Back to School Tips for Teachers – Advice for Teachers for a Brand New School Year

This is for the teachers! Whether you are still living in the glory days of summer. Or maybe, like me, summer is winding down and you are heading back to the classroom to get ready for a brand new school year. This message is for you. A message of hope and encouragement to help you get in the right mindset for a new year in the classroom. Teachers are incredible human beings which is why I am excited to share specific encouragement for teachers going back to school. Encouragement, as well as back to school tips for teachers, gearing up to return to the classroom after sweet summer break.

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Encouragement for Teachers for a Brand New School Year

The time of year is practically here again, whether we want to fully admit it or not. Teachers everywhere are about to be leaving the freedom of sweet summer break and heading back into the classroom to start a brand new school year. A time of year that truly brings up so many different emotions.

For some, it’s overwhelming excitement and anticipation. (also a bittersweet feeling of not ready for summer break with my son to be over) But definitely, an eagerness rising back up within me, to get back to what it is I feel so called to do.

But not everyone feels that way. And that’s okay. For others, it’s more of a struggle. A rush to find the joy. Effort to build yourself up in preparation for another long school year. And I want to speak to your heart wherever it is on this pendulum. Encouraging words from one teacher’s heart to another. Encouraging words for all the teachers heading back to school. No matter if your mindset is full of all the positive things, or swarming around with the negative.

Words to Encourage the Teacher Currently Feeling Discouraged for a New School Year

And especially if you are feeling discouraged. These encouraging words are for you! I want you to know that you can have hope. That this school year can be a great school year. That you actually can thrive this year in the classroom. You have full permission to feel everything that you want to feel as you gear up to head back to the classroom.

You do not have to let society, culture, the news, or the county tell you how you should feel. Have your own emotions, because they are your emotions. They come from you, from your heart. And they are valid, and worth it.

15 WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT FOR TEACHERS FOR A BRAND NEW SCHOOL YEAR 

Sharing with you a complete list of action steps that will provide you with the encouragement needed for a brand new school year. 15 words of encouragement for you as you embark on this next new season of teaching in the classroom. 

#1 – Do This for the Students 

The very first word of encouragement for teachers heading back to school is, do this for the students.  Think about the whole reason why you teach. Because the truth is, it’s not about us. It’s not because we love to hear ourselves talk all day long. Nor is it because we love to give the same lecture five times a day. Nor is it because we love to teach all the levels of our curriculum over and over again. No, we don’t do it for that.

Well, maybe you do, and by all means, that’s great, but I do it for the students. And I am sure many of you out there do as well. Or, did at some point in your early teaching career. Maybe you haven’t felt that way in a while because of all the other million things there are to stress about. But at one point in your career, it was simply for the students.

Your Anthem for the School Year

And I want to remind you of that. Allow that to be your anthem this school year. This is for the students. You have no idea what their life is like. No idea of the weight your students are bringing into your classroom. No idea what they may be carrying with them on their shoulders. 

And you might be that very breath of fresh air that they need. You might be the source of encouragement that they need. The one voice that can speak life over their entire being. Encouraging them to step into their full potential of who they are going to be. And that’s incredible. The power that you have in that moment is absolutely incredible. So as you head back to school this year, remember, do this for your students.

#2 – Do This for You

The second word of encouragement for teachers heading back to school is do this for you.  When I am teaching, in a room full of students, a deep part of my soul comes alive.  I feel fully me when I’m in the middle of a lecture or when a lesson is going extremely well. Or, when I am working one on one with a student and they get it. Or when you go that extra step out of the way for someone and that action is noticed and appreciated. I feel fully me in those moments in the classroom. 

So as much as you want to do this for the students this school year, you also want to do this for you. Because you are a teacher for a very specific reason.  You are a teacher because of a very specific calling on your life. Step fully into that calling. Trust who you fully are and who you are fully created and designed to be, and do this for you. 

When you fully step into who you are, and especially who you are in the classroom, not only is this a huge service to yourself, but also your students will benefit. Therefore, the first word of encouragement for teachers is do this for the students and the second word of encouragement, do this for you.  

Encouraging Words for Teachers #3 – Remember the Joy of Teaching

Number three, the third word of encouragement for teachers heading back to school is to remember the joy of teaching. Yes, things are hard. Yes, things are going to be difficult. There are going to be new challenges and new obstacles that we have to face.  But the truth is, every school year brings its new challenges. Every school year brings its new obstacles.  So as much as we can, let’s turn the blinders on and not focus on the obstacles. Not focus on the things that are hard.

