5 Steps to Support New Teachers
We all know that the first year is the worst, and we know that these teachers need us to support them if they are going to be successful. This is even more true for the new teachers who are joining us through the non-traditional routes….such as second career teachers.
So, this week I’m going to give you 5 things that schools can do to help these new teachers get off to a good start and move into a successful year, no matter what their previous experience may be.
Historically, the way that new teachers have been introduced to the profession has been through their mentor teachers. Last week we talked about why this hasn’t been as successful as some thought.
I’m not saying that mentor teachers are not a great idea, they are…when they fit the needs of the role. Mentor teachers can’t be the most entrenched teacher in the grade level. CLICK HERE for how to choose the best person for this role. Then come back here for 5 specific steps to take to support those new teachers!
Alright, so on to the 5 steps.
Step 1: Basic Facts for Week 1
The first step that we need to take is to give new teachers the basic facts that they need to know…in bullet format. But ONLY for the first week of school!
Stop telling new teachers everything in their first few pd sessions with the school and expecting retention. Instead, give them an overview of how the school functions. Give them a bulleted list of things that they will need to know and reference to get them through the first week of school. Once they have survived the first week, THEN give them the information they will need to make it through the first month.
For example, I know we all want all the teachers to have their grade books all ready to go on the first day of school. But that is not necessary to the functioning of the classroom for the first week of school. Let the new teachers focus on getting through that first week. Let them realize that yes, they really CAN be teachers…THEN toss the more complicated stuff their way.
Some items to include in your bulleted list
-How to take attendance
-Give them several copies of the bell schedule. Trust me, just give it to them.
-A list of who to call for what
-School codes, like what letters or symbols are needed for attendance, or if there are special codes for accessing different doors or whatnot
-A map of the school with places labeled, not just with room numbers. Give them names and what they do if possible.
-Where kids are dropped off or picked up
-Elementary schools-Give the teachers a map with the dismissal procedures/who goes where. It sounds simple in your mind when you’re explaining it. Trust me, just give the new teachers a map with a star where they are supposed to be. Make everyone’s first week easier
-How to call out of the building and/or long distance
*there are more depending on your building, but this list is a good start to get you started
Step 2: Basic Facts for the First Month
The next step in supporting your newest teachers is to give them the basic information that they need for the first month AFTER the first week of school is over. Again, the first week of school, no one is actually inputting grades. Teachers are trying to find their stash of Halls throat lozenges. They are focusing on surviving the week so that they can recover on the weekend. Wait until after the first week of school to show teachers how to set up gradebooks. This is an easy way to support new teachers.
Step 3: Focus on Classroom Management
The third step is to focus on classroom management for those new teachers.
We know that new teachers are all about the content. They cannot wait to teach those amazing lessons about matter and formulas and silent e words, but those of us who have worked in schools know that classroom management is the foundation of everything else and has to be handled first and foremost. Don’t pressure new teachers to get to the content, encourage them to get their classroom management system down pat, THEN the content will come easy.
Give new teachers realistic expectations for students and their behaviors. Those 2nd career teachers who really do not know what they are walking into especially need the help. We know that classrooms do not look like what they did 10 years ago. Honestly they don’t look like they did 5 years ago.
Don’t let new teachers walk in their new classrooms and be completely blindsided. Students don’t sit quietly while a teacher lectures for 50 minutes anymore but many think they do. We know that that is simply not how things are done in schools any more.
Instead, give those teachers some realistic examples of what they will need to tackle with classroom procedures. And then, give them 2 or 3 real examples of things that work with students like they will have. For example, procedures for cell phones in the classroom could look very different depending on the classroom and the different students.
By the way, just say no to clip charts.
Yeah I know they look cute. If you wouldn’t want them to be used on you in a professional development session, don’t introduce them to the classroom.
For classroom rules, give the new teacher maybe 2 examples for how to set up those rules. They will figure out what works best for them over time. To get them started, give them 2 examples of ways that teachers who successfully work with those students do it. Then let the new teacher figure out which is most comfortable for them.
