The Top 14 Pieces of Advice Our Teachers Have Ever Received From Other Teachers

They say that with teaching, until you’ve done it for a year, you have no idea what the job actually is. These pearls of wisdom come from both senior veterans and fresh recruits, sharing the most important lessons they've learned from actually being in the classroom. All responses come from real teachers in our community.

1. "You are working with humans, no matter the age, they are people."

Simple. Profound. Easy to forget on a hard Thursday in March. This one is worth writing on a sticky note and putting somewhere you'll actually see it.

2. "Remember that each student is someone's child and they are doing the best they can."

Parents and teachers both love the same person. When a family advocates hard for their child, that's something you have in common. You're on the same team.

3. "You might be the only love they have in a day."

So every day, greet them with a smile, listen to their stories, and give them a chance to explain when something isn't right.

4. "Students do not care how much you know until they know how much you care."

Relationship building comes before teaching any content. When students feel genuinely seen and cared for, they show up differently. And that relationship isn't a box you check in week one. It's something you keep building all year long.

5. "Make your own opinions about a student. Don't take what another teacher says for how they will be with you."

Every learner deserves a fresh start with every teacher. This one is a quiet act of advocacy, and it costs nothing.

6. "Don't rescue students from productive struggle. Coach them through it."

The instinct to jump in and fix it is real. But sitting with discomfort is part of learning, and students need to know they can get through hard things. Your job isn't to remove the obstacle. It's to be in their corner while they figure it out.

7. "Focus on how your students are doing, not how the curriculum expects them to be doing."

Meet them where they are. That's where the real teaching happens.

8. "You cannot fix or change a family or child in 180 days. You can love them and support them."

This one hits differently when you're carrying the weight of a student's whole situation on your shoulders. You're not expected to fix everything. You're expected to show up. That's enough, and it matters more than you know.

9. "Be flexible! You can plan and plan and the day may change!"

Your best-laid lesson plan and a room full of students are two very different things. Go with it.

10. "Fake it till you make it."

Your energy sets the tone. If you're into it, they'll be into it.

11. "The two people you need to befriend in a school are the secretary and the janitor."

We don't make the rules, but we do endorse this one wholeheartedly.

12. "Focus on one thing each year, getting really good at that thing and working on another as that becomes habit. That's how we improve!"

There is a lot to be good at in this job, and that's not a small thing. It's okay to zero in on one area, own it, and build from there. You don't have to do it all at once.

13. "You can't pour from an empty cup."

It's okay to give your all and show up for your students, but you must show up for yourself too. You deserve the same grace you give to others.

14. "Don't sweat the small stuff. Keep doing what you're doing as long as you're seeing progress in your students. Nothing else matters."

If your students are growing, you're doing it right.

And we couldn't leave this one out:

"'You act like a child.' My brother also said this about me, and both times I have responded by saying: 'That is why I am a teacher.'"

A badge of honor if we've ever heard one.

Thank you to every teacher who took the time to share. We're grateful to be in your corner.