If you're a brand-new kindergarten teacher, welcome!
You're probably imagining story time, alphabet songs, cute artwork, and tiny backpacks.
And yes, kindergarten has all of those things.
What nobody told me before I started teaching kindergarten was that I would spend a shocking amount of time talking about bathrooms, zipping jackets, opening yogurt tubes, and figuring out where 20 tiny humans were supposed to go at dismissal.
My first year teaching kindergarten was one of the hardest years of my career.
It was also one of the most rewarding.
If you're feeling nervous about stepping into your first kindergarten classroom, here are 11 things I wish someone had told me before I started.
Are you ready? Put on something colorful, get a silly voice and lets dive right in!
Within the first hour of teaching kindergarten, I was questioning every career decision I had ever made.
Being responsible for twenty five-year-olds is a lot. Teaching them something on top of that? Even harder.
One of the biggest challenges I faced as a first-year kindergarten teacher was getting students ready for recess. Every child seemed to need my help at the exact same moment.
"Can you zip my jacket?"
"My mitten is stuck."
"I can't find my boot."
"I need help with my snow pants."
It was chaos.
I remember wondering what was wrong with me. Why was teaching kindergarten so much harder than I expected?
Before accepting the job, I imagined alphabet songs, crafts, and story time. I thought kindergarten would be easier because the academic content was simpler.
I was very wrong.
The most important thing you teach in kindergarten isn't letters or numbers—it's how to go to school.
Your students are learning how to:
Think of your job as preparing students for Grade 1. Before they can learn academics, they need to learn how school works.
One phrase completely changed my kindergarten classroom management:
"Ask a buddy for help."
When twenty students are standing around you asking for assistance, take a deep breath and ask:
"Who knows how to zip a zipper?"
You'll suddenly have several eager helpers raising their hands.
Then ask:
"Who needs help with their zipper?"
Pair them up.
This simple strategy transformed our classroom. Not only did it save me time, but it also encouraged teamwork, independence, and problem-solving skills.
Here's the truth: you cannot dress twenty children in five minutes.
They need opportunities to learn these skills themselves.
Once I stopped doing everything for my students, something amazing happened. They became more capable and confident. Many of them learned quickly because they wanted to be the helper, not the one receiving help.
Of course, some students genuinely need extra support. In those situations, I would coach them through the process, offer encouragement, and give them tips—but I tried not to do the task for them whenever possible.
One funny thing I noticed was that my students suddenly forgot how to dress themselves whenever another adult entered the room. If an educational assistant walked in, half the class would mysteriously lose the ability to zip a jacket.
Eventually, I had to reassure our EAs that most of my students were fully capable and simply needed a little encouragement to do it themselves.
The same principle applies during snack time.
Resist the urge to open every yogurt tube, granola bar, fruit cup, or lunch container for your students. Learning to open things independently is a valuable life skill.
At the beginning of the school year, build extra time into your schedule for these tasks. September is all about teaching independence. Give students enough time to practice dressing themselves, opening their snacks, and solving simple problems without immediately stepping in.
When you empower children to do things independently, something incredible happens.
They become more confident.
They become more patient.
They learn to problem solve.
Most importantly, they begin to believe they are capable.
And that's one of the greatest gifts we can give our students.
One of the biggest mistakes I made when I started teaching kindergarten was thinking that I needed to keep things fresh and exciting all the time.
I thought changing activities, moving seats, and introducing new routines would keep my students engaged.
The opposite was true.
Young children thrive on routine.
I learned this lesson the hard way when I announced one October morning that we would be changing table spots. What I expected to be a simple classroom change quickly turned into tears, anxiety, and confusion.
To me, it was a minor adjustment.
To my students, it felt like their whole world had been turned upside down.
When children are learning something new and challenging—like attending school for the very first time—they find comfort in knowing what comes next. Predictable routines help them feel safe, confident, and ready to learn.
In my experience, strong kindergarten routines are one of the most effective kindergarten classroom management tools you can have.
Eventually, I created a simple morning routine that covered much of the curriculum throughout the year.
Every morning, we would:
The activities changed slightly, but the structure stayed the same.
Because my students knew exactly what to expect, transitions became easier, behavior improved, and I spent less time giving instructions.
If you are interested in seeing the kindergarten routines I created, you can check them out here.
The best part was that I knew the curriculum was being covered consistently without needing elaborate lesson plans every day.
Mornings quickly became my favorite part of teaching kindergarten. There were fewer surprises, less stress, and far fewer headaches.
