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Top Five Tips for New Teachers

By Andrea Teske
K¹² Insight School of Washington

Back-to-school season is in full swing! When I first began my career in education, I remember often feeling a little overwhelmed! Now that I’m a “veteran” -in my ninth year of teaching- here are a few tips I’ve learned along the way in my journey that hopefully can be of use to any other first-year teachers out there.

1. Time Management & Organization. Do what works best for you to help stay on top of everything. I use a combination of my computer and my office walls with a large monthly calendar up so I can quickly see what meetings or appointments are scheduled.
2. Familiarize Yourself with Your Course(s). I like to accomplish a lot of prep work at once. Create all my emails and announcements for the entire semester, tweaking them to add personal flair when that given week arrives. You will have students that work ahead of schedule, so having this amount of prep work accomplished will come in handy as you work with students individually to achieve their learning goals.
3. Be Honest. Be honest with the kids. Be honest with yourself. Be honest with your co-workers. If you are having a tough day, don’t be shy about letting your students know. It helps them to know that you, too, have bad days. Our students learn best from teachers they like and admire.
4. Reach Out. Connect with your co-workers and find a mentor. You need someone that you can ask those silly little questions to- and someone who can help you prioritize. Don’t isolate yourself or try to do it all. Just like you are often a beacon of hope for your students during rough patches, you too need such a beacon.
5. Don’t Work During Weekends or Holidays. This has been challenging for me to accomplish, and it didn’t happen until my third year as a teacher. Whenever I mentor a new teacher, I remind them that evenings and weekends are their time. Your time is precious. Spend the time with family and friends to recharge your batteries. Don’t forget to have fun!

Andrea Teske is an English teacher at K¹² Insight School of Washington (www.k12.com/walearn). Andrea earned her bachelor’s degree in English, with a certificate in Secondary Education, in 2007, from College of Saint Scholastica in Duluth, Minnesota. She joined the Insight family in 2008, starting out with Insight School of Minnesota before switching to Washington in 2011. In 2015, she was selected Teacher of the Year by the admin, staff, and students.