Instead, let’s cling to joy and remember the things that bring us joy about teaching. Cling to and remember the joy of teaching. Reflect about the times when you were completely filled up in the classroom. The moments that truly inspired you, moments that really resonate with your heart. Think about how they made you feel and hold on to that feeling.

Put that in your emotional bank and let that support you throughout the semester.  I can think of so many different memories of students that have gone out of their way to give me the encouragement that I always try to give them. So focus on those moments and those memories. Allow them to serve as a solid standing ground as you embark on a new school year. It’s truly important to remember all the things of teaching that are joyful and that fill you up. 

#4 – Remember Your Why

The fourth word of encouragement for teachers is to remember your why.  Think back to that very first year as you became a teacher and you started to plan all the things. We can all probably think back on our first year teaching and realize that we do a lot of things differently than we did back then. But one thing that really shouldn’t change from our first year teaching to our current year teaching, whatever year that is for you, is our passion.

We should have the same passion that we did back then. That passion is alive within us. And maybe it’s been squished. Maybe all the stressors have weighed it down. However, that passion is still there. Therefore, remember that passion and hold on to it.  Remember your why. Think of the reasons why you signed up for this in the first place.

Remember the Reasons Why You Are in the Classroom

Think about the reasons why you care about your curriculum, why you care about being in the classroom. Why you care about education. About being in a place as an educator to lead, to inspire and to empower.  Remember your why and hold on to it. And if it’s been a while since you’ve known your why so clearly, actually take the time and take the quiet moments to think through it. 

Recreate your mission statement for your classroom and your mission statement as a teacher. I strongly encourage you to do this if you haven’t, because it’ll help bring that passion back up. And the more passionate you are about what you do in the classroom, the more the students are going to hear that and see it and respond really well because of it. 

Words of Encouragement for Teachers #5 – Think of the moments that completely fill your cup. 

The fifth word of encouragement is to think of the moments that completely fill your cup while teaching. As we move into a new school year, spend time reflecting on your past and your memories as a teacher. Reflect on the different seasons. The hard moments, but also the great moments.

Moments of challenge, but the moments of great victory and reward. Really reflect on all those different seasons of yourself as a teacher and focus on identifying what was really good in those seasons? What can you take with you and continue to use as your toolkit for the next school year.

Toolkit for the New School Year

Definitely reflect and spend some time during your pre planning, or the last few weeks of your summer if you are still in summer mode reflecting. Take a few moments to think and figure out what can you take with you that’s going to help support you in the classroom this year.

In the same way, what are some things that you need to let go of? As often as we remember the good things that have filled our cup while teaching, think too of the moments of greater stress. Give yourself permission to let them go. You don’t have to carry that with you. By all means, you have permission to set those feelings aside.

You don’t have to carry the weight of a negative moment, memory or a hard season of life with you forever. You can let it go. Let the weight of those emotions slide. You will feel so much better in the process. 

#6 – Think of How Amazing It Will Be to Be the Actual Person that Future Generations Point to as the Person Who Spoke Meaning and Purpose to Their Life

The next word of encouragement for teachers is actually my favorite one on the entire list. Number six.  Think of how amazing it will be to be the actual person that future generations point to as the person who spoke meaning and purpose to their life. That right there is the only thing you need really to get yourself ready for the next school year. Realize that you have the very power and ability to be the life changing person for a future generation. 

For one individual, for two individuals, there is going to be somebody in your classroom this very school year that needs you in their life. That needs you to speak truth to them. To hold them accountable, to challenge them, to push them, and to help them grow. Someone who will need you to help them learn, and to help them become who they were created to be. 

You have that ability within you and that is an amazing thing that should excite you, empower you and that should fill you up.

Encouragement for Teachers #7 – Your Students Need You This Semester

Next on the list of encouragement for teachers for a brand new school year is this: your students don’t even know it yet, but they will need you this semester. Your students will need you this year. I always like to believe that the students that are in my classes each semester are there for a specific reason. That there is something they need from me, but also I need from them.

I’m always trying to learn from my students. Constantly trying to grow in empathy and in passion and care. And I believe that those are two things that we give to our students and they give to us. Know that this school year, you will have students that need you.

Be there for them as they need you, as yourself in the classroom. They need the you that you are when you are walking in your potential. Walking fully in the calling of the teacher you were designed to be. Your students don’t even know it yet, but they will need you this semester, and that’s an incredible thing. 