One experience really drove this lesson home for me.
When I was teaching Grade 1, our gym class always happened right before recess—except on Fridays. On Fridays, gym was scheduled thirty minutes earlier.
That small change completely threw my students off.
They were confused, frustrated, and distracted. By the time everyone settled down and understood what was happening, it was almost time for recess anyway.
That was the moment I realized just how important routines are for young learners.
As teachers, we often worry that routine will become boring.
In reality, children usually enjoy knowing what to expect. The routine creates security, and that security gives them the confidence to take risks, learn new skills, and participate fully in the classroom.
If you're a new kindergarten teacher, don't feel pressured to reinvent the wheel every week.
Find a few simple systems that work and stick with them.
Your students—and your future self—will thank you for it.
If I had to estimate, about 85% of my first year teaching kindergarten revolved around the bathroom.
I wish I were exaggerating.
Before I started teaching kindergarten, I assumed bathroom breaks would be a minor part of the day. I quickly learned that the bathroom is actually one of the most important systems in a kindergarten classroom.
A weak bathroom system can derail an entire lesson.
At my school, we had one classroom bathroom for twenty students. I was told to encourage students to use it whenever they needed to. The idea was simple: if students could go when they needed to, fewer accidents would happen.
In theory, that made sense.
In practice, I ended up with a line of ten students stretching across my classroom while I was trying to teach a lesson.
That system didn't last long.
Like many new kindergarten teachers, I spent a lot of time experimenting.
I tried sending the whole class at once.
I tried sending students individually.
I tried sending students with a buddy.
Every approach came with its own challenges.
One thing I wasn't prepared for was how many accidents would happen during the first few weeks of school.
Several students had accidents during the first month, and I quickly learned that this is completely normal. Starting kindergarten is a huge adjustment. Some children are nervous, distracted, overwhelmed, or simply too busy playing to notice they need the bathroom.
My biggest piece of advice?
Make sure every student has a spare change of clothes at school, and know exactly where those clothes are stored.
Trust me on this one.
At one point, I started allowing students to go to the main school washroom independently or with a friend.
To my students, the washroom was apparently a magical playground.
There was splashing.
There was exploring.
There was far more socializing than actual bathroom use.
Unfortunately, there were also occasional conflicts with older students who didn't always appreciate a group of energetic kindergarteners showing up unannounced.
I quickly realized that bathroom expectations needed to be taught just as explicitly as reading, writing, and classroom behavior.
We practiced:
It felt repetitive at times, but those lessons saved me countless headaches later in the year.
Another surprise was discovering that some students simply wouldn't use the bathroom at all.
I had a few students who avoided drinking water and refused to use the washroom during the school day. In some cases, parents didn't mention these concerns until parent-teacher conferences months later.
Eventually, I started discreetly reminding certain students to visit the washroom at key times during the day.
The biggest lesson I learned was this:
Don't assume students know how to manage bathroom routines simply because they are five years old.
Many of them are navigating school for the very first time.
If you're teaching kindergarten, expect to spend a significant portion of September teaching, practicing, and reinforcing bathroom procedures.
It may not be glamorous, but a solid bathroom system can make your classroom run infinitely smoother.
Kindergarten students are wonderful.
They are also incredibly curious.
If something looks interesting, there's a very good chance someone is going to touch it, move it, investigate it, or show it to a friend.
This is one of those lessons I learned the hard way.
About halfway through the school year, one of my students found another student's EpiPen and decided it belonged in a different locker.
Thankfully, we found it quickly and nobody was harmed, but it was a good reminder that important items need designated, secure locations.
Every school has its own policies regarding EpiPens, inhalers, medications, and emergency procedures. Make sure you know those policies and have a system in place before the school year begins.
Ask yourself:
When it comes to medical equipment, consistency matters.
But honestly, the same rule applies to almost everything in a kindergarten classroom.
If it costs more than five dollars, is made of glass, has sentimental value, or would make you sad if it got broken, put it somewhere safe.
High shelves are your friend.
One thing I learned early in my teaching career is that young children sometimes have big emotions. They get frustrated. They get excited. They have accidents. They occasionally make decisions that seem completely reasonable to them and completely baffling to adults.
Keeping important items out of reach protects both your belongings and your students.
As an added bonus, classrooms tend to run more smoothly when there are fewer distractions in sight. Toys, supplies, and learning materials that aren't being used can often be stored away until they're needed.
