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.
Found another way around this?
Share your steps and trade-offs so fellow engineers don't have to reinvent the wheel. No account required.
- 1Taking personal days off to rest and sleepDid this help you?
- 2Volunteering for early professional development sessions to get space away from normal classroom routinesDid this help you?
- 3seeking validation from other teachers on online forumsDid this help you?
- 4withholding rewards until later in the school yearDid this help you?
- 5modifying reward structures to exclude screen timeDid this help you?
- 6talking to the grade level team on what content has been coveredDid this help you?
- 7using the two-week processing time to prepareDid this help you?
- 8Reassuring parents by promising to send all slides and updates via emailDid this help you?
- 9Apologizing for mistakes and sharing that they are a first-year teacherDid this help you?
- 10Setting up information around the room like stations to take the pressure off presentingDid this help you?
- 11Asking other teachers for examples or shared slide decks to modifyDid this help you?
- 12Having the entire grade-level team present the same information togetherDid this help you?
- 13Following the teacher's lesson plansDid this help you?
- 14Introducing yourself and taking attendanceDid this help you?
- 15Putting students to work on their Chromebooks and writing a positive note at the end of the dayDid this help you?
- 16Limiting the personal information slides to one or two and focusing the rest of the presentation on curriculum and class expectationsDid this help you?
- 17Skipping the slides entirely and gradually sharing personal details throughout the yearDid this help you?
- 18Using an interactive format like two truths and a lie across multiple slidesDid this help you?
- 19Searching YouTube for teaching demosDid this help you?
- 20Asking online communities for resources and advice on structuring lessonsDid this help you?
- 21meeting with other teachers who teach the same subjects and using shared materialsDid this help you?
- 22building a personal pacing schedule from a mock scheduleDid this help you?
- 23observing veteran teachers in the same grade level or content areaDid this help you?
- 24focusing only on being ready for the kids and ignoring decorationsDid this help you?
- 25communicating expectations constantly instead of relying on redirectionsDid this help you?
- 26using funny redirection tools instead of yellingDid this help you?
- 27telling students the structure and learning goals of the classDid this help you?
- 28Keeping routines the same across all grade levelsDid this help you?
- 29Using full book units found online to knock out 4 to 6 weeks of prepDid this help you?
- 30Streamlining everything that is streamline-ableDid this help you?
- 31winging it each day with random assignments like 3-digit addition, writing, art, and map tasksDid this help you?
- 32asking other teachers in the building for supplies and informationDid this help you?
- 33marking assignments simply by checking who was on-task and tried their bestDid this help you?
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, 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 am SOOO overwhelmed. I don't know if I want this. I am feeling like it's a big opportunity for me, but also that I seriously don't know if I am equipped to do this without having a nervous breakdown.”source ↗
“I have NO idea how to set up a classroom, how to plan a year's worth of curriculum out of thin air, where to start with assessments, what to prioritize....”source ↗
“I am running on no sleep for this week. I lie in bed just tossing and turning with all of this going through my head.”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 ↗
“I have no teaching experience, my aim is high school science, but I have no idea what goes into a lesson plan or teaching a high school class.”source ↗
“I am not even sure what to do at this point, I’m drowning.”source ↗
“I just feel so lost.”source ↗
“I am worried I’m failing already, I am wondering how much admin are expecting of me given I haven’t even worked a full week yet and I’m jumping in with nothing prepared.”source ↗
“I’m so lost making these slides.”source ↗
“Do I need anything else? Is it weird to include a pic of my kids if I bring up that I have kids? Should I even bring it up?”source ↗
“All the stars aligned, and yet I feel incredibly undeserving and incompetent.”source ↗
“Well apparently, I still find ways to stress myself out.”source ↗
“Hi guys! I am so nervous for my first day of sub teaching tomorrow.”source ↗
“I have never been in a classroom so I’m not sure what I need to prepare for.”source ↗
“I’m terrified 🤣”source ↗
“I don’t know the first thing about lesson planning, and I just started doing research on classroom management.”source ↗
“I do totally feel like I'm being set up to fail. It all feels impossible.”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
- 22How to stop teaching from taking over your entire life
- 2What lesson should I teach for a job interview demo?
- 3Why is my first year of teaching making me physically sick?
- 2Why does the classroom chaos never go away?
- 3What does my child actually need to know before starting school?
- 7What to wear on your first day of work so you aren't overdressed