A successful novice teacher is a motivated, ambitious, eager to learn student of teaching. To be a successful novice teacher the new professional needs to be willing to accept a few bumps and bruises. These bumps and bruises do heal and hopefully will be avoided as experiences are built upon.
To help a new teacher be successful there is assistance that other experienced teachers and administration can aid with. For example, one of the biggest things I feel will help make a new teacher learn quickly is getting the opportunity to observe other teachers. Based on experience, I have had the opportunity to learn from many experienced teachers. I am a special education teacher that works with many different teachers directly in the classroom. I have added many strategies that assisted me in becoming a better teacher. I also have observed and worked with teachers that I don’t necessarily want to repeat some of their techniques. It is all a learning process. A new teacher can learn a tremendous amount from observing others. Some experienced teachers can have a tendency to feel threatened by others observing them; they have a lot to offer and many things can be learned from their teaching styles and organization of running a classroom.
The best part of a new teacher’s first year experience is the second year. This profession is a career that teachers improve as years pass. To provide a new teacher with the best environment where they can be the most successful their first year, the administration can do many things to help with their success. Some controllable things that can assist in a new teachers success are: assign smaller classes for the first year, allow the new teacher to have planning time with other experienced teachers, assign a mentor as a person who can be paired up and be a safe spot to fall on.
A successful new teacher would benefit from practical knowledge that an experienced teacher can share. For example:
- how to set up a classroom for the first day
- how to establish a classroom routine
- how to run a homeroom - depending on the age (middle school/high school)
- where to make copies or overheads
- who are the important players in the buildings
- where to go to get materials/supplies
- where to go for curriculum questions
- what to do with all the required paperwork
- how to handle the special education/basic skills students
- how to talk to parents
- how to run a parent-teacher conference
- what to do at back-to-school night
- how to keep a grade book and how to grade
- the technology needed to meet district requirements, lesson plans, grade books,
- the list goes on and on…
What a new teacher doesn’t need is extra time required after school in meetings and training sessions that are impractical and take up valuable time.
I’m sure some of these skills/knowledge mentioned above will be in our group project. However, the initial question asks, “What are the characteristics of a successful novice teacher?” I still maintain a successful novice teacher is a motivated, ambitious, eager to learn student of teaching.
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3 comments:
Mary, I thought your list was quite extensive too, but it touched upon some very practical needs and issues, ones that only a successful teacher would be able to point out to a novice teacher.
I thought in light of having read the politics readings a couple weeks ago, your addition to help teachers find out who the players are in the building or district was insightful. I think novice teachers walk into a situation where they don't know or understand the politics of a school and can either help or hurt their success in their first couple years as they learn who to and who not to talk to and trust.
I will keep in mind the more specific needs of novice teachers as I move on in my career.
I think the most helpful thing that can happen to a novice teacher is to observe other teachers. It doesn't only have to be veteran teachers, but it could be a mixture of master and veteran teachers.
Mary, absolutely agree that novice teachers should have the opportunity to observe other teachers. I went through the alternate route program and I would have benefited from this type of observation. Most times administration throw novices in a sink or swim situation. They forget about them until it observation time.
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