How Principals Can Support First-Year Teachers

Being a first-year teacher is stressful, exciting, challenging, and rewarding all at once. But what you might not know is how important a teacher’s first few years are in determining whether or not they stay in the profession.

In fact, according to recent studies, up to 15% of first year teachers leave the profession. As many as 30% leave in their first five years.

Those numbers represent very real jobs you’ll need to backfill every year, starting the cycle over again and giving your community an impression that teacher hiring at your school is an endlessly revolving door.

As a principal, you play a vital role in ensuring the new educators in your school feel supported and are set up for success from their very first day of teaching. So let’s talk about how you can do this!

1. Welcome Programs

When students start high school in my town, they attend a few days of “Welcome Week” where they explore clubs, learn about the school, find their locker, and have the opportunity to meet with other students and teachers before the pressure of the school year is on.

This was such a hit with students that it got me thinking — why don’t we do something similar for new-to-the-school staff members? 

Even a day of welcome to the district programming would have been so helpful. You can provide information on everything from the dress code norms to which copiers jam the least frequently, how to start a club or plan a field trip, and what the school’s expectations are for parent communications.

This program takes some of the nerves away before the first day of school while helping to build community and create an environment of open and honest communication.

2. Mentorship Programs

Assigning mentors to new teachers can provide personalized guidance and support.

As a first-year teacher, I found the mentorship program at my school to be incredibly helpful. It let me run ideas by someone with more experience than I had, which made me feel a lot more confident in my lesson plans and classroom management plans.

 A good mentorship program should:

• Match new teachers with experienced educators in the same subject area or grade level.
• Be an official program managed by the school with school support. 
• Provide regular meeting times for mentors and mentees to discuss classroom management, lesson planning, and student engagement.
• Include opportunities for classroom observations with constructive feedback.

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3. Buddy Teachers

A more informal approach to mentorship is pairing new teachers with a “buddy teacher.”

Don’t forget that for many new teachers, this is the first professional job they’ll have, so they are likely to have a lot of questions about your school’s workplace norms, classroom management expectations, and more.

I had SO many questions my first week of teaching, and I wasn’t sure who I could ask! I had basic questions like:

• Do I take attendance immediately? Do I wait 10 minutes to see if anyone is late?
• What rises to the level of a referral? What issues should I handle myself?
• Do people eat in their classrooms or in the staff lounge?
• How do I request a PTO day?

These questions aren’t always covered in the staff handbook, and it can be a little intimidating for a new teacher to go to their supervisor or administrator about every minor question.

Having a buddy teacher means you have someone to ask these types of questions to, making your new teacher feel more comfortable at your school.

4. Professional Development Opportunities

While we all wish the professional development schools provide during in-service days would be enough for new teachers, we know it isn’t.

You’re an organization that’s founded on the very concept of learning, so it’s important to empower both your students and teachers to learn and grow.

Remember, teachers early in their career might not know how to request grant money for training or how to advocate for their own professional development goals and needs. Make sure they know what training, funding, time off, and support is available for their growth!

For example, do you offer regular coaching in your school(s)? Let your new teachers know all about the process and how they’ll grow in their first year through your coaching program. Here is some additional reading on coaching:

• How Teacher Coaching Can Transform Your School
• It Starts with a Sticky Note: Building a Coaching Culture in Your School

Coaching will help new teachers feel supported by administration from day one and give them confidence in their new career sooner rather than later.

If you’re interested in implementing (or improving) teacher coaching, SchoolMint offers an incredible platform for managing the process in one place: SchoolMint Grow. Click the image below to learn more!

5. Provide a New Teacher Welcome Kit

This one might seem a little cheesy, but trust me, it’s a simple and easy way to make a new teacher feel important and valued.

A welcome kit with a printed FAQ, contact sheet, some school swag, desk supplies, and a personal note is a wonderful way to welcome a new teacher to the school.

Not to get too into the psychological weeds here, but the primacy effect is real. People remember first impressions much more strongly than subsequent interactions, so make a great first “work” impression by dropping off a welcome basket to your new teachers rooms over the summer.

6. Just Ask! 

As an administrator, it’s easy to feel like you need to have all of the answers. But don’t forget that the REAL experts on what your teachers need are your teachers themselves!

So just ask and listen to what your teachers need and want. You might not be able to single handedly improve teacher benefits, pay, or systemic issues, but there ARE a lot of things you can do to make sure your teachers know you have their backs.

But you can’t provide support if you aren’t aware of their needs — so make sure your staff knows they can come to you with requests for support.

The first year of teaching is a critical time in a new educator’s career.

By implementing strategies like mentorship programs, buddy teachers, and other support systems, you can create a nurturing environment that fosters professional growth, job satisfaction, and long-term retention. Remember, investing in new teachers isn’t just about that individual’s success; it’s about the success of your entire school community.

When new teachers thrive, students thrive too.

If you’re in need of teachers as Back to School Month looms, check out SchoolMint’s teacher recruitment service. Our expert team can help you source highly qualified educators, support staff, and more in as little as two weeks of partnering together.