World Teacher: Integrating new teachers into an experienced staffroom

This was the title of the fifth in a series of monthly CPD webinars hosted by the British Council. You can read more about the programme here.

This webinar was presented by Fiona Dunlop and what follows is a summary of what she had to say.

What are the reasons for hiring inexperienced teachers?

they are generally enthusiastic and dynamic
to bring new blood to a stale staffroom
they often have new ideas
to develop/invest in them
they have no bad habits
more experienced teachers may not be available
they will often accept short-term contracts
it's cost effective
they are local
for emergency cover

Challenges and drawbacks

inexperienced teachers often have unrealistic time and preparation management
they can be overwhelmed by a full timetable
they may be unable to manage admin demands
they could have a lack of language awareness
you may be limited as to which courses they can teach
the pace of their lessons is often too slow - they are thorough, but tend to pitch to the lower end of the group
they may have a lack of cultural awareness
they may not be comfortable with firm classroom management and have problems dealing with difficult students
there may be a desire to be the students' friend
they may be compared to previous teachers
they may not gain the students' respect
they don't have a bank of ideas at their fingertips which allows them to think on their feet
they may not be accepted in the staffroom by more experienced teachers
they may get stressed and be unwilling to say they are struggling

Things which are important to remember

New teachers are clients of the school and first impressions count - from the first contact, the experience should be as positive and stress-free as possible.
You should compare the new teacher's experience to the student's journey.
Remember your own first day in a new school - remind yourself how it feels to be 'the new kid on the block'.
Treat new teachers as 'internal customers'. If you treat them well, then they will look after the school's 'external customers' - the students.
The staffroom will be energised by the input of a new ideas. This is the time for more experienced teachers to shine.
Your students will benefit from having new staff and the school's reputation will be enhanced.
Treating new teachers well also enhances the reputation of the industry. ELT gets a lot of bad press - it is often seen as a 'stop-gap' before people move in to a 'proper' profession.

Induction for new teachers

A good induction process is vital. It should be ongoing and it should be revisited. Here are some of the induction ideas used by Fiona in her role as DoS of the Wimbledon School of English:

Before the contract starts:

Arrange a meeting time with the new teacher.
Prepare or e-mail induction documents and other necessary policies. Include a copy of the student handbook and/or school brochure.
Check all materials and class handover notes are ready.
Arrange a mentor for the new teacher.
Organise a desk and/or locker for him or her.

First day/week

Have a copy of the induction checklist for you to talk through.
Talk through each point on the checklist, allowing time for questions as you go.
Take the new teacher on a tour of the school, including the classrooms where they will be teaching. Remember to point out fire exits.
Show them around the teachers' room and explain where to find everything.
Introduce them to all staff members by name and job.
Provide preparation time.
Be available to help where needed.

First week or two of teaching

Check lesson plans regularly - even experienced teachers take a while to settle into a new house style.
Arrange an informal observation of the new teacher.
Arrange for the new teacher to observe their peers.
Give observation feedback and do post-induction - this might include a quiz about your institution.
Go through the induction checklist again to check for any problems.
Arrange the first formal observation to be done by the end of the third teaching week.

Ongoing

Record stages on induction spreadsheet.
Do formal observation and follow-up.
Check plans of work and admin.
Check with the new teacher's mentor.

Developmental opportunities for new teachers

Don't overwhelm new teachers - give them small, practical pieces of information.
Development should happen naturally when checking lesson plans and just by being around the office.
Give short practical workshops and try to grade the training and development according to the teacher's level.
Do observations and give constructive feedback.
Use the British Council CPD handbook.

Developmental observation types

These need to be timetabled in to a new teacher's schedule.

Unobserved/blind - plan a detailed lesson (time the planning to avoid over-planning), run through it with the manager, teach the lesson, have a follow-up meeting with the manager to encourage reflective practice.
Filmed/recorded - these should be structured. It's useful to record the students, not the teacher. It gives a great insight into how a lesson is being received. Recording is also the best way to make new teachers aware of their TTT.
Peer
10 minute - these should be incorporated into the induction programme.
Mentor feedback
Short burst/repeated theme

You can find more detailed descriptions of observation types here.

Quality assurance observations

These are necessary to the successful running of any school/department and there should be clear, practical policies and procedures set out, including the name of the person who is going to carry them out.

It's important not to over-observe!!

What to look for when doing a QA observation:

Preparation
Presentation
Pitch
Pace
Staging
Achievement of aims
Subject matter
Error correction
Variety
Rapport
Pronunciation work
Use of aids
Classroom management
Flexibility
Learner training

British Council CPD Framework

Use the website - englishagenda.britishcouncil.org

It has:

a handbook for managers
a handbook for teachers
a framework for CPD
a portal with advice, suggestions and video clips

Give a copy of the CPD handbook to new teachers during induction. It can be used by mentors and teachers together.

Hints for the manager

Make sure the induction process is ongoing.
Induction should be for everyone regardless of why or for how long they are in the school.
Use an induction checklist to make sure nothing gets forgotten.
Provide clear guidelines for mentors.
Compile FAQs and example scenarios to talk through at induction.
Give hints on lesson preparation and provide sample plans - provide time limit guidelines and give teachers the opportunity to prepare together.
Provide a bank of last minute lessons and ideas in the teachers' room.
Run regular ideas swapshops - immediate and practical.
Introduce everyone to each other! Provide a board with teachers' profiles and photos and a 'come to me for.....' section.
Don't assume anything!
Provide a survival checklist of admin jobs for the first day/week/month.
Arrange 10 minute meetings every Friday with the DoS if possible.