4 cheat codes every first-year teacher needs to grow faster

Ask any veteran teacher, and they’ll tell you: your first year is equal parts exciting, exhausting, and unpredictable.

Nearly half of new teachers consider leaving the profession early, thanks partly to a steep learning curve and many early challenges. But it doesn’t have to be that way.

While there’s no replacement for learning from experience, there are proven strategies to help you grow faster, build confidence, and set yourself apart early on. Here are four essential “cheat codes” to make your first year a launching pad for long-term success.

1. Embrace feedback (and use it)

Feedback is fundamental to growth, not just the formal kind that shows up on evaluations. Make it a habit to invite input from mentors, colleagues, or even students.

Ask simple, focused questions like, “What’s one thing I could try to engage students better?” Listening to constructive feedback helps you identify your strengths and specific areas to refine.

The smartest teachers use feedback to set micro-goals: small, actionable changes that compound over time. Don’t wait to be evaluated; seek feedback often and let it fuel your growth.

2. Make time for reflection

When it comes to professional growth, intentional reflection is a superpower. Some of the most important teaching improvements happen after class, when you pause to think about what worked, what didn’t, and what to try next.

Set aside a few minutes each day or week to reflect on your lessons. You might jot down notes, record a voice memo, or discuss it with a colleague. 

MirrorTalk, Swivl’s AI-powered reflection app, makes this easier by guiding you through a spoken conversation, then using AI to analyze your response and surface key insights and next steps.

The key is consistency. Reflecting regularly helps you notice patterns, sharpen your instincts, and accelerate your growth.

3. Find your community

Teaching is hard, and doing it alone makes it even harder. Collaboration and community are essential to your support structure. The fastest-growing new teachers lean on their peers for ideas, support, and encouragement.

Seek out mentors, grade-level teams, or professional learning groups. Even informal connections with other new teachers can make a huge difference.

If your school offers a new teacher cohort or similar group, jump in. Communities create space to learn, reflect, and grow alongside others who understand exactly what you’re going through.

4. Leverage AI to lighten the load

Your first year will stretch your time and energy. It’s easy to fall behind on professional growth when you’re buried in planning, grading, and classroom tasks. AI tools can help lighten that load.

A recent study found that teachers using AI save an average of 5.9 hours per week — adding up to nearly six extra weeks of time over the school year.

Apps like MagicSchool, Diffit, or ChatGPT can save hours on lesson planning and creating materials. That’s time you can put back into your students — and your own growth.

But planning is only half the battle. Grading and reviewing student work adds up fast, especially if you’re trying to use daily formative assessments (which you should be).

That’s where AI can help, too. A tool like MirrorTalk takes the pressure off by automatically analyzing student reflections. Instead of sorting through every response, you get a clear snapshot of who’s on track and where students need support.

New tools are popping up every day. Stay curious. Talk with your colleagues. Find the ones that help you focus on what matters most: your students, your growth, and your time.

Final thoughts

Your first year will have challenges, but these four cheat codes — reflection, feedback, community, and smart use of AI — can tilt the odds in your favor. 

With the right support system, helpful tools like M2 and MirrorTalk, and a proactive mindset, you’ll grow faster, build confidence, and create the foundation for a successful teaching career.