Question: What Unconventional or Surprising Advice Would You Give a New Teacher?

“Don’t smile until December.” “Overplan your lessons.”

Most new teachers have heard these before. And while traditional advice is helpful, it can start to sound like a script. What tends to stick more are the unexpected insights—the pieces of advice that often don’t show up in textbooks or teacher prep programs, but still prove surprisingly effective.

That’s why we’re asking: What unconventional advice would you give a new teacher?

Maybe it was a casual comment from a colleague, or a strategy you discovered by accident that reshaped how you think about teaching. These might be ideas that challenge common wisdom or simply reflect a more personal, off-the-beaten-path approach. For example:

• Did someone suggest you stop grading certain assignments, and you never looked back?
• Have you adopted a nontraditional classroom routine that made your days smoother or more sustainable?
• Did a mindset shift help you manage stress or connect more authentically with students?
• Was there a moment when you ignored common advice, and it turned out to be the right call?

We’re especially interested in honest, practical tips—things you wish someone had told you when you were just starting out.

What’s the best “nobody tells you this” advice you’d pass along to a new teacher today? Share it in the comments.

More Conventional and Unconventional Advice

If you're new, you'll want to check out our Starter Pack of Resources for New Teachers. The page includes a curated list that's organized by challenge area—from classroom management and classroom design to community building and working with parents. There's also our New Teachers page, which includes everything we've published on the topic.

In addition, these specific articles and videos may interest you:

• For New Teachers, 6 Principles to Remember This Year
• Advice for New Teachers From a Teacher of the Year
• Edutopia Sessions: Classroom Management for New Teachers (recorded webinar)
• Edutopia Sessions: Assessment for New Teachers (recorded webinar)
• Doing the Best You Can With the Time You Have
• School Just Began and I’m Already Overwhelmed

At Edutopia, we’re always looking for educators to share their strategies. If you have ideas that go beyond what can be shared in the comments, visit our Write for Us page.

Thank you for sharing your advice with us. If you have questions of your own, feel free to post them here. Our community facilitators are ready to help!