The research on new teacher retention is brimming with suggestions and advice about how to best support the newest members of our profession. To help address what Richard Ingersoll calls the "revolving door" of teacher attrition, schools and districts typically provide an array of supports and resources for teachers during their first few years in the profession. New teachers are typically assigned mentors (an essential ingredient supported by the research); induction and specialized training (also necessary); and direction from principals and key leaders alert to the unique needs of new teachers. But are we missing something?
A little-known factor that can play a significant role in a new teacher's decision to stay in the profession is the behavior of schoolwide and grade-level colleagues. Many schools and districts fail to consider this when designing supports for new teachers. But research shows that new teachers who experience high levels of effective support from their schoolwide and grade-level colleagues stay in the profession longer and report higher levels of satisfaction (Harris, 2013; Kardos & Johnson, 2007). In fact, research that I conducted in 2013 indicated that the support, resources, and feedback new teachers received from colleagues was more influential than the support they received from their principals or mentors.
When we take time to think about it, this makes sense. On any typical school campus, there are dozens of voices, opinions, and attitudes that will influence new teachers' behavior. Sometimes, these voices and opinions conflict with one another. Although a new teacher may have wonderful support and guidance from a mentor and principal, if they are surrounded by negative, burned-out, aloof, unresponsive, or harried veteran colleagues, they will not get the wrap-around support they need to succeed. Bottom line—the behavior and support of veteran colleagues is surprisingly influential in a new teacher's decision to stay or leave.
Cultural Leadership
As leaders, what can we do to ensure that new teachers receive effective support from their colleagues? First, we need to understand that supporting new teachers is everyone's job. Principals and mentors cannot do it alone. As a result, principals and key leaders need to assess the culture of their school. Kardos et al. (2001) conducted seminal research on the influence of school culture on a variety of factors, including teacher retention. They found that most school cultures fall into one of three categories: veteran-oriented, novice-oriented, or integrated.
As one might expect, neither the veteran-oriented nor the novice-oriented cultures successfully supports new teachers. In a veteran-oriented culture, the system is set up to meet the needs of the most experienced staff members. Things such as class assignments, duty schedules, and leadership roles are assigned with the needs of veteran teachers in mind. This type of culture gives little attention to new teachers' needs. In fact, some veteran colleagues adopt a hazing mentality when it comes to their newest colleagues, thinking "If I had to suffer and figure it out on my own, they should too."
Conversely, a novice-oriented culture typically develops in schools with large numbers of new teachers. In these settings, new teachers may lack the guidance and experience of veterans who can provide wisdom and direction when facing typical teaching challenges. In other words, a novice-oriented culture often leaves teachers to fend for themselves.
Pillars of Integrated Culture
In an integrated culture, the support and growth of all employees is viewed as a group endeavor. Collaboration between new and veteran teachers consistently takes place in such a culture, and veterans understand that they can learn a lot from new teachers. Principals aim to develop a culture in which new and veteran teachers value and learn from each other. Fortunately, there are practical ways that veteran colleagues can support the development of new teachers.
- Collaborate. Smith & Ingersoll (2004) found that when new teachers collaborate with their veteran colleagues, they were more likely to stay in the profession. However, principals need to clearly outline the expectations and norms of effective collaboration. Although new teachers consistently report that they want to receive ideas from their experienced colleagues, they also want to contribute. True collaboration is an exchange of ideas; it is not handing out lesson plans and stating, "This is the way we are going to do it."
- Plan a Lesson Together. Sharing lessons, strategies, and resources is an effective way for veterans to support new teachers, but that is only the first step. Even more powerful is the process of planning and implementing a lesson with a new teacher. There is tremendous power for both the new and veteran teacher when they work together through the lesson-planning process—from developing objectives to selecting appropriate assessments. This collaboration allows the new teacher to glimpse into the thinking and planning process of an experienced teacher. After both the new teacher and the veteran teacher deliver the same lesson, they should debrief to discuss successes and challenges.
- Observe One Another. New teachers want to be viewed as full-fledged members of the school community; they desire to be viewed as professionals who can contribute as well as learn. One way for them to simultaneously provide feedback and solicit ideas is to participate in reciprocal classroom observations. These peer observations do not need to be formal nor lengthy; simply viewing the processes and practices of veteran teachers has tremendous influence.
When designing supports for new teachers, remember the oft-overlooked influence of school professional culture in the development of new teachers. Targeted supports from mentors and principals during induction will have more lasting effects when backed by a school culture that integrates novices in meaningful ways.
