I came dangerously close to quitting teaching my first year. As an excited 22-year-old, I was unprepared for the well-documented first-year challenges. Reflecting back 11 years later, the aspect I was least prepared for was the lingering and pervasive feeling of failure.
During my pre-service preparation, I envisioned what my ideal classroom would involve and had grand dreams of implementing every best practice. Even during student teaching, the built-in support of a mentor teacher mitigated the challenges I encountered. However, my first year was wholly different when I alone was responsible for my classes' learning. I faced simmering classroom management issues and struggled to address a lack of engagement in lessons I had expected would be well-received.
It's essential that we redefine what 'success' looks like in that first year and construct a productive way for new teachers to measure progress.
As school leaders and mentors, we play a crucial role in supporting and retaining first-year teachers. Failure—lessons not working out as planned, classroom management requiring improvement, differentiation needing adjustment—is a normal part of teaching and comprises a significant part of the first year. How are we preparing new teachers to navigate and normalize these “failures”? To evaluate how they are doing? It's essential that we redefine what "success" looks like in that first year and construct a productive way for new teachers to measure progress. Without this redefinition—without a way to balance out the overwhelming sense that everything needs improvement—we risk losing more educators.
Gauging Progress Beyond Perfection
With this redefinition in mind, here are 10 criteria school leaders and mentors can use to provide a realistic, non-perfectionist baseline for first-year teachers to gauge what "success" entails. Share these with your new teachers and use them as a framework for support and evaluation.
1. Recognize lesson shortcomings: Being aware of when a lesson didn't go as planned is the first step to improvement. In your first year, you may not have a wealth of experience to draw upon, but identifying aspects that need improvement is crucial. The more lessons fall short, and the more you adapt in response, the better you'll become at predicting and accounting for issues. For now, it's enough that you recognize areas for improvement as the basis for growth.
2. Seek consistent feedback: Ask for regular input from colleagues and supervisors outside of formal evaluations. Your formal evaluations likely occur too infrequently to provide sufficient feedback in your first year. Whether it's help with a specific lesson, a classroom issue, or an aspect of your practice, seeking informal observations shows initiative. Any good supervisor will appreciate your efforts, and you'll become more comfortable with being observed.
3. Observe other teachers: Make an effort to watch your peers in action. This is the best way to gather ideas, escape the confining walls of your own classroom, fight the isolationism inherent in the "egg-crate" school structure, and learn strategies for addressing common issues. Your willingness to learn from others is a stronger indicator of success than any "perfect" lesson.
4. Identify areas for improvement: Recognize your strengths and weaknesses, and actively seek resources to help you grow. It's hard to predict what you'll struggle with until you're facing the day-to-day demands of teaching your own classes, so don't be hard on yourself. Identifying these areas means you're on your way to addressing them productively. Seek out articles, books, or advice from trusted colleagues to help you improve.
5. Show care for students: While you may still be learning various teaching strategies, curricular approaches, and classroom management practices, ensuring your students know you care about them and their learning is fundamental. This emotional connection forms the basis of a positive learning environment and can compensate for areas where you're still developing expertise. It took me a while to learn the simple power of asking students questions to convey my interest in their lives and well-being. I started inquiring about how they were doing, how their sports or extracurriculars were going, and even asking about their pets, their part-time jobs, or what shows they enjoyed watching. Gradually, I noticed a shift: students began entering class and sharing about their lives unprompted, almost like a natural, running conversation.
6. Celebrate small victories: Amid the challenges, take time to appreciate the moments when students awe you. Try to be conscious of these small wins at least once a week. It could be a student sharing something vulnerable, a hesitant student finally participating, or a struggling student staying for extra help. Even a kind interaction or a student's pride in their work is worth noticing. These moments can sustain you through difficult times and remind you of the beauty in working with young people.
Amid the challenges, take time to appreciate the moments when students awe you.
After a particularly challenging week, I experienced one such moment. A student who had been struggling with organization and keeping track of his assignments took my suggestion to use a planner. The bell rang to end class, and as students filed out, he came to show me his diligently organized planner with a prioritized list of assignments to do over the weekend. His eagerness to share this new habit reminded me how capable students are of rising to challenges and a desire to share their achievements—however small—with others. It was a privilege to witness his growth firsthand.
7. Believe in all students’ potential: Recognize that some students may be more challenging to engage, and you might still be figuring out how best to meet their individual needs. However, your effort and belief in their potential are crucial. As you gain experience, you'll build a repertoire of strategies to identify and adjust to various student needs. Don't be too hard on yourself for lacking experience; instead, focus on building it.
8. Engage in difficult conversations: Don't shy away from addressing behavior issues or having tough talks with students. Creating a climate of respect is as much a part of teaching as content delivery. While these conversations may be uncomfortable, having them, reflecting on the outcomes, and seeking advice from colleagues is an important step in your development. You're not expected to handle these perfectly, but facing them head-on shows growth.
9. Value student feedback: Be open to both structured and casual student input. Students offer valuable information if we're receptive to it. Their perspectives can bring us out of our teacher mindset and into the student experience. Listen closely to their comments and questions, which often contain useful insights. For structured feedback, consider using methods like student surveys or questionnaires. Ask specific questions about students' skill development and your lesson effectiveness to generate actionable feedback for improving your teaching.
10. Plan for next year: End the year with new ideas and strategies to try next time. If you have a list of new classroom management techniques and lesson ideas you want to implement, you've finished the year strong. This enthusiasm for improvement and willingness to learn from experience sets the stage for continued growth in your career and demonstrates your commitment to honing your craft.
Embracing Growth in the First Year
In a world that often values perfection, it's crucial to accept that failure is a normal part of the first-year teaching experience. If we want new teachers to persevere and discover the rewarding aspects of teaching, we must promote a new standard and provide concrete criteria for first-year teachers to navigate their progress. By redefining success, we can help new educators build resilience, maintain motivation, and develop into the impactful teachers they aspire to be.
