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‘Let Your Kids See You Mess Up’ — And More Tips from Teacher Twitter

Veteran teachers mentor the profession’s newest educators with reminders, pointers — and which advice to ignore

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For those newest to the teaching profession, Twitter has become a survival guide. 

With the back to school honeymoon now officially over, seasoned educators have taken to the social media platform to share their best classroom tips with hashtags like #teachertwitter, #badteacheradvice, and threads from newbie teachers looking for a little direction.

“It’s that time of year,” one teacher, @heymrsbond posted. “The honeymoon has worn off…pace yourself. Celebrate the wins loudly.”

Between pleas to ignore the now infamous advice “Don’t smile until Christmas” was a reminder not to sweat the small stuff. 

“Sometimes it’s best to let the small things go,” tweeted Anne-Marie Longpre, a teacher from Toronto. 

What if a student comes to class unprepared every day, continually dipping into a dwindling classroom supply of yellow Ticonderoga pencils? Should the teacher reprimand the student?

“Just give him the bloody pencil,” Tweeted Ms. Chris Robinson, a teacher from Northern England. 

 Showing students their teacher is human was strongly recommended.

 “Let your kids see you mess up,” offered Señora Campbell, a Spanish teacher in Texas.

Whether they’re new to the classroom and wondering how coworkers manage being on their feet all day, when the best time to eat lunch is, or they’re just looking for a boost in morale, here’s what Teacher Twitter recommends to new educators:

1. New teachers don’t have to figure everything out on their own. Find a mentor:  

2. Opponents of “Don’t smile until Christmas” say smile away:

3. Minimize distractions with this trick: 

4. Check yourself … before you overstress yourself: 

5. Students won’t remember every lesson, but they will remember how you made them feel: 

6. If a student comes to class unprepared, there may be more to the story: 

7. Invest in good shoes — and an emergency supply drawer full of snacks: 

8. Don’t react to everything:

9. Lunch is a protected time that should not include work:  

10. Make space for classroom surprises: 

11. Makes friends with all of your colleagues, not just other teachers:  

12. Teachers are human. Mistakes will be made:

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