New Teacher Nerves? 7 Daily Reminders for First-Year Educators

Stick these to your computer, set them as reminders in your phone, tattoo them on your arm, or share them with a friend!

It’s not easy being a first-year teacher. In fact, it’s not easy being a teacher at any stage of your career. Teaching is one of the most difficult, demanding jobs there is. However, it’s also one of the most rewarding, and most important.

As you navigate your first year of teaching, remind yourself of these teaching truths to maintain a healthy outlook on your job, yourself, and your students.

1. My students are learning. We repeat: They are learning. Whether or not they recite, manipulate, and apply information correctly on assessments, they are learning in your classroom every day.

2. I am going to make mistakes. This may not seem like an affirmation at first, but give it a chance. Realizing that you will not be perfect — and that no one expects you to be — allows you to have a healthy perspective on your mistakes.

Each misstep is simply a chance to learn and hone your craft. Think about it this way: On the days where you feel like you’ve failed at everything, you’ve put in a lot of work toward becoming a phenomenal teacher.

3. My job is important. We’ve all heard that teaching is one of the most important jobs you could possibly do. It is. You are important. You are molding the future.

4. I am teaching by example. Even if you’re having a bad day, you have still shown your students what it is like to be reliable, respectful, responsible, kind, patient, and professional. They notice. These are qualities that will do far more for them than any knowledge or skill.

5. I am becoming a better teacher every day. It has been said that there is no such thing as a good first-year teacher. Of course, this isn’t necessarily true, but it speaks to the value of experience. Whether yesterday was a raging success or a monumental failure, you will return to your classroom every day as a better teacher.

6. I am a highly intelligent, fully capable individual. A mere 6.7% of the world’s population holds a college degree of any kind. That means you are one of the most educated people on the planet. You are smart. You are qualified. You are needed.

7. It gets better. Most things worth doing are difficult. Teaching is one of them. While it is never going to be an easy job, it will get less stressful, less-time consuming, and less terrifying. Hang in there; it will get better for you, too!

The more you see these affirmations, repeat them, and share them, the more likely you are to internalize and live them. You’ve got this!