Are you new to the primary grades this year?! If so, you’re going to love what I’m sharing today! Let’s cover 10 of my top tips for a new primary teacher! These ideas will help you manage your classroom effectively, build relationships with students, and have fun along the way!
Get Ready, New Primary Teacher!
YAY! You’re a primary teacher! This is going to be an exciting year in the classroom for you. Whether you’re a brand-new teacher or joining the primary grades from another level, this will be a big transition. But don’t worry, it’s going to be a lot of fun too! As you prepare for a great year of learning as a new primary teacher, there are a few things that will absolutely set you up for success. Let’s walk through them together and help make this year amazing!
1. Choose Functional Classroom Decor
Primary learners need lots of support day to day in the classroom. Because of this, you’ll want to choose classroom decor pieces that are both beautiful and functional. As a new primary teacher, this will be so helpful in ensuring your kiddos get what they need, without constantly asking questions. And rest assured, there will be LOTS of questions, but having some great alphabet posters, name plates, and classroom jobs will certainly reduce it to a more manageable level.
When it comes to excellent classroom decor, think about the things your littles are learning to determine what to include. For example: letters, shapes, colors, rules, etc. This Eric Carle Carle-inspired decor Bundle is perfect for a new primary teacher. Inside, you get 13 different resources that are designed to make your classroom both cute and effective! Each brightly colored classroom decor element will help support students in some way. You’ll be covered with calendar pieces to instructional posters, to name plates! A decor set like this is the perfect way to set your classroom up for success as a new primary teacher. You can find the full bundle here on the Teaching in Blue Jeans website, or the individual components in my TPT store.
2. Set Clear, But Reasonable Expectations
Primary learners are a really fun age to teach. They are typically excited about being at school and love their teacher. It’s one of the best parts of the job, actually! This age group is also one that needs very clear rules and expectations laid out for success. It’s important to establish the expectations in your classroom for everything. I mean it… everything! Some things you’ll want to establish boundaries for are:
- inside voice tone
- how to clean up materials
- how to use materials appropriately
- expectations for turning in work
- how to treat others
- how to line up and walk outside of the classroom
While these might seem like basics, and they are, they must be taught in the primary years. Depending on what grade you’re teaching, you may have to put in more or less work here. For example, kindergarten teachers are starting at square one, whereas second-grade teachers should have a solid foundation to work with. But, no matter what grade you’re in, expect that your kiddos don’t know any of these things! That’s a piece of advice that will serve you so well as a primary teacher.
Oh, and please make sure your expectations are reasonable. Keep in mind, these are primary kiddos. There’s only so long we can expect them to sit and stay fully focused. It comes with the territory!
3. Plan on Practice – A Lot!
This next tip probably goes without saying, but I’m going to cover it anyway. Practice, practice, practice is the name of the game in the primary classroom. As a new primary teacher, you’re about to learn that this age group will need to do something many times before it really sticks. So, embrace this! Find fun ways to practice everything you’re covering. More on that below in tips to follow.
Oh, and this tip applies to the rules of the classroom, too. The first few weeks of every school year will be filled with practicing the basic rules and expectations of your room. This doesn’t mean that you don’t start working on academics, but make sure to connect those classroom expectations and procedures too. For example, a color by number page can work on number recognition and identification, but don’t stop there. Use the same page to remind students about where to find and how to use their crayons, writing their name on the top of the page, and how to turn in their paper when they are done. The more that you explicitly teach, practice, and review those things at the beginning of the year, the easier it will be later.
And. . . don’t be afraid to review and practice those things later in the year if a refresher is needed. While you are thinking about it, go ahead and grab your calendar and mark the first week back after winter break as a rules, expectations and procedures refresher week. You’ll thank me later! π
4. Create a Solid Daily Routine
As a new primary teacher, it’s so important to understand that this age group thrives on routine and consistency. It’s best to have a daily schedule in place that you can repeat day in and day out. The purpose of this is that the students learn the rhythm of the day and know what to expect. There are many advantages of this, but the two that stand out most to me are behavior management and independence.
Children behave much better when they know what to expect. Any slight change in routine can make them get a little silly – which is ok, they are primary students, of course! But, maintaining a solid daily routine will help rein everyone in most of the time.
It also helps to teach independence, as then your students know what to expect. This is especially true with your morning work routine. I like to use predictable worksheets for morning work because they foster independence even further. In my classroom, the kids knew that when they came in, they grabbed a sight word practice page like these and got to work! As a bonus, you’ll be practicing important words on a daily basis without even thinking about it. This bundle includes 5 different resources, so you’ll have plenty of options for varied skill levels in your room.
5. Be Flexible as a New Primary Teacher
One thing I should tell you now is that even your best plans will probably have changes. Yes, it’s true! Especially at the beginning of your career. But guess what, friend, that’s totally OK! In fact, the more you expect things to shake out a little differently, the easier it’s going to be. While having a routine and expectations are essential, learn to go with the flow, too. When you’re in control, unflustered, and optimistic about these changes, things will smooth out a lot more quickly! Never forget, those kids feed off your energy and reaction… So choose wisely!
