Five Keys to New Teacher Success

04/25/2007

Five Keys to New Teacher Success

With the new day comes new strength and new thoughts.
Eleanor Roosevelt

Given the challenge it is to recruit qualified teachers, it pays to invest considerable effort in retaining the good teachers that you do find. Here are five tips for supporting new teachers in the early days from Lynn Howard from her book Ready for Anything (New York: Advanced Learning Press, 2006), which, though written about public school teachers, have applicability in early childhood settings:

1. Never let them feel isolated. New teachers want to know that they are not alone as they struggle to learn to manage and organize a classroom. Take time to share refreshments, have discussions, trade your stories of success, and build excitement and energy at every opportunity;

2. Be visible — every day. Many new teachers say that visibility and personal interaction with the principal is the number one factor that would make the difference in their decision to stay or leave a particular school. Visiting classrooms regularly, promoting success, and allowing time for discussion and questions are powerful motivators for beginning teachers;

3. Provide the skills and knowledge needed for their success. All new teachers want help with classroom management, building relationships, strategic planning with lesson design, observations and evaluations and testing. Provide new teachers with step-by-step strategies and activities that build both confidence and competence;

4. Allow time for growth and reflection. Knowing what works and what does not allows new teachers to identify areas of growth and strength while determining specific areas that need improvement; and

5. Celebrate! Learning to teach is a long process and celebrating small, incremental steps is one way to recognize growth and achievement. Write positive notes, provide special treats or just say "Thank You" for coming to school. The rewards in teaching are often intrinsic and we must recognize the little things that happen every day that make school a good place to be.

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