I just completed student teaching and got a job as a teacher. I am grateful, but also very nervous that I won't be able to handle it.
As the title says, I just completed student teaching and managed to get a job as an elementary music teacher for the upcoming schoolyear. I know that I should be grateful that I have employment fresh out of college, and I am, but I am also panicking a bit. This school district is small but has a great reputation. I am worried that I won't measure up to expectations, and that it's only a matter of time before others realize that I don't know what I'm doing. I know that I completed my college courses on teaching, passed the TPAs, and will be receiving my credential soon, but I don't know how I will handle everything without the connecting teacher there to assist me if necessary.
I am worried about a few different things. My classroom management skills are lacking still. Many times, I did not know how to balance getting children to stop being disruptive versus continuing on with the lesson. Kids called me names based on my appearance and I took it more personally than I should have. I did this job interview over Zoom, and I am scared about others finding out that, in person, I may struggle with eye contact and social connection due to being autistic, despite trying to adjust and overcome these things. I am worried that I won't be able to connect with the kids for the same reason. I also have tattoos (which were covered during the interview) and I don't know if this will be a problem. I will be teaching in California, so it probably will not be a huge issue, but still.
Also, this district is six hours north of the city I will be moving from. I will not have any friends or family in the area. I understand that I can make new friends in theory, but due to being autistic, this is not easy for me. I actually wanted to work in a faraway district to experience living in a new area rather than where I've lived my whole life, but now that it is so close to happening, I am second-guessing myself.
Overall, I am worried that I won't be good enough or be accepted by other teachers and students, and that I will regret or ruin things. If any of you have any advice for me as a new teacher, I would greatly appreciate it.
Posted Jun 11, 2026, 2:30 AM UTC