Dr. Virginia Rhodes, Cincinnati Public Schools, Cincinnati OH Dr. Rhodes, talks about what a new teacher might do that would make their first year difficult. Getting lost in the tasks instead of thinking about the whole school structure such as what is going on in committees, clubs, activities and with other faculty. New teachers often do not recognize the models they have studied right in front of them because they are reading "current practice" and what they might be seeing could be "Best Practice." Their advantage is that they have thought through, written about, and discussed current issues on classroom instruction and school improvement. Often new teachers get lost in the trees and forget about the forest. They need to come in and take a deep breath, putting their experiences in perspective. The new teacher needs to have dialogue with other faculty about where the school is trying to go. Dr. Rhodes advice for new teachers is Go for Best Practice. Don't focus your energy on learning current practice which is often flawed. Dr. Rhodes philosophy on assisting with the transition year is to assign a mentor teacher matched by commonality between the two giving the first year teacher one person to help them interpret what they are seeing in the building, the problems they are experiencing, to problem solve without risk. Dr. Rhodes encourages roundtables with the new hires in the building at least once a month to give contact with the principal. A time when the new hires can compare experiences. It also allows the principal to counter balance input from veteran teachers who may expose the new teacher to poor practice instead of best practice.
Scott Toon, Principal of John Foster Dulles Elementary School, of Oak Hills Local Schools Mr.Toon's message is that even though it is a tough market, "Don't give up!" If you truly believe this is your calling, don't give up in your job search. Use opportunities in a first job, as an instructional aide, or as a substitute to work on how to assess, or certain dogmatic pieces of education. If you are truly student centered and care about children you continue to work on these areas while you apply for full-time jobs.