Advice for Future Teachers
Teaching isn’t just a job—it’s a way of life. When you step into the profession, you don’t just take on a role; you become part of a community. As Kim Barry, VET Consultant at AISNSW, puts it, “Teaching is not a career. It’s a lifestyle. When you become a teacher, you become part of a community.”
Unlike many other careers, teaching is deeply relational. You will find yourself leaning on colleagues, students, and the wider school community for support, inspiration, and growth. As Rebecka Peterson, the 2023 U.S. National Teacher of the Year, describes, “Being a teacher is unlike anything else I can describe: It’s one of the most meaningful and one of the hardest things I’ve ever done.”
Writing for Edutopia, Rebecka shares key insight for new teachers.
- Be reflective. Take time to learn from your experiences.
- Be proactive. Seek solutions, ask questions, and stay curious.
- Be collaborative. Build strong relationships with colleagues and mentors.
- Be patient. Growth takes time—for both you and your students.
Read more about Rebecka’s advice here.
We asked members of the AISNSW community to share their advice for future or early career teachers; to assist them to adapt to the classroom and school environment.
Advice from teachers about joining the profession
Adele Lockman, Learning Designer
“Be kind to yourself.”
Adele was a Visual Arts teacher for many years at both William Clarke College and Australian Christian College Marsden Park. Adele’s advice to future teachers is to “Remember to be kind to yourself, you’re not in this alone. There are people around you that are more than willing to support you.”
Margery Evans, Chief Executive
“Teaching is not for the faint-hearted. Be prepared for the challenges, but be open to the incredible rewards that come with witnessing your students’ growth and successes.”
Margery joined AISNSW in 2023 as Chief Executive. Prior to AIS, Margery had been Chief Executive Officer at Independent Schools Australia, Academic Director Aga Khan Development Network, Chief Executive Officer at the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership as well as a variety of roles across the Departments of Education in Western Australia, South Australia and Victoria.
Anne Gripton, Consultant: The Evidence Institute
“Be yourself.”
Anne has experience teaching across a number of NSW schools in roles including History Teacher, Gifted Education Coordinator, and Director of Teaching and Learning. Anne’s advice can be summarised as Be yourself. Be connected. Be kind.
As she explains, “Kids can smell a fake a mile away, so it’s important to be authentically you. Be connected. You can’t always bring students into your world, so dive into theirs to lay the pathway so that they can understand why they are learning what they are learning. Be kind. You don’t always know what’s going on in students’ lives. Similarly, they don’t know what is going on in yours. By treating everyone with kindness they should reciprocate.”
Chris Morris, Education Consultant
“My advice to teachers would be if you’re engaged in what you do and you are passionate about what you do, there is a really strong likelihood that your students will respond in turn.”
Prior to joining AISNSW, Chris was Head of Information and Communication Technologies, eLearning Coordinator, Year Coordinator, Senior Curriculum Leader and a Classroom Teacher.
Samantha Kourakis, Education Consultant: Student Services
“Just because you graduate doesn’t mean your learning has finished.”
Sam has been with AISNSW since 2020. Prior to joining she has worked as School Counsellor, Dean of Student Wellbeing and Dean of Students at NSW Independent schools. Sam also has extensive experience teaching and as a school counsellor working at the Department of Education, South Australia.
“Remember the importance of being open to new ideas and to new approaches. Keep that in mind that learning is for the lifetime across our career and profession.”
“Find someone that you can talk to, that you can turn to. It might be someone in a leadership role in the school, a mentor, but ensure it is someone who you can build a relationship with so that you can go to and ask questions. You will feel that you don’t have to manage everything on your own, particularly in that first year.”
References
Peterson, R. (2024, July 30). Advice for New Teachers From a Teacher of the Year. Edutopia; George Lucas Educational Foundation. https://www.edutopia.org/article/advice-new-teachers-teacher-year/
Are you ready to start looking for education employment opportunities? Discover rewarding teaching jobs or leadership positions through our recruitment portal. You may also be interested in reading Migrate to Australia to Teach, Why become a teacher? and Education as a Second Career