New teachers have varied experiences as they navigate their first years of full-time teaching. Some may have completed traditional teacher training programs, while others may be career changers who will use their experience and industry knowledge to support their pedagogical practice.
Regardless of a new teacher's background, they will need to be evaluated to ensure they meet expectations and maximize instruction to support all students. Evaluating new teachers also provides a path to understanding what areas of support they may need to be successful.
Below are some tips on what to look for when determining whether or not a new teacher is training.
Evaluation of new teachers: classroom mastery
Classroom and behavior management can be challenging for new teachers. And different factors, such as the overall school climate, the number of students, the grade level, and the social environment, can affect student behavior.
When conducting formal and informal observations of new teachers, pay close attention to how well they command the classroom. This includes managing student behavior, redirecting students without a prolonged pause in the learning activity for other students, and managing parallel student discussions during formal lessons.
Also consider how often the new teacher may call on other teachers and/or administration to assist with a student who is not complying with directives or following classroom behavior standards. Review classroom management tools, such as DojoClass and conduct an audit of the data to see if it leans more toward behavioral concerns than positive praise for students.
Lesson quality
Most schools require unit and/or weekly lessons to be submitted before they are taught. While this practice is good for all teachers and helps you get organized and stay ahead, it is especially critical for new teachers.
If a new teacher's lesson plans are not completely complete, lack creativity, and/or do not adhere to evidence-based practices such as universal design for learning, they may be struggling with one of the most important aspects of his job: instruction.
It is best to have a lesson plan template available as well as a shared space using an online platform such as Wakelet. This way you can comment on the lessons and add ideas and resources, before and after meeting with the new teacher.
Commitment to families and communities
Families and communities of students play an integral role in students' school experience. New teachers should know this as their training should have introduced them Bronfenbrenner's ecological system theory.
As such, it is vital that new teachers demonstrate a commitment to engaging with their students' families and communities and partnering with them in learning. Take the pulse of your new teachers' commitment to families and communities. Do you offer two-way communication opportunities or just one-way communication? Are you planning for family engagement beyond the school day when some families may be at work? Have they explored the surrounding community and connected resources to lessons?
Willingness to improve or receptiveness to feedback
When evaluating whether or not a new teacher is working, consider how well they use feedback to improve their craft. Remind new teachers that no one has all the answers and that even veteran teachers Learn new ways to continually improve your practice.
However, if your new teacher is not receptive to feedback or makes excuses for why he or she is teaching in specific ways, that may be a sign that he or she is a good fit for the position. One of the hallmarks of teaching is that we, as teachers, are committed to lifelong learning, and this includes learning from our administrators, teacher leaders, and colleagues to improve.
There are many ways to evaluate new teachers available and the tips here can help you get started. Teaching is one of the most difficult professions and may not be easy for everyone, despite years of training. The most important aspect of determining whether a new teaching is working is having information you can draw on to support it.
