“To deliver high-quality education, schools must not only attract talented individuals as teachers but also keep them in the classroom”
National Center for Education Statistics. America’s Teachers: Profile of a Profession, 1993–1994. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education, 1996.
As an instructional coach and reading specialist with 30 years of experience in education, it can be easy to overlook the challenges faced by novice teachers, typically defined as those with zero to three years of experience. I remember my experience well. I began my first teaching assignment on December 1, 1993. I taught six sections of freshmen English. The former teacher left near the end of the first semester, so I inherited her books, her gradebook, and her planbook. I picked up where she left off, completing the lessons she had outlined. The next unit was drama. We read Gibson’s award-winning play, The Miracle Worker. I began the second semester with the next unit in the anthology. I was new. I was excited. I remember other teachers feeling so tired in June and I couldn’t understand why. In June, I was still eager and ready to go.
The following year I, too, was tired in June. But I didn’t lose that spark nor did I feel I had chosen the wrong profession. Contrastingly, my tired was a good tired—from a job well done. In truth, I had always wanted to be a teacher and truly felt this was my calling.
The differences between 1993, when I began teaching, and today are vast and numerous. As an example, according to the National Center for Education Statistics report titled “America’s Teachers: Profile of a Profession 1993–94”, “About 7 percent of teachers left the profession between 1993–94 and 1994–95” (pg. 4). One can assume that the majority of teachers were content with their career choice and opted to continue in that career. In contrast, Jill Staake, contributing editor with We Are Teachers, states: “About 30% of teachers plan to look for a new job in the next year, and 40% of those are planning to leave education altogether.
Teacher dissatisfaction—then and now
As a new teacher in 1993, I felt supported by the veteran teachers who offered to help. I was encouraged by the principal who gave me the space to try new things without evaluation, and finally, most of the parents gave me time to figure out this thing called teaching. I never felt alone or on my own. Why is this level of teacher support less common today?
“It is now up to us as educational support systems to assist our novice colleagues to not only survive in the classroom, but thrive in the profession. “
Peg Grafwallner
The teaching profession, as we know, has vastly changed. The 1993–94 study also cited what we have known for years: “To deliver high-quality education, schools must not only attract talented individuals as teachers but also keep them in the classroom” (p. 105). The report goes on to read, “However, some teachers (5 percent) did cite dissatisfaction with teaching as their primary reason for leaving. Leavers who left because they were dissatisfied with teaching indicated that they were dissatisfied with the recognition and support that they received from administrators, student discipline problems, and poor student motivation…” (p. 110). But in 2024, We Are Teachers explained that number was significantly higher: “44% of teachers reported consistent burnout. But that still means that two out of every five teachers are feeling overwhelmed, exhausted, and at their wit’s end nearly every single day.” As educators, we’re not surprised by the statistics on teacher retention. In fact, it wouldn’t be surprising if one of our colleagues had become a statistic. But instead of waiting for districts or administrators or politicians to create mandates, initiatives, or laws meant to retain new teachers, it is now up to us as educational support systems to assist our novice colleagues to not only survive in the classroom, but thrive in the profession.
Sticking with teaching in the post-COVID world
As an example, Mady Makhlouf, a novice teacher, has chosen to stay in the profession. When citing reasons why, Makhlouf explained, “Connecting with students and seeing them use what they have learned is why I have stayed in the profession. It is rewarding to watch a student understand and realize something they never knew before. It is so internally rewarding to notice that they see the world with a little more clarity than they did before they walked through my door” (personal communication, January 23, 2024).
Makhlouf goes on to explain, “When I was in my first philosophy class the teacher started by saying the meaning of life was to be happy, but the key was what does that mean and how to get there. I remember reflecting on that later and realizing that the meaning of life as I saw it was to make the world a better place. I know there are so many ways to make the world better such as making laws, helping people heal, and so much more. However, I always thought, what better way to make the world better than to teach others? Knowledge is power as it is demonstrated again and again in history. By teaching, I can help many in more ways than I can imagine and give each student some power of their own.”
Makhlouf’s desire to “help” is the reason why many people chose to become teachers. According to the Western Governor University’s blog, “Teachers of older students work to help them be prepared for their future, finding passion for careers and interests that can fuel their jobs. They may also help students navigate the difficulty of change, growing up, and getting through the challenges of being a teenager.” When novice teachers see their students succeed, they know they have made a difference in the lives of adolescents.