6. Hands-on Learning is Your Friend!
Hands-on learning is the name of the game when it comes to the primary crowd! Not only are tactile learning activities fun for students, but they also allow you to weave in additional practice of important concepts in a new way. Oh, and we can’t forget the importance of learning fine motor skills, too! No matter how you slice it, hands-on learning is such a valuable tool in teaching K-2 students.
In my room, I love weaving in hands-on learning activities during our center rotations. For example, Play-Dough Mats are a great way to practice shapes, letters, numbers, and even sight words! The kids will be having so much fun, they’ll forget they are learning. Just be sure to laminate the work mats so that you can use them again and again. These are also great because students can be fully independent with them!
Another fun option for hands-on learning and practicing fine motor skills are Scissor Skills Pages and Crafts. Inside this bundle, there are options for cutting straight and curved lines, shapes, and even simple crafts. These are a lot of fun to use in a variety of ways in your room. Place the line-cutting pages in a bin for a morning activity. The shape pages are perfect for center time. And the crafts make great whole-group, Fun-Friday activities! These are always a student favorite, and you’ll love how much practice they get along the way.
7. Make Time for Movement
Primary learners are a wiggly bunch! They need opportunities to get up and move around in the classroom whenever possible for the best results. Allowing movement will improve focus and help make sure everyone stays on track with your learning goals. I like to do this in a couple of ways. First, teach students how to move through the center stations. Center time is a great opportunity for more hands-on learning, working in teams, and allowing you to use small groups. Make sure students know HOW and WHEN to switch centers. Allowing this independence without micromanaging them is great for everyone!
Second, make sure to build in movement breaks into your day. Set them in your schedule so that kiddos know they are going to get a dance break, a quick yoga pose session, or a game at that time. Then, have a great playlist of songs and movement breaks ready to go. YouTube is a great resource for this. Just be sure to preview all videos before playing. I love Jack Hartmann for primary kiddos!
8. Maintain Excellent Parent Communication
This one is so important when it comes to fostering relationships with the families in your school. As teachers, it’s easy to feel disconnected from parents. We’re at school all day and rarely get an opportunity to check in with them. Because of this, I highly recommend putting a plan in place to ensure an open line of communication with parents. Here are some of the ways I do that in my classroom:
Send Monthly Newsletters & Calendars Home
These should include special dates, happenings in your classroom, and upcoming school closures. Parents like to be in the know, and this makes it easy! Pro Tip: Save these on your computer so you can make slight edits each year.
Take Advantage of Email Communication
Email is a great way to stay connected with families in your classroom. Make sure to collect parent email addresses and send them notes often. You can create email templates on your computer to make this process quick and simple! I liked to send out a “Star Student” email to a couple of parents each month, highlighting great things their child is doing in school. This is an excellent way to build a positive relationship with parents.
Ask for Parent Volunteers Often
When I was a new primary teacher, I had no idea how helpful this would be. It really is a game-changer and allows you to get to know many of the parents in your room. You can also ask for volunteers to help with grading papers at home, prepping center materials, and other tasks if they aren’t able to come into the classroom. Many parents want to contribute, but aren’t able to leave work during school hours, so you’ll often have plenty of takers for this, too!
9. Look to Teacher Veterans for Support
As a new primary teacher, you might feel nervous about asking questions. I get it, I felt like this too! But the veteran teachers at your school are going to be such a valuable resource for your success! So, take some time to get to know other teachers in your faculty, particularly in your grade level. Ask them questions about your school’s curriculum, challenges they have found with the programs, and anything they wish they knew when they first started. This reflection is fun for them, and I promise, it’s going to have a big impact on you too!
10. Remember to Have Fun as a New Primary Teacher
My last tip is to remember to have fun! As a new primary teacher, you’ve got a lot on your plate. But perhaps the most important thing is to help your students grow. Part of this includes building relationships and making time for fun. Finding a happy balance between structure and silliness will serve you well in the primary classroom!
One way to ensure a balance is by opting to have Fun Fridays every week on Friday afternoon. By this time in the week, everyone is ready for a break. So, plan to weave in a little fun on these days to end the week on a happy note. You can still plan learning activities, of course, but try to make them a little more engaging than usual. Games such as BINGO are a lot of fun and can be played with your whole group. You could also work on craft projects on these days, thematic learning activities, or other topics that are out of the typical routine.
I always liked to end Fun Friday with something that is purely for fun, too. It doesn’t have to be big or extravagant. Just something that will make you and your kids smile for the last 20 minutes of the day. Crafting, dancing, a relay race outside, a scavenger hunt, or trivia are all fun ideas!
New Primary Teacher, You’ve Got This!
Whew, that was a lot! How are you feeling?! I hope these ideas gave you a glimpse of what it will be like to be a new primary teacher. While every day isn’t going to be perfect, I have found that the great days really do outweigh the tough ones. As a new primary teacher, you’re taking on an essential role in your community. So THANK YOU for doing this! You are capable and you’ve got this! You’re going to have a great first year in the primary classroom, and I’m cheering you on! For even more support, make sure you sign up here to get access to the freebie vault. There are lots of goodies inside to help you get started! Plus, you’ll get teacher tips delivered straight to your inbox each week. Have a great year, teacher-friend!
Save These New Primary Teacher Tips
Make sure to pin this post on Pinterest so that you don’t lose track of these tips for new primary teachers.
Leave a Reply