Less clutter means fewer distractions and fewer opportunities for mischief.
As a new kindergarten teacher, you'll spend a lot of time planning lessons and decorating your classroom. Don't forget to spend some time thinking about classroom safety and organization too.
Future you will be very grateful.
One of the biggest lessons I learned while teaching kindergarten is that this job was never meant to be done alone.
Young children need a lot of support throughout the day. They need help learning new skills, solving problems, managing emotions, and building confidence. They want to show you their work, tell you stories, and share every exciting thing that happens in their lives.
These are wonderful parts of teaching kindergarten.
They're also exhausting when you're the only adult in the room.
If you're a new kindergarten teacher, don't be afraid to ask for help when you need it.
For me, that often meant inviting parent volunteers into the classroom.
Now, I'll be honest.
Having parent volunteers made me nervous at first.
I worried they would judge my teaching. I worried they would see the chaos. I worried I wouldn't know what to do with them once they arrived.
What I eventually learned was that most parents genuinely want to help.
The key is having a plan.
Give volunteers specific jobs such as:
Clear expectations make the experience better for everyone.
Over time, I discovered which volunteers were reliable and which ones worked especially well with students. Those extra helping hands often made a huge difference in our classroom.
One of my favorite volunteer programs involved older students.
Each week, a group of Grade 5 students came to help in our kindergarten classroom. They assisted with learning stations, practiced French with students, and provided extra support during activities.
What surprised me most was how seriously they took the responsibility.
Many of them naturally stepped into leadership roles and became wonderful role models for my students. Their presence not only provided extra support but also helped create a positive classroom culture.
As teachers, we sometimes feel like asking for help is a sign of weakness.
I would argue the opposite.
Asking for help is one of the smartest things you can do.
Whether it's a parent volunteer, an educational assistant, another teacher, or an older student, the people around you can make your classroom stronger.
Teaching kindergarten is demanding work.
You don't have to carry it all by yourself.
One thing that completely caught me off guard as a new kindergarten teacher was how emotional parents were on Meet the Teacher Night.
At the time, I didn't fully understand it.
Now that I'm a mom, I absolutely do.
For many families, kindergarten is the first time they have ever left their child in someone else's care for an entire day. Some parents are excited. Some are nervous. Some are overwhelmed. And some are trying very hard not to cry in front of you.
Their child might be their firstborn, their youngest, or their only child.
This is a big milestone for them too.
I still remember parents tearing up while talking to me during those first few days of school. They were handing over their most precious little person and hoping that everything would be okay.
The good news is that parents don't need you to be perfect.
They just need reassurance that you are caring, organized, and capable.
If I could go back and do my first Meet the Teacher Night again, I would have had a much more structured plan.
Because I taught two kindergarten classes, I had nearly eighty families coming through my classroom.
Everyone wanted to introduce themselves.
Everyone had important information to share.
Everyone had questions.
By the end of the evening, my brain felt completely overloaded.
I found myself nodding politely while desperately trying to remember names, allergies, daycare arrangements, medical concerns, and dismissal plans.
It was impossible.
If I were doing it again, I would prepare a short presentation for families at the beginning of the evening.
I would explain:
This allows you to answer common questions once instead of repeating yourself dozens of times throughout the evening.
I would also encourage parents to email me any important information they wanted me to remember.
When parents share information verbally in a busy classroom, it can be difficult to keep track of everything. An email gives you a written record that you can review later when things are quieter.
Another thing to think about ahead of time is classroom supplies.
Decide where supplies should go and communicate those expectations clearly to families. If you want students to arrive with individual pencil cases, labeled belongings, or specific organizational systems, let parents know before the first day.
Trust me—it is much easier to organize twenty students when the preparation happens at home rather than in the classroom.
Meet the Teacher Night can feel overwhelming, especially during your first year of teaching kindergarten.
But remember, parents aren't looking for perfection.
They're looking for confidence, communication, and reassurance that their child is in good hands.
If you can provide those things, you're already off to a great start.
The most stressful part of my kindergarten teaching day wasn't teaching.
It wasn't behavior management.
It wasn't even helping twenty children get dressed for recess.
It was dismissal.
Every afternoon felt like controlled chaos.
As I mentioned earlier, getting students dressed, packed up, and ready to go home was already a challenge. On top of that, I was responsible for making sure every child ended up exactly where they were supposed to be.
Some students took the bus.
Some students went to daycare.
Some students were picked up by parents, grandparents, or other caregivers.
