“Don’t go into education!” “Teaching is not the profession it once was!” “You should consider doing something else!” “It’s not worth it anymore to be a teacher!”
We’ve all heard these words—and many of us may have even spoken them to loved ones with good intentions. And the fact that our profession has evolved is inescapable. But our students need the best and the brightest to educate them in these challenging times. While school communities have a variety of educators with diverse backgrounds, there are some serious questions every one of us must ask ourselves:
What can we do to support those new educators who have braved this type of advice to join us in our schools?
- How can we provide a climate in which they feel seen and supported by their colleagues?
- What is our part in investing in the future of our profession?
- What types of supports are in place for new educators who are not classroom teachers?
- How can we involve our new colleagues in advocacy and activism through our local union?
- What would have made our own experiences at the beginning of our careers more fulfilling?
Now more than ever, school communities must find ways to empower and engage novice educators in ways that will guide them and help them along their journeys in education—with the potential twists and turns that many of us experience. Not only do we need educator retention, but we need successful and dedicated professionals to stay because they are strong and confident in their craft. We suggest that the way to support our newest colleagues rests in knowing our ABCs.
Allyship and authenticity
Be the colleague new educators can count on for advice or a safe place to vent. We all know how difficult it may be to navigate a new position in an unfamiliar place. This ally may be someone who brings in coffee or who shares the uncommunicated norms of the school that everyone is expected to know (but not everyone does). Beyond this, allyship fosters connections within both our field and in one’s educational environment. Teaching can be very lonely sometimes; it’s up to us to provide those feelings of support for our newest colleagues. This allyship may be the difference that encourages them not to give up in the face of challenges.
Authenticity is the key to an environment of trust and growth for both educators and students. When we feel confident that those around us honestly want us to succeed and are generous with their time and patience, we may be more likely to take risks in our learning (and teaching) that benefit everyone. Authentic stakeholders in the success of new educators—in supportive and nonjudgmental ways—focus on ways to genuinely guide them in finding their own pathways to efficacy.
While some new educators may heed the advice to stay out of the faculty room to avoid toxicity, we maintain that the faculty room can be the place in which the circle of allyship and authenticity can broaden to envelop our newbies in collective support. This can be the place in which they meet others who are not on their grade-level or content-area teams. There can be soup clubs or “shout out” boards to encourage one another and sharing of ideas and resources. If we as the faculty ensure that our space is positive and affirming, our new colleagues will find those authentic connections that extend beyond their classroom doors.
Belonging and balancing
Feeling a sense of belonging may not be something that happens immediately for teachers with respect to their new school community—whether or not they are already familiar with the district. The transition to this fresh season of their career may be a time in which they are navigating new waters in a role that may be a bit intimidating at times. Their own perceptions and expectations of what their teaching experience should be like may sometimes act like a roadblock to feelings of belonging and efficacy.
We acknowledge that many things that new teachers experience may feel like a balancing act. On one hand, they may be recent graduates with the knowledge of the latest research-based pedagogy and technology that may be an asset to their teams. They may still have access to their connections at the university or have read the latest books on teaching.
On the other hand, they will be finding their own instructional style and may benefit from kind suggestions and support from their “teaching village.” For many of us, the first days (weeks, months) in our new classrooms may be times in which we navigate situations that our university experiences did not prepare us for. The balance between what new teachers bring to the table and what they may need from those at the table alongside them may change daily. Supportive mentors must be intuitive listeners and proactive advocates for our colleagues.
It is important for educators to understand that new teachers will still need to learn many things, but they have so much to offer and share as well. If we view our new colleagues as “green” or that they need to just soak in information without acknowledging that they have funds of knowledge as well, we are not seeing the full picture of how valuable they can be to our professional learning communities. Those who subscribe to the notion that “new teachers should be seen and not heard” may be standing in the way of true growth for all stakeholders involved.
Collaboration and coaching
Teaching may sometimes be a profession in which one closes their door and does their job without collaborating with their colleagues. While this is “safe” and may keep us away from conflict, potential negativity or others’ opinions, this is not the way that we grow in our profession.
Collaboration in teaching is the key to our own evolution as educators—and humans. We maintain that collaboration goes beyond sharing lesson plans with grade-level or content-area colleagues; rather, in these intentional interactions we reflect on our own perceptions, knowledge and biases. Most importantly, collaboration goes beyond our colleagues and extends to learning alongside our students, their families and members of our communities. Entering any situation with the mindset that we will learn from all participants is crucial for educators and provides us all with the lens that there is potential growth everywhere.
Throughout our careers, we have mentored and were coached by colleagues in various positions. Some of these were formal mentors who were assigned to us and many others may be informal mentors who guided us and looked out for us without the official title. Still others were ones who learned and grew alongside us. The most effective coaches may be the ones who listen without judgment, assess situations and provide targeted and encouraging advice.
Much like with collaborating with people in different roles, coaches and mentors come in different sizes as well. We all should note that the notion of a mentor or coach is a fluid one and the “expert” role may depend on the topic or skill in any relationship. Being open to learning from one another (even veterans learning from novice teachers!) may establish a dynamic in which there is mutual respect for the strengths of everyone and a culture of lifelong learning that is powerful. Collectively, we are all better than any one of us is alone.
Reflecting on the past and building up the future
As we open our arms to welcome new colleagues into our educational communities, we bring with us the things we have learned in the past and we look to the future alongside the teachers who will be taking the baton. We educators all have legacies with our students and their families; a legacy of kindness and support for our colleagues is also an incredible gift to the future.
It is said that educators make more decisions daily than we can count. In the end, what is best for kids must be at the forefront of all we do. And supporting our colleagues—from the newest to our lifelong friends who have taught by our sides for years—is what is best for kids and the entire school community.
Denise Furlong, (she/her) is an assistant professor at Georgian Court University. She is the co-author of Learners First: Purpose and Practicality in Your Early Years of Teaching and a proud NJEA member.
Keri Orange-Jones (she/her) is an assistant principal for West Orange Schools. She is the co-author of Learners First: Purpose and Practicality in Your Early Years of Teaching and a proud NJEA member.