In this blog, we draw on our insights as teacher educators, listening to the voices of early career teachers (ECTs), to rethink the transition from “becoming” to “being” a teacher. In 2020, we began a long-term research project to explore the experiences of early career teachers during their first three years of teaching. We have been working with our participants over the past two years and four interviews were conducted with each of the 18 participants from Australia and New Zealand.
Our interviews with ECTs reveal that there is always more to discover about the art of teaching and the unique needs of educators. Understanding and fitting into the cultural, logistical and administrative nuances of the educational site were sources of challenge and anxiety noted by graduates.
These items include questions such as: How does the school librarian relate to my role? What is the procedure for organizing an excursion? What are the unspoken rules about photocopying at this school? They are identified as simple but impactful parts of being a teacher, “…it’s just things like… Where do I get it? Who do I go to for this?” (Katie, first year, 2021).
However, not all early experiences are so easy to navigate. We interpret Katie’s question as “Who do I go to about this?” as more meaningful than where the markers are kept on the whiteboard, signaling “Where can I find what I’m looking for in this unfamiliar context?” Multiple graduates in our study identified challenges in finding support they felt close to comfortable and safe.
“Find your support system… finding someone you can trust and go to. Even if you have to cry… to have that time to be able to talk to someone you trust and will support you… it’s really important.” (Sophie, first year, Australia, 2021)
In another example, a participant was so overwhelmed by the expectations and workload of her first teaching context that she resigned her tenured position and left the teaching profession, seeking a career change typical of so many ECTs.
“… no one could have really prepared me for what that looked like [being an ECT in a remote school context]. I had no idea… it was in three classes, I was teaching… you had to deal with fundraising, meetings, all that stuff and so I just felt like… I was drowning… you were a dump for every task that no one else wanted to do.”
(Lucy, first year graduate, Australia, 2021).
Lucy was unable to find support at her school. She felt she was given too much responsibility as an ECT with limited experience or guidance.
“…[I was] feeling used and abused’ (Lucy, first year, Australia, 2021).
The overwork affected her health to the point where she felt that resignation and a career change were her only options.
“My mental health has suffered too much. I just thought if this is what teaching is… I can’t be a healthy person’ (Lucy, first year, Australia, 2021).
The power structures inherent in the school system can have a significant impact on the experience of ECTs and their capacity to advocate for their needs, as was the case with Lucy. Although many schools have well-established induction and mentoring systems for ECT, the intersection of ‘graduate’ and ‘teacher’ can be a professional hotspot. Power differentials can prevent graduates from speaking up or seeking support. This is exacerbated in some Australian and New Zealand schools where ECTs can be appointed on short-term contracts and feel they must prove themselves to get a permanent position.
“After all, you’re a first-year teacher … you want to impress and you don’t want to look like you can’t hack it … so you’re constantly trying to put on … a little bit of a face to prove that you can do it and that they made a good decision to invest in you.”
(Daniel, First Year Graduate, Australia, 2021)
Entering teaching is widely recognized as a time of significant personal change as ECTs move into full-time work, often leaving family and friends who have supported and supported them throughout their studies. Accessing the professional support that was available during their education is more difficult once they enter school-based employment. Our observations as teacher educators are that we are currently filling a gap in support networks for new teachers. This is not a problem, but it is largely informal and under-recognized.
An unexpected result of our research was that the opportunity for ECTs to talk with a familiar and trusted educator once or twice a year was embraced by participants. This suggests that there is a place for ITE educators in the ‘smooth transition’ process from ITE to full teacher accreditation. The ECTs in our study appreciated the opportunity to share their successes and concerns during the dialogue time. This provided ECTs with a dialogic space to grapple with and reflect on becoming and being teachers without fear of repercussions.
We suggest that initial teacher educators are well placed to be independent and trusted professionals who make fruitful contributions to support ECT to flourish in the early stages of their careers. Regardless of the programs, initiatives and efforts of so many who already work tirelessly to support our new teachers, we can do more to ensure that the conditions are such that all new teachers are given the conditions to flourish and grow up
This article was originally published on EduResearch Matters. Read the original article.