Encouragement for Teachers #8 – Cling to the Things That Bring You Joy

The eighth encouragement for teachers for a brand new school year is to cling to the things that bring you joy. This one is not necessarily teaching related, but focus on the actual things that bring you joy. What brings you joy? Personally, my list of items that bring me joy includes a large cup of iced coffee from Starbucks, my favorite teaching pens, my pastel highlighters, and my cute journals that I’m obsessed with. 

These are things that bring me joy.  They make me happy and excited. Maybe for you, it’s not office supplies like it is for me. Maybe for you, it’s something entirely else, but cling to the things that bring you joy. You have to, you have to figure out how can I carve out moments that make me excited? How can I carve out moments that truly make me happy?

Cling to the Joyful Things

Does sunshine bring you immense joy? Cling to it. Figure out a way where in the middle of your day you can go take a quick walk. Maybe during your lunch break, if you aren’t on a duty station. Go take a quick walk outside and, and feel the sun shining on you and feel the life that it gives. Think through the things that bring you joy and cling to them.  

Additionally, there are a number of ways to bring more joy in your everyday life, if you are wanting a little bit more joy here is specific encouragement to help you live with more joy every single day! Furthermore, looking for specific ways to cultivate more joy in your everyday moments, 11 specific ways to cultivate more joy in your everyday life!

#9 – Cultivate a Morning Routine That Brings Joy and Fills You Up

The ninth word of encouragement for teachers this school year is to cultivate a morning routine that truly brings you joy and fills you up. As you embark on a brand new school year, it’s important to establish a morning routine for success.  Find a way to have every single morning be a morning where you can be victorious in what you need to get done.

A morning that isn’t snoozing every alarm, but a morning where you wake up feeling energized and refreshed. Excited and eager to embark on your day. A morning where you are giving yourself the proper nutrition. Giving yourself the amount of quiet time or exercise that you need. Truly filling your cup with what you need to be your best self that day.

Take Time to Think Through Your Ideal Morning

Take time and think through a morning routine that is going to help you for success.  Plan it out and make a goal the first week of preplanning to have at least two mornings where you are following that morning routine. Don’t make it a goal to try and abide by this morning routine every single morning because that is going to be a little difficult.

You don’t want to set the expectation for perfection and then the moment you fall short feel like a failure. Just don’t even let that happen. Therefore, take a couple mornings that first week you’re back in the classroom and really focus in on creating a morning routine that brings you great joy. 

Words of Encouragement for Teachers #10 – Plan a Nighttime Routine to Help You Unwind

The tenth word of encouragement for teachers heading back to school is to plan out a nighttime routine to help you wind down and prepare yourself for the next day. Think about the things you want to do at the end of your day. Once the kids go to bed, what are the things that you want to do and have already done so you are already geared up for success for the next day?

Maybe you want make sure your bags are packed. Or have lunch ready for the next day. Maybe you want to take a few moments to journal. To declutter your mind and jot things down on paper. A little note-taking session to remove physical and/or mental stress. Think of the things that you need to do at night to really help you wind down. Maybe it’s a bubble bath, or reading a book. Maybe it’s watching a show. Whatever it is, make sure you actually do those things to help you wind down and truly reset yourself for the very next day. 

#11 – Find Your Own Kind of Moment of Quiet

The eleventh word of encouragement for teachers heading back to school is to find your own kind of moment of quiet.  As you are thinking through this next school year, be sure you can have moments of quiet within your day. Even if it’s just the time it takes walking to the bathroom and back. Maybe you create a thirty second meditation sequence or mindfulness breathing activity that you channel while using the restroom.

Where you take a deep breath, close your eyes, visualize a beach or the mountains. Visualize somewhere happy and you truly feel like you’re there. And you feel new life being poured into your body as you breathe deep. Or maybe it’s taking a quick walk outside or having that second cup of coffee in your favorite coffee mug. Therefore, figure out a way to have your own moment of quiet during the day. You are going to be so much better off for it, and your students will as well!

Encouragement for Teachers #12 – Plan Your Morning and Afternoon Commutes with a Purpose

Another word of encouragement for teachers heading back to school is to plan your morning and afternoon commutes with a purpose. I’m a big believer in planning your morning commute and your afternoon commute to be purposeful. A commute that is full of things that speak to your heart that can build you up.

Maybe this is listening to your favorite podcast. Or listening to your favorite songs, your go-to playlist. Maybe it’s a meditation. Or talking to someone on the phone. Checking in with a family member or a friend on your way home from work and have that conversation. Plan your morning and afternoon commute with a purpose and you will definitely feel more encouraged this school year!

