In order to improve the teaching quality of current university courses and train innovative talents of civil engineering with solid basic theory, strong practical ability and high comprehensive quality, the teaching reform and practice of soil mechanics was explored. The soil mechanics is an important basic course of the civil engineering major. Learning the course of soil mechanics well can help the students majoring in civil engineering master grasp the knowledge of relevant follow-up courses better, and improve their innovative consciousness, innovative thinking, innovative spirit and practical innovative ability. Based on the cultivation of innovative talents, according to the characteristics of soil mechanics course, and combined with the experience in practical teaching, this paper expounded the reform and practice of soil mechanics from four aspects:teaching syllabus, teaching content, teaching method and examination system. And the corresponding reform and practice methods were put forward. It aims to improve the teaching quality of soil mechanics, cultivate the students' creative thinking, the innovative practice ability, the comprehensive quality, and lay a solid foundation for cultivating innovative talents of civil engineering specialty.