And somehow, I was expected to keep all of those plans straight while supervising twenty excited five-year-olds who were ready to sprint out the door.
During my first year teaching kindergarten, I quickly realized how important it was to have a dismissal system.
On the first day of school, I brought my pick-up students to the designated area and opened the door.
Several students immediately ran toward adults before I had the chance to identify who was picking them up.
My heart nearly stopped.
I suddenly realized I didn't know many of the families yet, and I wasn't confident that every child had gone with the correct adult.
It was a terrible feeling.
Looking back, I wish I had communicated my expectations to parents before the first day of school.
One simple thing I would have done differently is ask parents and caregivers to introduce themselves whenever they arrived for pick-up during the first few weeks of school.
A quick:
"Hi, I'm Emma's mom."
or
"Hi, I'm Liam's grandma."
would have saved me a lot of stress and uncertainty.
As kindergarten teachers, we spend a lot of time planning lessons and classroom routines, but dismissal procedures are just as important.
Before school starts, think through:
The more decisions you make ahead of time, the smoother your afternoons will be.
Because once twenty kindergarten students see their grown-ups waiting outside, they suddenly develop the speed and decision-making skills of professional athletes.
A clear dismissal system won't eliminate every challenge, but it will give you peace of mind—and that's worth a lot during your first year of teaching kindergarten.
One thing nobody told me before I started teaching kindergarten was how physically exhausting it would be.
When most people picture teaching, they imagine standing at the front of a classroom explaining things.
Teaching kindergarten is not that.
Teaching kindergarten is walking.
And squatting.
And bending.
And helping with boots.
And walking some more.
By the end of most days, I had easily taken over 10,000 steps.
I remember spending close to $200 on a good pair of runners, and they were practically worn out by October.
If you're a new kindergarten teacher, do yourself a favor and invest in comfortable shoes.
Your feet, knees, and back will thank you.
But protecting your energy goes beyond footwear.
Kindergarten is incredibly rewarding work, but it can also be emotionally draining. Young children need your attention constantly. They have questions, stories, problems, emotions, and endless amounts of energy.
By the end of the day, there's a good chance you'll feel completely spent.
I know I often did.
One thing that helped me was building small opportunities to recharge throughout the day.
For example, toward the middle of the school year, I started playing a short French cartoon for my class just before dismissal.
The cartoon was educational, but that wasn't the main reason I used it.
The real reason was that both my students and I needed a few quiet minutes.
I would dim the lights, the students would settle down, and everyone had an opportunity to reset before the busy dismissal routine began.
Those ten minutes made a surprising difference.
The end of the day felt calmer.
The students were more regulated.
And I had a little more patience left in my tank.
The lesson isn't that every kindergarten teacher should play cartoons.
The lesson is that you need to find small ways to protect your energy throughout the day.
Maybe that's comfortable shoes.
Maybe it's asking for help.
Maybe it's building calmer transitions into your schedule.
Maybe it's taking a few deep breaths while your students are absorbed in a story.
Whatever it looks like for you, don't ignore your own needs.
You are one of the most important resources in your classroom.
Taking care of yourself isn't selfish.
It's what allows you to keep showing up for your students every day.
Teaching kindergarten is one of the hardest jobs I have ever done.
It's also one of the most rewarding.
There will be days when you feel overwhelmed by bathroom breaks, dismissal plans, missing mittens, emotional meltdowns, and the seemingly endless number of jackets that need to be zipped.
There will be days when you question whether you're doing anything right at all.
That's normal.
Most kindergarten teachers spend their first year learning through trial and error. The good news is that every system you create, every routine you establish, and every challenge you overcome makes the next day a little easier.
But in the middle of all the classroom management strategies, don't forget to enjoy your students.
Read stories in silly voices.
Dance during transitions.
Make messy art projects.
Wear the ridiculous teacher shirt.
Sit on the carpet and play with your students once in a while.
Some of your favorite memories won't come from the perfectly planned lessons. They'll come from the unexpected moments that make kindergarten such a special place to be.
Teaching kindergarten requires patience, flexibility, and a good sense of humor. It will challenge you in ways you never expected, but it will also fill your days with laughter, joy, and some truly unforgettable stories.
If you're having a hard time, please know that you're not alone.
Teaching twenty five-year-olds is hard work.
Struggling doesn't mean you're a bad teacher.
It means you're doing something incredibly important.
I hope these tips help make your first year a little easier and give you the confidence to build a classroom that works for both you and your students.
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