Leaving teaching in the post-COVID world
However, for every teacher that stays in the profession, there are many that leave. One of my colleagues, Grace Jamieson, taught US History and Global Politics for nearly six years. However, Grace made the difficult decision to leave in 2023, mid-semester. Grace and I talked about her teaching experience and her decision to leave what she envisioned as being her life-long career. Grace said, “I’m sad. I loved teaching, and I still do love it—but I couldn’t keep putting the pressure on myself to be everything. I think that’s what ‘good teaching’ is considered today. You are one person, but you are expected to be on top of everything always. Know the rules and enforce them, but don’t forget to have fun with the kids so they don’t hate you. Have ‘on’ days, always—and if you’re having an ‘off’ day, don’t let anyone know it. Host a club, coach a sport, be the teacher that lets kids come into your room to have a mental health break. But don’t let admin know, because you’ll get yelled at as if you’re a student. Make sure all kids are passing, but don’t just pass kids on, because then they won’t learn anything. Oh and also, 25% of students in your class cannot read or write at grade level. Breathe—don’t forget that” (personal communication, January 24, 2024).
Grace went on to share, “Being a teacher is one of the few professions where the work they do is immensely under-appreciated, and I think that’s why I left. I used to get to school at 6 a.m. and not leave until 6–7 p.m. at night due to extracurriculars, grading, conferences, or hanging up work in my classroom. Why? Because I was proud of what I did for a living. I don’t think it was until after COVID that I was able to take a step back and realize that this job would never appreciate the work I did—not in the ways that I deserve. It’s a thankless profession, I think the saying is. Maybe that’s why I still have every single physical and typed thank-you letter that any student has ever written me. It made the job feel worth something, since the pay and benefits certainly were not the reason I decided to get into the teaching profession. The one thing I am grateful for is that I have no regrets about teaching for those six years. In fact, I feel as though because of teaching, I am able to be in the job I am right now, as happy as I have been in a long time. Though it is disappointing that so many young, aspiring teachers might not have the bandwidth to even make it to year six.”
Low pay, inadequate support, lack of public respect, and limited professional growth opportunities are key factors driving teacher attrition. These challenges often lead young educators to leave the profession, contributing to the ongoing struggle to retain qualified teachers in schools.
How to coach today’s novice teachers and support their growth
In 2017, I wrote an article forEdutopia titled “Coaching the Novice Teacher” and shared “some dos and don’ts for instructional coaches striving to help new teachers make a successful start.” I listed several coaching suggestions, giving examples of what an instructional coach can offer the novice teacher, such as collaborative opportunities for professional growth or provide basic literacy resources that the teacher can use or easily adapt.
But the one suggestion that resonates with me, even today, as a coach and as a colleague in supporting the novice teacher is: “Never give the impression that your goal is to show the novice teacher how teaching is done. The goal is to learn along with the new teacher. It is likely that he or she has suggestions and ideas that can immediately be put into use. So, be ready to collaborate on implementing them.” When we give the novice teacher the impression that as veterans we deserve the rank of an “expert,” we do a great disservice to the relationship. Teaching is not a singular sport; it is meant to be a team effort so everyone on the team can improve.
We became teachers because we enjoy learning and want to pass on what we’ve learned. We want to get others as excited and engaged as we are about our discipline, lesson, and activity. But to tout ourselves as “experts” minimizes the chance to learn and grow along with the novice teacher. For example, technology that was groundbreaking in 1993—such as PowerPoint and Inspiration (a visual thinking tool)—is now considered an iconic technology staple. As a new teacher in 1993, I embraced that software and couldn’t wait to show my colleagues how to use it and how to share it with their students.
Modern teaching is a challenge we can learn from
Today, artificial intelligence in education, namely ChatGPT, is now utilized in classrooms. Admittedly, I don’t know enough about ChatGPT and am doing what I can to learn more. But wouldn’t it be fun to learn it along with the novice teacher, sharing the deep dive into new technology? Wouldn’t it be exhilarating to collaborate with the novice teacher who is familiar with AI and having that individual as a guide to show me the way? Imagine the possibilities that relationship could bring to the classroom and students!
As an educational veteran with more experience than the novice teacher, it is not only your chance, but your privilege, to learn along with a new teacher. This individual brings an enthusiasm, a keen intensity that might be lacking in your own practice. Harness and utilize their eagerness and energy to update your lesson plans, read more research, and network with district personnel. Perhaps offer to help create an interdisciplinary lesson that merges your discipline and theirs or suggest the novice teacher observe your classroom responsiveness, taking notes for helpful feedback. We are all learning together—and the novice teacher can provide experiences that can make us better teachers too.
Finally, in supporting our novice colleagues, we’re also supporting our students’ learning consistency. With the coming and going of teachers, the revolving door of education is not only difficult on the educational system as a whole, but most difficult on the students. They long for consistency in their classroom; they want to see the same familiar face and build a relationship with their teacher. Our students want the novice teacher to go beyond merely surviving—they want all of us to strive for their success in the classroom today and beyond.
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