Educating Young Children Volume 2 - Fall 2026 | 5X. Thriving as an Early Childhood Professional

By Xena Casey

Tips for New Educators

Entering the field of early childhood education is both rewarding and overwhelming. As an educator with several years of experience teaching infants and toddlers, I’ve gathered tips and mindsets that can help you find a position and navigate your first year as an early childhood educator. Whether you teach in preschools or in the early elementary grades, following are tips for growing confidently in your career.

1. Build relationships first  

Relationships—with children, families, and co-workers—are the foundation of early childhood education. When children feel emotionally safe and connected, their learning thrives. When families see that their children are happy and learning, they become receptive to building positive relationships with their children’s educators. Strong connections with colleagues lead to strong support systems.

In my first year, drop-off and pickup routines were instrumental in building relationships with the children and families at my center. When each family arrived, I greeted them by name and asked how their night or weekend was. They shared how their child was feeling or if something happened that might have an impact on their day. Then, I would follow the family’s lead about taking the child or having them help their child settle in and indicate it was okay to leave.

At pickup time, my co-worker or I took turns greeting families and updating them about the day. We mentioned something positive, such as an activity their children especially liked doing or a new idea they learned. We also noted any questions or concerns that came up, such as symptoms of being sick or big feelings a child may have experienced and how we navigated that moment. Greeting families by name, asking about them, and reciprocally sharing information helped me as a new teacher build positive relationships with each child and family.

2. Create and maintain a professional portfolio

A professional portfolio is a living collection of your work, values, and growth as an educator. Start by including a brief statement of your teaching philosophy, your resume, sample lesson plans, and how you document children’s learning. Over time, add artifacts that highlight your skills and achievements, such as new certifications, credentials, or degree completion.    

Use your portfolio when interviewing for your first position (and beyond). Mine resides in a three-ring binder. At one interview, the hiring manager brought up needing to see documentation of a successful background check and first aid certificates. I immediately opened my binder and found what they were asking for. That left a positive impression on the interviewers, as they were able to give this directly to the administration.  

In addition to interviews, your portfolio can be a tool for goal setting during your first year. For example, you could include reflections on what parts of a lesson plan worked and what to improve next time. And with how busy that year can be, it’s valuable to reread your teaching philosophy and remind yourself why you’re doing this work and how you’re progressing.

3. Accept that you won’t know everything

Your first year is as much about learning as it is about teaching. Keep a small notebook to jot down questions, concerns, and small wins to track your progress and identify what you can do to be a better educator.

Also, ask for help. For example, I had some concerns about behaviors a child was exhibiting, but I didn’t know how to approach this with my supervisor. Eventually, during a regularly scheduled meeting, I mentioned my concerns to them, along with observations I had documented. Together, we met with the family to discuss my observations and to gather the family’s insights. In the long run, speaking up and asking for help benefited the child and everyone caring for them. 

Finally, keep the learning going: I regularly ask for feedback from my bosses about my performance. I reflect on specific areas that are going well, and I reflect on specific things I can do to keep growing as an educator.

4. Seek out meaningful professional development

Not all training is created equal. Look for professional development that aligns with your interests, needs, and context. Find out if your program offers time off or other support to attend local conferences or webinars. Join communities like NAEYC and state or local early childhood networks. Learning alongside peers who have the same values and goals as you can be energizing and validating.

In my first year of teaching, for instance, I struggled with classroom management. After some searching, I completed a one-week course about strategies I could use to guide children’s behavior. Completing it gave me the tools to be more effective and the confidence that I could learn and improve in this area over time. I applied my new learning and found that the classroom no longer felt as chaotic as before. I saw how guidance strategies increased children’s engagement and learning. Nothing changed overnight, but what I did notice felt like big wins. 

5. Take care of yourself

Early childhood educators give so much of themselves to their careers. Burnout is real, especially when you are new and eager to prove yourself. At first, I was nervous whenever I needed to request time off or couldn’t stay after my scheduled hours to help. But it’s important to focus on your well-being; otherwise, you could start losing your passion for this work. (To learn more, check out the Summer 2025 issue of Educating Young Children, which focuses on educator well-being.)

Early on, I became so burned out that I thought about a career change. Luckily, I have found a new program that values me as an educator and person. For example, my colleagues noticed a time when I wasn’t my usual self and offered to help so I could rest and spend time with family. Support from my supervisor was crucial too. When they asked me to take on extra hours, I explained how I was struggling with work-life balance and feeling burned out. In response, my supervisor offered me shorter hours and time off so that I could take some time and recover. I also used this time to learn a few self-care strategies, like meditating, going for walks, and journaling—writing about your day, the good and the bad, can help a lot. As a result, my love for this career came back, and I use these strategies each day.

Growth Takes Time, and That’s Okay

Your first year or so is a chance to see if teaching is the right career for you. Every challenge is a chance to grow. Document your achievements, and make sure people know about them! Most of all, every joyful moment with a child reminds you why you chose this work. Lean into your curiosity, your community, and your commitment to young children. The field needs passionate educators like you, and your voice and growth matter so much.

About the Author

Xena Casey has been a preschool teacher in North Carolina for three years.

 Copyright © 2026 by the National Association for the Education of Young Children. See permissions and reprints online at NAEYC.org/resources/permissions.