Key takeaways
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Creating an intentional plan to support new teachers is not an ancillary consideration for school planning; it is imperative for teacher success. The need has never been more evident, as teachers of all experience levels continue to leave the field in increasing numbers.
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Each new educator will be different, and approaches to helping should be based on the specific needs identified. Leaders should consider how to layer support for brand-new teachers, as well as teachers new to the school or district.
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School leaders, including administrators, instructional coaches, and technology coaches, should visibly lead the charge to support new teachers. When acceptance and support of new staff members are an expected part of school culture, everyone benefits.
Being an educator is a chance to positively impact children now and in the future. This can be extremely rewarding, but it is also a very challenging job. Viewed from the outside, teaching might appear to consist of the simple transmission of knowledge from an adult to a child. However, teachers are expected to address students’ academic, physical, personal, and behavioral needs daily.
Meeting students’ needs requires a mix of skills and experience, and new teachers need time and support to find their balance. During the transition from college to the classroom or from another career, a clear plan to support new teachers must be in place. Having school leaders play a large role in supporting new teachers demonstrates the value placed on the newest staff members.
Challenges New Teachers Face
Everyday in America, nearly four million teachers go to work to educate the next generations of students. These educators all face demands on their time and attention during the school day. They need to provide an education in an environment that also addresses academic, social, emotional, and behavioral skills. Along with the daily responsibilities of being in education, new teachers face unique challenges. Areas that can present the most difficulty include mastering content, developing classroom management, and practicing effective communication.
New teachers will need to quickly begin to master their content material. Depending on the age level being taught, an educator could be expected to be a subject matter expert, or could be expected to teach all content areas. In either case, a teacher will need to be familiar with the school provided curriculum, as well as the state mandated standards.
Before any content can be taught, connections must be made. This requires establishing a classroom community where all students feel comfortable and valued. At the same time, all stakeholders must recognize and respect the shared expectations for procedures and behavior.
During teacher education programs, student teachers work together with their peers and actively collaborate. Maintaining the feelings of support can be a challenge when a teacher joins a new staff or team. The ability to form adult relationships and become familiar with cultural expectations takes time and effort. Along with team dynamics, new educators might feel isolated when communicating with families on their own for the first time.
Each year, approximately 7% of teachers in the US will leave the profession. This includes retirements and moves to other sectors. This number has decreased from 10% following the 2021-2022 school year. However, the number remains much higher for new teachers. Currently, seven out of every ten new educators will leave teaching within the first five years. Among the most frequent reasons given for leaving are the absence of solid induction practices and a lack of administrative support.
Who Should be Considered a New Teacher?
Before considering the question of how to support a new teacher, school leaders should first determine who is considered a new teacher. The most obvious new teachers are those coming from a traditional teacher education program, which includes the opportunity to student teach. This set of new educators are typically in their early twenties. The second category of new teachers are those who are entering from another occupation. These teachers can be any age and may or may not have had a chance to complete an internship or student teaching experience. Many support programs will address the first year of entry for these two groups of teachers. However, this narrow definition of a new teacher will create gaps in an effective support plan.
Schools and district leaders should establish plans to provide tailored support for experienced teachers moving within a district or from another district, teachers moving from out of state, and even educators moving to new positions. This last group is often overlooked completely and includes teachers becoming coaches (e.g., instructional, literacy, technology), support teachers (e.g., ESOL, Special Education, Gifted, STEM), or moving to new grade levels or content areas.
How to Support New Teachers with a School Team
The best way for school leaders to welcome and retain new teachers is to weave supporting practices into all aspects of the school culture, professional learning, faculty relationships, and supplemental materials.
The initial push for new teacher induction planning should start at the district level. The human resources department should create a plan to advertise, recruit, hire, support, and retain new teachers. The implementation of a district-wide plan allows new educators to become familiar with macro-level systems and practices. In many districts, there are yearlong plans for recruiting and supporting new teachers. These might include time together during the summer and pre-planning, events throughout the school year, and professional development for induction leaders at the local school level.
School leaders should use the district guidelines as the basis for building their own plan to support new teachers. Research shows that the school principal is a driving force behind school culture. All staff members look to the principal to establish expectations for relationship-building in school. The principal should create an induction team at the school. This can include a mixture of school leaders, coaches, experienced teachers, and support staff. With the principal’s support, this team will plan mentorships, monthly meetings, professional learning, and teaching materials.
When considering how to pair mentors and mentees, a formal pairing can be established based on personality, content area, grade level, years of experience, and other factors. It is not necessary for every mentor painting to be on the same team. Often, natural pairings form on a team, which can lead to an informal mentor relationship, providing a new teacher with additional support. Another benefit of formal mentor pairings is that they provide new teachers with the opportunity to observe in settings different from their own.
A yearly calendar should be developed by the school induction team to include appropriate professional learning opportunities, scheduled meeting times for the full team, and time for mentors and mentees to meet. By including coaches on the induction team, new teachers will have direct access to the personnel who can help them in their classroom.
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Eight Ways School Leaders Can Support New Teachers
School leaders can make the transition for a new teacher much smoother by being part of new educator planning. The steps taken for new teachers should include opportunities for classroom support, recognition, collaboration, and professional learning. Support for new teachers should extend beyond the beginning of the year to ensure a smooth transition.
1. School leaders will need to provide financial and material resources to support the induction team and new teachers throughout the school year
To plan effectively, leaders should consider which items to provide monthly, such as snacks, early passes, flowers, cards, or photos.
2. Providing new teachers with access to their curriculum and supplemental materials as soon as possible indicates that you understand the time commitment required of a new teacher
If possible, provide new teachers with a larger budget to purchase classroom materials. Finances can be a large stressor for new teachers who have to choose between spending money and having a classroom they feel is uninviting.
3. School leaders will need to be visible and interactive with new teachers
Making rounds to say hello in the morning, spending extra time in a classroom, or sitting with teachers at lunch will make your appearance feel less formal and more supportive.
4. Writing notes of encouragement is an easy way to support new teachers
You can leave a note after a visit, place a sticky note on the door, share an email from a parent or other stakeholder, or write a welcome letter to start off the year strong.
5. To demonstrate that your school values collaboration and two-way communication, schedule time to meet with new teachers
This should not be a one-time event, but rather purposeful discussions throughout the school year to identify areas for possible support.
6. School leaders can strengthen their role as instructional leaders by covering classes or modeling during class for new teachers
By covering a class, you provide new teachers with a break or an opportunity to visit a colleague’s classroom. If you model instruction, you can connect with teachers through the practices they use daily.
7. Take time to recognize and celebrate the amazing work of your new teachers
You could include a short blurb on your announcements or social media. Acknowledging the challenges of being a new teacher for the individual and the staff as a whole is an indicator of a positive school culture.
8. Gathering feedback regularly will enable school leaders to adjust their support for new teachers
Consider asking for feedback during monthly meetings and professional learning sessions. The topics for feedback should include input on future events and professional development topics.
