What should I do on the first day of teaching?
New teachers face overwhelming uncertainty with no clear plan for the opening class, leading to immediate physical and mental exhaustion. This lack of direction leaves them feeling unprepared and guilty about needing rest even before the school year truly begins.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
- 1Taking personal days off to rest and sleep
- 2Volunteering for early professional development sessions to get space away from normal classroom routines
- 3seeking validation from other teachers on online forums
- 4withholding rewards until later in the school year
- 5modifying reward structures to exclude screen time
- 6talking to the grade level team on what content has been covered
- 7using the two-week processing time to prepare
- 8Reassuring parents by promising to send all slides and updates via email
- 9Apologizing for mistakes and sharing that they are a first-year teacher
- 10Setting up information around the room like stations to take the pressure off presenting
- 11Asking other teachers for examples or shared slide decks to modify
- 12Having the entire grade-level team present the same information together
- 13Following the teacher's lesson plans
- 14Introducing yourself and taking attendance
- 15Putting students to work on their Chromebooks and writing a positive note at the end of the day
- 16Limiting the personal information slides to one or two and focusing the rest of the presentation on curriculum and class expectations
- 17Skipping the slides entirely and gradually sharing personal details throughout the year
- 18Using an interactive format like two truths and a lie across multiple slides
In their words
Unedited, most upvoted first, each linked to the thread it came from.
“First year teacher here. 6th grade. I had my very first back to school night and I feel like it did not go well at all.”source ↗
“I only presented half of it and the families were looking at me with confused looks.”source ↗
“I was supposed to give them some papers to sign but I was so nervous that it completely slipped my mind.”source ↗
“I took some awkward pauses in the middle of talking due to my panic disorder (I suffer from panic attacks and public speaking under pressure triggers them).”source ↗
“I feel like I made a terrible first impression on the parents and that this first open house did not go well.”source ↗
“I felt guilty about taking a day off this early in the school year, but honestly, I really needed it.”source ↗
“But physically and mentally? I’m already exhausted even though I love my job.”source ↗
“Yesterday I was exhausted and felt guilty about taking a day off so early in the year.”source ↗
“I know I’m supposed to do some kind of slide deck and prepare a short presentation for the parents but I am terrified. It has been a really rough start to the year and I am overwhelmed.”source ↗
“I have no idea what I will do.”source ↗
“I need some advices.”source ↗
“I'm so naive.”source ↗
“What should I do when I get the class for the first time.”source ↗
“I just read a post about “Game Day” which was a fascinating read. As I read comments, I started to think “holy crap I do fun Friday with the kids and it’s only day 8! 😟””source ↗
“Should I not do this or should I wait till later in the year? I feel like I can back pedal it now, but not if I do it next week.”source ↗
“I have never started a teaching position where school started a month ago, which is why I am writing here.”source ↗
Where this came up
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