Were there misconceptions on my part about what it meant to be an educator in my first year? Undeniably. Unequivocally. Yes.
Unknowingly, I based everything I thought I knew about teaching on what I experienced as a student. My teachers always seemed prepared, organized, caring, and—at least from the outside—happy. They worked nine months out of the year, had holidays sprinkled throughout the calendar, and were done by 3:00 p.m. every day. How perfect could that be?
I imagined myself playing a round of golf every afternoon and still making it home in time for dinner. I’ve got this. I want this. I need this.
The Reality of a First-Year Teacher
My first year as an educator was at the elementary level, but the lessons learned apply across all grade levels—especially in Career and Technical Education (CTE). I entered the classroom with no formal teacher-preparation program, coming from a business background and hired on an emergency credential. From day one, I was thrown into the fire.
Lesson planning. Differentiating instruction. Creating engaging and meaningful lessons. Meetings. Endless paperwork. Phone calls to parents. More meetings. So many informal conflict-resolution conversations with students that I started to feel like Dr. Phil.
It was chaos.
As the days passed, the overwhelm grew. I quickly understood why first-year teachers experience a 17% attrition rate and why nearly 50% leave the profession within five years. I was working 12-hour days and spending Saturdays at school trying to play catch-up—grading papers, making copies, and attempting to plan engaging lessons without really knowing how.
Sundays were supposed to be my recovery day. Instead, after taking a 50% pay cut to leave trucking and enter education, I spent Sundays driving a truck for 15 hours just to stay financially afloat.
That daily golf game I imagined? I haven’t seen my clubs since the school year started.
Why First-Year Teachers Burn Out
I won’t pretend I didn’t think about quitting. The idea of climbing back into a truck sounded peaceful and predictable. But I felt called to teach, and I committed to seeing it through.
What pushed me to the brink? The same issues that push many first-year teachers out of the profession:
- Inadequate training
- Unrealistic expectations
- Lack of resources and tools
- And most importantly, a lack of support
These challenges are magnified in CTE programs—especially when a first-year teacher is tasked with launching a new high school trucking or workforce development program. If we expect educators to take on that level of responsibility, we must ensure they are well-trained, empowered, and confident.
There is simply no room for error or complacency when young lives and career pathways are at stake.
Flipping the Script: Building a Better Model for CTE Teachers
As the instructor of the Patterson High School Truck Driving Program and Co-Founder of the Next Generation in Trucking Association (NGT), I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve built—and even more proud of our mission to help schools replicate this model nationwide.
From the beginning, our focus was on creating a standardized, engaging, and industry-aligned curriculum. This wasn’t a quick process. It took nearly eight years of refinement, feedback, and continuous improvement. And we’re still evolving—because complacency is the enemy of innovation.
Through strong partnerships with industry leaders, we continuously adapt our curriculum to reflect real-world expectations and workforce needs.
👉 Learn more about NGT’s mission to build and enhance training programs:
https://www.nextgentrucking.org
Teaching Beyond the Wheel: Health, Leadership, and Longevity
One example of this evolution came during a class discussion about the health of the trucking industry. The statistics were alarming:
- Truck drivers have a life expectancy 16 years shorter than the average American
- 85% are overweight
- 43% operate with restricted DOT medical certifications
For a program committed to preparing students for long, healthy careers, this was unacceptable.
When I couldn’t find an existing curriculum to address these issues, I went looking for someone who could help build one. That search led me to Dr. Mark Manera, who partnered with us to create a 15-week health and wellness curriculum for life on the road.
What began as a solution for one high school program has since grown into Project 61, now being professionally filmed through a grant from the Trucking Cares Foundation and made available nationwide.
👉 Explore Project 61:
https://project-61.org
From Curriculum Guide to Classroom Confidence
As the Patterson High School program continued to gain attention, the question became: How do we make this replicable for other schools—especially first-year CTE teachers?
The answer was a free, turnkey curriculum guide.
With support from the Knorr-Bremse Group, the PepsiCo Foundation, and in partnership with the Education Development Center, NGT created a comprehensive guide that walks schools through the entire program from start to finish.
But curriculum alone is not enough.
Giving a teacher a curriculum without training is like giving a new driver the keys to a truck without instruction. Information without understanding can be dangerous.
Why Train the Trainer Is Critical for First-Year CTE Teachers
That realization led to the creation of the Next Generation in Trucking Train the Trainer program.
This two-day, immersive training event, held annually at Patterson High School, allows educators to break down the curriculum piece by piece, experience the program components firsthand, and build confidence before ever stepping into their own classroom.
Participants engage in:
- Simulator training
- Distracted and DUI driving exercises
- Curriculum implementation strategies
- Conversations with program graduates
- Peer networking with instructors from across the U.S.
👉 Learn more or register for Train the Trainer:
https://nextgentrucking.org/train-the-trainer/
The networking component alone has proven invaluable, especially for first-year teachers who often feel isolated in their role.
When Training Reveals the Gaps
During the first Train the Trainer event, I noticed a shift on day two. The excitement from day one had faded. When I asked what changed, one participant spoke up:
“I thought we were just teaching truck driving. I didn’t realize we’d also be teaching health, leadership, human trafficking, and more.”
That moment was eye-opening.
We had unintentionally overwhelmed educators by expanding expectations without fully preparing them. Confidence can’t exist without clarity and support.
Accelerate: Customized Support for Schools and Workforce Programs
That insight led to the creation of the NGT Accelerate Training Program—a multi-day, on-site coaching and mentoring experience tailored to each school’s unique needs.
Accelerate supports:
- First-year CTE teachers
- Veteran educators launching new programs
- School districts and workforce boards building career pathways
This program ensures success begins on day one, not after burnout sets in.
👉 To receive more information about Accelerate or educator support services, visit:
https://www.nextgentrucking.org
How to Avoid the Trials and Tribulations of a First-Year Teacher
Surround yourself with people who genuinely care about your success. Seek out training, mentorship, and community. Be willing to learn, grow, and step outside your comfort zone.
Our students—and our industry—deserve nothing less.
To every educator, administrator, and workforce leader investing in the next generation: thank you. What you’re doing matters. You are restoring pride, professionalism, and purpose to an industry that needs strong leadership now more than ever.
And no, my golf game still isn’t great. I work long days not because I have to—but because I get to. Teaching, mentoring, and building pathways for students is a privilege.
About Next Generation in Trucking
The Next Generation in Trucking Association is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit supported by the trucking industry to promote careers, build training programs, connect students to employers, and celebrate excellence across trucking.
Contact:
Dave Dein – [email protected]
Lindsey Trent – [email protected]