them with that kind of respect and not as a pal. Show an interest in their likes and dislikes, while still maintaining structure and routine in your classroom. Your students will appreciate you for being there as a caring adult. ❤️
First-Year Teacher Blooper 14 – Getting to the Academics ASAP
The first month of school should be all about routines, routines, and more routines. Your procedures have to be in place for everything before you can really dig deep into academics. You also want to develop your classroom community during this time, so that your students will want to work hard and learn with you. Don’t feel like you have to start the academics on Day 1. If you don’t take the time to teach your students the classroom expectations, you will spend so much time on them throughout the year that less learning will occur.
15 – Assuming You Will Always Get Your Prep
This year with the shortage of substitutes nationwide, our special area teachers are being pulled to cover classrooms, meaning that you may not always get your prep. ? Make sure that you have a backup plan for your students that still allows you to enjoy a bit of a break and be able to work on lesson planning and other things. I have a basket behind my desk that has a variety of “fun” worksheets my students can quietly complete for these types of instances. They don’t take any extra work on your part, just print, copy, and DONE!
There are so many bloopers you will make as a first-year teacher. We’ve ALL made them! Lean on your team and be coachable. Above all, remember every teacher had our first year. One day, you’ll be able to help another first-year teacher! Embrace all those bloopers and learn from them! We all mess up and will continue to do so throughout the years. Take the bloopers as learning experiences. Do you have any other bloopers to share with us? We would love to read them in the comments below.
Written by – Janessa Fletcher
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