Also, give the new teacher a list of procedures that they need to think about. It will depend on the grade level, but they need to know what they will do about: cell phones, sharpening pencils, no pencils, asking for the restroom, missing paper or notebooks. Giving them the list takes out so much guess work for inexperienced teachers.
Along with this, have the teacher write out and post the most common procedures in the room. Then the teacher has something ready for them to teach the first day of school!
Forming a classroom community is essential when it comes to classroom management. Therefore give the inexperienced teacher 2 or maybe 3 examples for starting quality relationships with students. Give them student surveys that apply to the grade or age group of students. Let the teacher know what kinds of things the kids will actually want to know about them too…which are appropriate. It’s especially important for those career changers who may think that talking about their 20 years working in a bank were super exciting. We know that the kids really want to know about their pet iguana Linda right?
Finally with classroom management, go ahead and give the new teacher 2 or 3 examples of common misbehaviors that are likely to crop up in their classroom. Also, tell them how to handle it in the classroom setting….you know, before the referral goes in. New teachers haven’t experienced dealing with misbehaving students in the classroom setting before, so give them some examples. You get bonus points if you can tell a funny story with how to successfully deal with issues when actively working with students. For example, what works when a student refuses to stop talking back, or refuses to put a cell phone away. How is it best to handle that situation in the moment? If you can give some good tips and tricks before anything like that happens, you’ve just given that new teacher a leg up for when the time comes.
Step 4: A Relevant Mentor
Step 4 is to provide the new teacher with a mentor who works with the same student type they’ll have. For example, if the new teacher is a special education teacher, make sure the mentor teacher is too.
I have a friend who works at a school and she absolutely loves teaching her regular students. She loves them, she vibes with them, and they have been so lucky to have her. Unfortunately, this friend of mine has had a really hard time. Her mentor teacher, who cares deeply for the teaching profession and has been teaching in her subject area for over 20 years didn’t teach regular students, she only taught Honors and AP. Their mentoring sessions are difficult because the needs that the regular students have academically and behaviorally are different than the honor students. Meanwhile, since I’d taught the student type that my friend had in class, I gave her classroom management and teaching pointers that her mentor teacher couldn’t….simply because of the different needs in the student groups.
Honestly, making sure that the mentor teacher has the same student type is more important in a lot of ways than having the same subject area. We know that classroom management is key long before we start worrying about content. Teaching similar students helps mentor teachers support new teachers more effectively.
If we really want to support new teachers, we will give them mentors who can really help. They need mentors who are on the same page, and can give relevant advice.
Step 5: Time to Work Together
Finally, the fifth step is to provide the new teachers will weekly time to spend with each other. There is safety in numbers, and knowing that you are not alone facing a difficult transition. The first year is difficult. The last thing we want is for our inexperienced teachers to feel like they are alone. Let them have time together to talk about the questions that they have. Sometimes they will be able to answer each others questions. Also it gives them an opportunity to ask the “stupid” questions in a more anonymous format.
When new teachers get time to work together, we are giving them time to share their challenges, but also their victories and more importantly how they won those victories. They can share ideas and become stronger teachers together. We know that new teachers are the ones to lead innovations, so let’s tap into that and encourage it! They won’t have all the answers, but when we allow and encourage them to work together they build each other up.
We know that being a new teacher is difficult. Yet, there are things that we can do to support these new teachers and help them to thrive. We want to encourage them to return to get even better!
Just like with our experienced teachers, we have to support everyone who is working with the students in schools. All teachers need uninterrupted time to prepare their lesson plans, they need uninterrupted lunch breaks so that they can clear their minds and prepare themselves for the rest of the day. All teachers need high quality curriculum that needs minimal supplementation to be effective. Teachers need to be provided with the time and resources that they need in order to make their students successful.
Sure, I think that teachers should be paid more. But so much more than that, I believe that we need to support all of our teachers so that they can do what they do best….teach. Supporting new and experienced teachers is a little different. We must do both if we are going to attract and retain the wonderful educators that our students desperately need.
What are some ways that your school or district support new teachers? Send me an email or message me to let me know! I’d love to get a good conversation started about how we can make education a more friendly place.