Our top tip for first-year teachers
Figuring it out alone is extremely stressful. Ask, ask, and ask again.
First-year teachers start their new jobs so excited to change lives - but quickly become overwhelmed if certain measures aren’t in place. Being an effective teacher requires firm foundations. No new teacher should have to feel as if they’re drowning.
Here is the most important way to safeguard yourself from the get-go:
Insist on proper onboarding
What is ‘onboarding’?
‘Onboarding’ is everything a company or organisation does to welcome a new staff member.
Onboarding is the process of integrating new employees effectively so that they feel part of the community. It especially means equipping them to do their jobs well - with support and information, and with the resources required to execute their duties accordingly.
Onboarding must include:
what’s expected of you
how things work
who to ask for help if you need it
Why onboarding matters:
Does a pilot fly without fuel? Does a surgeon operate without instruments? Being clueless and confused at work is disempowering: we won’t experience success if we have no idea how systems work or where things are.
Further, being held to account for something that we had no idea we were accountable for, is distressing. This is easily avoided if we are proactive in our onboarding at a new school.
So, what can you do about your own ‘onboarding’?
Insist on being thoroughly integrated into your new environment.
You need to see your classroom, get a tour of the building, meet admin and operations staff, meet support staff and heads of department, and your colleagues.
You need to be given your teaching equipment, timetable, list of duties, textbooks, keys, passwords or access cards, and shown all the facilities - especially how the printer works.
You need to have the school routine explained to you. Insist on knowing how everything functions - several times over. Ask, ask, and ask again.
Request policy documents to keep on hand. Request things in writing if necessary, especially detailed instructions. No one can remember everything they’re told. Hard copies are helpful.
If something is unclear, send a follow-up email or schedule a meeting to have it repeated. Or, chat to a colleague.
And don’t worry if you slip through the cracks a little, sometimes managers are so preoccupied with their own tasks - just give them a friendly reminder that you’re there. By speaking up, you empower yourself.
When does ‘onboarding’ end?
Different schools have different ways of ushering in new staff, sometimes they set aside an orientation day or orientation week. But, onboarding really only ends when you feel you’ve got a handle on the place.
Make a checklist for yourself.
If you’re satisfied that all the essentials have been covered - from having a teaching venue, to being able to login to the system, to knowing your schedule and duties, and anything else relevant to being able to function seamlessly from day to day, then consider yourself “onboarded”.
If, however, you still feel like an alien on the wrong planet, be assertive about understanding your role and getting the support you need to teach properly.
Finally, it’s a good idea to ask management to pair you with a teacher-buddy to guide you through your first term - this provides reassurance and mentorship, and makes the process of settling in a whole lot nicer.