My first year of teaching is finally complete! The last 3 weeks of the school year seemed to drag on and on as I crawled my way to the finish line. I was told that one of the hardest things I will ever encounter is the dreaded year 1 of teaching. To everyone who told me that:

You were right.

This school year has been the hardest I have ever completed. There were moments when I didn’t think I would finish grading in time for the end of the quarter (basically every quarter). There were moments when I wanted to quit (basically once a week). There were moments when I was more exhausted than a college student who pulled an all-nighter to write a 15 page paper (basically every day).

I was also told that year 1 of teaching would be one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done in my life. To everyone who told me that:

You were also right.

There were moments when I cheered as students squeaked by with a 69.5 (basically every quarter). There were moments when my students made me laugh so hard I cried (basically once a week). There were moments when my co-workers generously spent time answering my endless stream of BT questions (basically every day).

When I took education classes in college, reflection is hammered into you over and over. You should be constantly reflecting. How did that lesson go? How could I improve it? Did I handle that phone call with that parent well? Should I continue teaching that book? Are my students understanding this? How can I help my students master this? Etc. With that being said, instead of going on and on about how difficult this year was or how much I enjoyed it, I want to reflect on what I learned this year.

The Top 5 Things My First Year of Teaching Taught Me

1. Just say no.

You don’t have to do everything. You don’t have to say yes every time another teacher asks for your help, a student asks you to accept something after the deadline, a friend wants to go out for drinks on a school night, etc. Just say no. No one will hate you for it.

2. Don’t grade everything.

I don’t know why I thought it was a good idea to grade everything when I started teaching, but the most relieving thing I was ever told was, “You don’t have to grade everything.” Sometimes I collect something and drop it right into the recycling bin. Sometimes I never even touch it. Sometimes I would collect it and just check it for completion. The magical check mark is a teacher’s best friend (along with coffee and alcohol of course).

3. Let it go.

That lesson is not going to be perfect the first time you teach it. That test is always going to have a mistake be it a misnumbered question, a spelling error, or (even more embarrassing) a question that doesn’t really have a correct answer. That one time when you said something wrong in class, accidentally said something stupid in front of a parent, got lost trying to find the copy room, or taught what you still remember as the most boring lesson in the history of teaching is not something you do not need to dwell on. Let it go. Teacher is not synonymous with perfect.

4. Ask for help.

Ask for help all the time, to anyone and everyone who will listen, even if you think the question is dumb. And, when you ask, listen to the response and take any advice offered. Veteran teachers are your greatest ally. They will love you and understand your errors. They will be patience with your incessant questioning because they were there once too. Plus, if you never ask, you’ll never know.

5. Make time for things unrelated to teaching.

I know this sounds obvious but, if you’re anything like me, it’s not as easy as it sounds. There were plenty of times I had to tell myself (or, more likely, Kyle had to tell me) to put down the grading and take some time for myself. No matter how much you grade, you will never get ahead. There will always be something else to grade or plan or finish. And, now, we’re back to 1 and 2. The main thing I learned was that teaching is what I do, not who I am. As my mom says, “Your job should never be your life. Remember what the important things in life are.” And, honestly, those are the things that got me through year 1 with my sanity intact: my family, my friends, and Kyle.

–Mads