#13 – Plan Ahead, but be Present in the Moment

The next word of encouragement for teachers this school year is to plan ahead, but also be fully present in the moment. It’s very easy as a teacher to be so caught up in all the planning. We’re always focused on curriculum. How can we make sure our students are reaching each individual learning objective before state tests and benchmarks. All the things that have to be done each school day for our students to be fully prepared. 

This is so familiar to us as teachers in the classroom. We’re constantly planning ahead. We focus so much on planning that we forget to be present in the moment. Plan ahead, but don’t forget to be present in the moment.

Be Present In Where You Are In The Moment

Don’t forget to be quiet and to have those moments of stillness. Those moments of rest. The intentional moments where you are sitting there, fully present with where you are in that moment. Don’t let your stress build up for the future. Don’t let your stress weigh you down.

It is going to be okay. If you find yourself holding on to significant stress about things in the future that have not even happened or are far away in a time standpoint, let it go. Find an alternate way to release that stress.  Find an alternate way to release the buildup of the anxious thoughts and tendencies. But make it a priority this school year to as much as you plan ahead, also be present in the moment you are in.

#14 – Be Fully Aware of How You Are Doing In Any Given Moment

The next teacher tip for back to school is to be fully aware of how you are doing in any given moment. Be in tune with yourself and your stressors. How are you feeling?  How are you reacting? More specificlly, how are you responding to what’s going on around you? 

Are you sitting there realizing that you are clenching your hands, causing unnecessary physical stress to your body? Are you tapping your fingers? Or are your shoulders hunched up?  Focus on the physical things your body is doing and learn from them. Learn from your own physical cues as to how you are responding to the things going on around you. 

Figure Out How You Are Really Doing Throughout the School Year

Ask yourself the question, how are you really doing?  Don’t run away when you can’t come up with an answer quickly. Sit there and truly figure out. How are you doing? The key to a really great school year is being honest with yourself.

If you realize that you are really stressed in the moment or are carrying unnecessary tension because of crazy expectations you are placing on yourself. Be honest with yourself. Confront it and then let it go. Then figure out what can be done differently to walk a bit more confidently towards the direction you want to go.

Words of Encouragement for Teachers #15 – Believe in Yourself

Finally, the fifteenth and final word of encouragement for teachers as you head back to school for another year. Believe in yourself. Additionally, trust yourself. Furthermore, believe in YOU as a teacher and trust the teacher YOU were created to be. Know that you are already there.  Already in the present, the teacher you have dreamed of being.

And if you desire to go a little further. Desire to reach that potential person a little bit more, then do it. You can absolutely do it.  Stay true to yourself. Stick with your instinct.  And know that you are an amazing teacher and that it is going to be a great school year. 

Recap: 15 Encouraging Words for Teachers Heading Back to School for the Year

There you have it! 15 teacher tips for back to school. 15 specific words of encouragement to prepare your hearts and minds for a brand new school year in the classroom. Quick little recap for you:

1. Do this for the students.
2. Do this for you.
3. Remember the joy of teaching.
4. Remember your why.
5. Think of the moments that completely fill your cup. 
6. Think of how amazing it will be to be that person that future generations point to as the person who spoke meaning and purpose over their life.
7. Your students need you this semester. 
8. Cling to the things that bring you joy. 
9. Cultivate a morning routine that helps fill your cup.
10. Plan out your nighttime routine to help wind down and reset yourself for the next day.
11. Figure out your own moments of quiet throughout the day.
12. Plan your morning and afternoon commutes with a purpose.
13. Plan ahead, but be present in the moment. 
14. Be fully aware of how you are doing at any given moment.
15. Believe in and trust yourself. 

Cheering You on and Wishing You the Best This School Year

Friends, I hope this school year is the best school year yet.  Yes, there are going to be challenges. Yes, there are going to be obstacles. No school year is perfect. And no teacher is going to be perfect. Nor are the students going to be perfect. Therefore, have grace for yourself and be honest with yourself. 

But do have high expectations for WHO you hope to be this year. And when you fall short, that’s okay. Try again.  Realize that this is going to be an amazing school year. Realize that you are an amazing teacher. Your students need you this school year. They need you to show up. But not from a place of perfection. From a place of simply being human. 

Trust yourself. Trust the process. Finally, trust the teacher you were created to be. I’m cheering you on completely from the deepest levels of my heart. I’m wishing you all the success and all the happiness towards a great, wonderful and amazing school year. You are amazing! Now go inspire and change the world. 

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