A New Teacher Orientation Checklist for Elementary Schools

New hires arrive every fall (and, realistically, throughout the year) needing the same basic orientation, but it's easy for pieces of it to fall through the cracks when it's not written down somewhere everyone follows. Here's a checklist organized by phase: before day one, week one, and month one.

Before Day One: Paperwork, Classroom Setup, System Access

The administrative basics should be handled before a new teacher's first day, not scrambled together that morning.

• HR paperwork completed (contracts, direct deposit, benefits enrollment)
• Classroom keys and building access confirmed
• Email and core system logins active and tested
• Classroom itself accessible, even if setup isn't finished, so the teacher can start planning their space
• A shared resource library login ready to go, if your school uses one, see our guide on onboarding new teachers with a shared resource library

If any of these are still pending on day one, they become the new teacher's first-week distraction instead of getting settled into the actual job.

Week One: Curriculum, Standards, and Resource Orientation

Once the logistics are handled, week one is where a new teacher needs to understand what they're actually teaching and with what.

• A walkthrough of the grade-level curriculum map or pacing guide
• Where to find the standards (CCSS or your state's equivalent) they're responsible for that year
• Introduction to whatever shared resource library or materials system the school uses, including how to filter by grade and standard
• A first meeting with their grade-level team, not just their assigned mentor
• Clarity on grading, report card, and communication expectations

This is also the point to mention any request or feedback process for materials. If your resource library lets teachers ask for a worksheet that doesn't exist yet, that's worth saying explicitly in week one, so new hires know they have that option from the start rather than discovering it by accident months later.

Month One: Mentorship Check-Ins and What to Observe

By month one, the goal shifts from "get set up" to "get supported." A single mentor assignment on day one isn't enough on its own.

• A scheduled check-in with the assigned mentor, ideally weekly, not just "reach out if you need anything"
• An informal classroom observation by the mentor or instructional coach, focused on support, not evaluation
• A check on whether the new teacher has found and is using the resources available to them (curriculum materials, the shared library, planning time with their team)
• An open conversation about what's going well and what still feels unclear

What to observe at this stage isn't compliance, it's whether the new teacher has actually settled into the systems and support around them, or whether they're quietly struggling and not saying so.

A Printable Checklist by Phase

Before Day One

• [ ] HR paperwork complete
• [ ] Keys and building access confirmed
• [ ] Email and system logins tested
• [ ] Classroom accessible
• [ ] Resource library access ready

Week One

• [ ] Curriculum map and pacing guide reviewed
• [ ] Standards location shared
• [ ] Resource library walkthrough completed
• [ ] Grade-level team introduction
• [ ] Grading and communication expectations covered

Month One

• [ ] Weekly mentor check-ins scheduled
• [ ] Informal support-focused observation completed
• [ ] Resource usage confirmed
• [ ] Open conversation about what's unclear

If you're also planning a broader rollout of a new resource platform for your whole staff, not just new hires, see our related pre-year rollout checklist for a shared resource library.

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Looking to include a ready-to-use resource library in your new teacher onboarding? Get Started with a self-serve School Site License, or request a quote for your school or district.