Monday, April 28, 2025
5 Things I Wish I Knew as a New Teacher
Mindset Shifts Every New Teacher Needs to Stay Energized, Empowered, and In Love with Teaching
Oh, the first year of teaching!
There's nothing quite like it.
It's 10 months of bright eyed idealism colliding with the harsh realities of the "real world."
While I loved my first year of teaching (way back in 2007-2008), I'm glad I don't ever have to repeat it or relearn the many lessons, tools, and strategies that I know now.
Read on to Learn:
- Why there is more to teaching than content and classroom management.
- What cognitive and emotional tools changed my life.
- How I wish I had developed these tools as a new teacher!
1. Your Thoughts Create Your Teaching Experience.
As a new teacher, I thought external things—like student behavior, admin pressure, or lesson plans—were causing my stress. But really, it was my thoughts about those things.
Learning to manage my mind has made everything feel lighter, even when nothing changed on the outside.
2. Self-care Isn't Selfish--It's Strategic.
During my first few years in the classroom, I used to think prioritizing myself meant I wasn’t committed to my school or my students enough. "They need me!" I told myself.
But a burned-out teacher doesn’t help kids. In reality, the best thing I could possibly do for my students was take care of myself first so that I was stronger when I tried to lift them.
3. You Can Set Boundaries and Still Be a Great Teacher.
I believed “good teachers” always said yes, stayed late, and put students first 100% of the time. Now I know the best teachers lead by example—and that includes protecting their time and energy.
4. You Don't Have to Believe Every Thought Your Brain Offers You.
Our brains are wired to look for problems. I used to believe every critical thought:
“I’m not doing enough.”
“I’m failing these kids.”
"I don't know what I'm doing."
The truth is that none of those are true--they're just thoughts, not facts.
Coaching taught me to question those thoughts and choose better, more useful ones.
5. You are Not Your Job.
Teaching is what you do, not who you are. You are also a sister, brother, spouse, partner, daughter, son, child, parent, friend, neighbor, etc. Those roles are important too.
Your worth isn’t measured by test scores, classroom observations, or how many students say thank you.
Show up and do your best. You’re already enough.
Get all my best New Teacher Tips in my new course!
Do you want to learn all the tools and strategies that your college professors DID NOT teach you in teacher training?
Sign up for my all-new course, Calm in the Classroom, today!
In this course, you will learn how to to manage the emotional ups and downs of teaching--THE most important skill for teachers! Click below to learn more!
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Teacher Skills HERE!
Teacher, it's not YOU.
It's your BRAIN!
You’re staring at a mountain of ungraded papers, "that" parent just emailed again, and your lunch is still sitting untouched.
You wonder, “Why can’t I handle this better? What’s wrong with me?”
The truth?
Nothing.
Your brain is doing exactly what it’s wired to do—protect you by scanning for danger, anticipating problems, and staying on high alert. In other words, it’s trying to help... but it’s efforts often work against you becoming the calm, confident teacher you want to be.
That’s where I come in. I help teachers understand their brain’s survival patterns—and train them to work with those patterns instead of fighting them.
Want to learn how to reset your mental autopilot and feel better?
Let’s talk. Grab a FREE 30-minute coaching session and take the first step toward a calmer, more in-control classroom (and life).
Hi, I'm Brenna Nelson, a long-time educator turned Certified Life Coach.
I help teachers, just like you, learn how to process emotions, regulate their hyperactivated nervous systems, manage their brains, and create a life they love!
Ready to feel better in the classroom? Click for more help!
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Brenna Nelson
Long-time Educator turned Certified Life Coach
Welcome to The Strength of Teachers Blog! Here we share real-life skills and practical applications that you can implement in your teacher life today!
Teachers Did Not Learn this in College!
Come learn what our college professors failed to teach us in college:
How to manage the emotional toll of life in the classroom!
