After completing one month of teaching, we are doing a new teacher check-in: How are you doing, New Teacher?
You’ve made it through the first month of teaching, whether it was smooth, bumpy, or somewhere in between… you did it.
But now that the back-to-school energy is fading, the real rhythm of the year is starting to settle in. So—how are you really doing?
If your answer is “not great”… you’re not alone. The first couple of months of teaching are hard. There aren’t many breaks, no real holidays to speak of (once you get past Labor Day), and as a new teacher, you’re probably exhausted.
So, we wanted to take some time to give you a few suggestions as you go into your next couple of months of school.
If the last few weeks were a blur of behavior struggles, tech glitches, and lesson plans that didn’t quite land… brush that all under the door for now. Shut it. Leave it there. You are not defined by your rocky start.
Every great teacher has been through a rough first month (or three). What matters most is what you do next.
Here are a few things to focus on moving forward. 👇
Yes, you read that right. You are the CEO of your classroom. And CEOs don’t run around putting out fires all day—they step back, look at the big picture, and make a plan.
So take a day this week (or next) and treat it like your CEO Day.
💻 Choose an independent digital activity for your students—like a Digital Escape Room—and use that time to:
We even wrote about this idea in our post New Teacher Series: How to Prepare for the Unexpected and having versatile, independent student tools in your back pocket is essential for moments like these.
If your pacing guide has already gone out the window, don’t stress. That’s totally normal this time of year.
Take time now to adjust it. Think about:
If classroom management has been tough, step back and focus on routines before content. Students need consistency. That doesn’t mean your room needs to run like a bootcamp, but it does mean expectations, transitions, and classroom flow should feel familiar and safe.
Need help setting routines? Try the steps from our blog post 5 Tips for Setting Clear Expectations. Doing some work on this now is better than not doing it at all. Take the time to focus on expectations, boundaries, and transitions. December “You” will appreciate the effort.
If students are already zoning out, it might be time to mix things up.
You don’t have to throw out your curriculum but try delivering it in new, engaging ways:
Be creative. We have several posts on the blog about using resources in new ways or activities you can do outside with students.
If students are engaged, they’ll be more likely to meet you halfway.
You are learning, adjusting, and figuring out what kind of teacher you want to be. That takes time and patience.
You won’t be perfect. Your lessons won’t always work. But you will grow.
And we’ll be here to help every step of the way.
This isn’t about being behind. It’s about looking ahead.
So take your CEO Day. Take a deep breath.
And take control of the next chapter of your year.
