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New teachers need veteran teachers. Veteran teachers help those just entering the profession by guiding them, telling them what works and what doesn’t work, and supporting them as they find their way. Veteran teachers are essential, but that doesn’t mean that all their advice is helpful. Sometimes their suggestions are outdated or just plain ridiculous. Luckily, you don’t have to take all the advice you’re given! We’ve done the hard work for you and weeded out these ten pieces of advice that are completely useless in 2023.
1. “Take a few days off to observe other teachers”
This is a great idea in theory, but it’s a terrible idea in real life. When? When would you have time to go observe other teachers? During your planning times? Taking an entire day off? This creates even more work for you since you would also have to make sub plans. You don’t have time to be sick, let alone to go visiting!
2. “Don’t allow cell phones in the classroom”
Yeah right! You don’t want your students distracted by the magnetic force of their screens, but you really don’t want parents upset that they can’t get ahold of their child at the very second they want to. Unless you have the district on board, this piece of advice sounds glorious, but it’s just not worth it.
3. “Never admit you don’t know something to your students”
Teachers are supposed to know everything, but students don’t need a walking textbook – they need someone who cares about their ability to learn. That’s the goal of education in the end anyway, right? Investigate and learn together and it’s guaranteed your students will remember it.
4. “Dress up (and cover up those tattoos)”
This old adage is another way that past teachers suggested as a way to encourage students to respect you. That may have been the case back then, but nowadays teachers gain respect by being caring, supportive educators. There is nothing wrong with dressing up if you want, but you can be just as great of a teacher wearing jeans (and sporting a tattoo) as you can wearing a dress or a three-piece suit.
5. “There is no such thing as a stupid question”
Wrong. There are so many stupid questions! Students ask a lot of dumb things, and it’s your job to help them discover the difference between a stupid question and a valid, thought-provoking inquiry.
6. “Have high expectations for all students”
Just like most educational suggestions, this isn’t true for all kids. Some kids rise to high expectations and others give up because it’s hard. A better idea is to set realistic expectations that might vary from student to student but will save your sanity and give your students a fighting chance at success.
7. “Clean your erasers outside”
OK, this one was probably useless in the late 1990s and early 2000s, but if your classroom still has erasers that need to be clapped together outside, it’s time to speak with your administration about updating to whiteboards.
8. “Teachers shouldn’t smile during the first few months”
This bit of advice was meant to help new teachers build respect, and maybe some fear, so students would listen to them. But kids don’t need a boring, strict teacher who never smiles or has fun. They need teachers who are relatable, real people. On hard days, all kids might need is an adult to give them a genuine smile, so don’t be stingy with yours.
9. “Teachers shouldn’t participate in fun activities”
What?! What teacher would want to forgo the chance to wear pajamas to work? This advice, like not smiling, is intended to help students take teachers seriously, but will a student really do that if their teacher doesn’t participate in school events? So many more connections can be made when teachers and students are reading and doing their math while they are all wearing silly pajamas.
10. “Let them draw and they’ll be fine”
While teachers aren’t against drawing itself, the idea that early finishers will sit quietly and color with markers is no longer valid in the days of technology. Kids who are used to being entertained with a screen find it much more difficult to find the simply joy in coloring a picture. Not that you shouldn’t try – getting back to basics is great. Or use an online drawing video to combine the best of both entertainment worlds!
In the end, listen to veteran teachers and some of their advice – they usually know their stuff. But at the end of the day, do what you know is best for the students you’re teaching right now in 2023.
