20 Practical Things Graduate Teachers Should Know

Written by Holly (Teach Starter)

Updated 5 years ago | 4 min read

I remember that daunting yet exciting feeling I had as I walked through school on my first day… not as a student this time, but as a graduate teacher with my own class. A class full of 27 6-year-olds that were going to depend on me for the whole year. Their beaming eyes look up to me, waiting for their next instruction. I remember thinking, this is my job. I get to help shape the lives of these young, eager children!

I’m not going to lie; teaching can be a tough gig. In response to this, we have created a couple of really helpful blogs:

These are extremely helpful, but what if you don’t actually know what you need to be reading to help make your first year of teaching as successful as possible?

I decided to put together a list of 20 practical things I think graduate teachers should know before they start their first year.

It’s normal to feel overwhelmed!
Don’t be afraid to ask for help or to seek clarification with your colleagues. They were once graduates, too.
Just because you are a graduate teacher doesn’t mean you don’t have valuable skills and ideas to share with your teaching colleagues. Trust your abilities.
If nothing else, strive to build rapport with your students. Everything else will fall into place.
Have fun! Take some time in the day to be silly and enjoy your students. Remember, this is one of the very few occupations where it’s ok to be silly and act like a child. Enjoy it!

The education system and schools love a good acronym. This can get confusing if you don’t know what they stand for. Spend time understanding these acronyms. Ask the colleague next to you! Don’t pretend you know what they mean. If all else fails, google it!
Talk to past teachers and special education teachers who have worked with some of your pupils. But don’t judge a pupil based on their reputation from the previous year. Get to know them for who they are! Spend time reviewing what works for you and your pupils.
Writing report cards can be overwhelming. Monitor and collect data for your students throughout the term so it isn’t as daunting when report cards come around.
Have some tricks up your sleeve to get the attention of a busy, loud, disruptive, and inattentive classroom. Our blog on Fun Attention-Grabbing Tips might help.
Some schools may give you a mentor. If not, seek out someone who has a teaching style similar to yours. Sharing similar philosophies will make the year a lot easier.
Parents want to know and love to discover what is happening in their child’s classroom. Send home a fortnightly newsletter to keep them in the loop. Although this may take some time, parents will be less likely to come and check in every week.
Make the time to share positive stories with parents. Often, teachers fall into the trap of always giving negative news to parents. Having a stash of our Positive Parent Notes on your desk will remind you to send home some positive news to parents. Alternatively, write in your diary to call one student’s family each week to provide some positive news.
Students, especially in the early years, will want to go to the lavatory a lot! It’s often hard to know if they really need to go or just like the idea of going to the lavatory during class time. Use lavatory passes, remind them to go to the toilets during breaks, and even make a visit as a whole class to the bathroom just before the next learning session.
There will be rough days. Make some time to reflect on what went well, what didn’t, and think about ways you can improve. And remember, even the most experienced teachers have rough days!
There will ALWAYS be work to do, so work-life balance is imperative. Pick a day as your early home day. Stick to it, leave school, and do something for yourself! The work will always be there in the morning.

Learn the tricks of the photocopier. It will happen. The photocopier is not your friend and will jam at the most inappropriate times. Learning the tricks of your school’s photocopier is an absolute must!
The Librarian is your best friend. Make time to get to know the Librarian and ask for help when needed.
Your first year is all about growth. Ask to observe some of the strong, positive teachers at your school. Observe and incorporate their teaching philosophy into your own.
Get some comfy shoes and wear comfy clothing. Think… will you be comfortable sitting on the carpet with your students or bending down constantly to pick up the endless supply of pencils and sharpeners that end up on the floor?
Listen to your body! If you are exhausted at the start of a day, you won’t be the best possible teacher for your class. Listen to your body and give it time to rest and recover.