The Best Advice I Was Ever Given as a Teacher

When you think back on your teaching career, chances are there’s one piece of advice that has stuck with you. The kind that plays in the back of your mind on a tough day, or gives you courage to try something new. Teachers pass down wisdom like it’s part of the curriculum, and often those little nuggets of advice make all the difference.

Here are some of the best pieces of teaching advice shared by real teachers — along with how they put it into action.

“You don’t have to be perfect to be effective.”

One 5th grade teacher told me this simple phrase changed her whole approach. Early in her career, she spent hours making Pinterest-worthy anchor charts and re-doing lessons until they felt flawless. But when a mentor reminded her that students don’t need perfect, they need present, she started focusing more on connection than perfection.

The result? Her students became more comfortable taking risks because they saw their teacher modeling mistakes and learning from them. That’s a life lesson right there.

“Relationships first, everything else second.”

Ask almost any veteran teacher and they’ll echo this advice. A middle school science teacher I know shared that when she finally made time to greet students at the door and chat with them before class, discipline issues dropped dramatically.

By focusing on building classroom community before diving into content, she created a space where students wanted to learn. Her test scores improved too — not because she drilled harder, but because her students trusted her and tried harder.

“Teach the student, not the subject.”

A high school English teacher was once told this by his department chair. At first it sounded cliché, but over time he realized it meant adapting lessons to the students sitting in front of him, not the ones in the teacher’s guide.

He started adding more choice into writing assignments, letting students pick topics they cared about. The shift? Engagement skyrocketed. Students who once dreaded essays were suddenly handing in pages of passionate writing about video games, social justice, or their favorite music.

“Don’t reinvent the wheel.”

One of the hardest truths for new teachers to hear is that you don’t have to create everything from scratch. A 3rd grade teacher once admitted she used to stay up until midnight designing worksheets that already existed. When a colleague told her to “steal shamelessly and share generously,” she started using teacher-created resources, adapting them instead of starting over.

Her planning time dropped in half, and she finally had energy to enjoy teaching — and her students got more thoughtful lessons as a result.

Why This Advice Matters

Every teacher’s journey looks different, but the best advice often circles back to the same themes:

• Connection beats perfection

• Relationships build classroom success

• Flexibility fuels engagement

• Sharing resources saves time and sanity

  
  

Whether you’re a new teacher looking for guidance or a veteran teacher in need of a reminder, holding onto a few words of wisdom can steady you through the ups and downs of the school year.

✨ Your Turn: What’s the best advice you were ever given as a teacher? Share it in the comments — you never know who needs to hear it today.