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Leading Edge: How deep is your support system?

A sink-or-swim culture can drown new teachers

By Rick DuFour

Journal of Staff Development, Fall 2002 (Vol. 23, No. 4)

Copyright, National Staff Development Council, 2002. All rights reserved.

In Professional Learning Communities at Work (National Educational Service, 1998), Bob Eaker and I describe the characteristics of schools that function as learning organizations. One chapter presents a scenario describing the experience of two new teachers: Beth, who is employed by a traditional school, and Connie, who is assigned to a professional learning community.

Beth's one day of orientation consists of an overview of district policies and the teacher contract, and the distribution of her keys, class lists, and textbook. She is assigned the most challenging students, must accept time-draining extracurricular sponsorships as a condition of employment, and works in isolation from her colleagues.

Connie is assigned a mentor on the day she is hired. The mentor contacts her throughout the summer and answers her questions as they arise. Connie benefits from five days of orientation and preparation before her students arrive. She is presented with an overview of the shared vision of the school and the collective commitments teachers have made to make that vision a reality. She hears a variety of speakers who explain the services they provide to assist teachers. She spends most of her orientation time working with her mentor and the team of teachers who teach the courses she is assigned.

The collaborative team of colleagues proves to be Connie's most valuable support system. The team has clarified the intended outcomes of the course, has developed common assessments, and has prepared common files of materials available to all members. As a result, Connie has a clear understanding of what students should know and be able to do as a result of her course. She also understands how students will be expected to demonstrate their learning. The team helps her review past student achievement data and explains the student achievement goals it has set. Throughout the year, the team analyzes student performance on common assessments and works together, offering ideas, materials, and support to raise student performance. Her mentor also observes her teaching and provides valuable feedback to her through the school's peer observation program.

Each month, Connie attends a meeting with all the new teachers. Every meeting is devoted to a timely teaching topic. Participants are provided articles on the topic and are presented with scenarios for reflection and discussion. The principal and veteran staff members facilitate these dialogues. Connie is asked to keep a journal and make entries on each topic under consideration. These monthly meetings continue for two years and build a sense of camaraderie between Connie and all of the other teachers coping with the challenges of adapting to a new school.

I often share the complete scenario of these two teachers when I present a workshop and ask participants to consider three questions. First, was your orientation to the profession more similar to Connie's or Beth's? Second, which of the scenarios do you feel is more desirable for a new teacher? Third, is the Connie scenario feasible for the typical school, or does it represent an ideal that could never be realized in the real world of schools?

Participants invariably say their own experience mirrored Beth's. They regale each other with tales of survival in the "sink-or-swim" culture of their schools. Without exception, they agree the profession would benefit if every teacher could have the support system described in Connie's scenario. Often, however, they indicate that such support is not feasible in the typical school setting due to a lack of resources. While there is almost universal acknowledgement that it is desirable to provide new teachers with support, many within our profession feel it simply can't be done.

When I challenge participants to re-examine the scenario more closely to identify aspects of the support system that require extraordinary expense, they acknowledge that most of what is described could be accomplished without increasing costs.

Every aspect of the program in Connie's story is well established at Adlai Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire, Ill. Every new teacher has a mentor. Although mentors are paid to participate in a two-day training program, they are not compensated for helping a new colleague into the profession. New teachers report two days before their contract year begins as a condition of employment. The school year begins with two teacher institute days and a teacher workday - all of which are devoted to giving staff time to prepare for students' arrival. Peer observation, coaching of new staff, ongoing reflection, and dialogue regarding professional practice are built into the school's routines.

Most importantly, while the school board and teachers association agreed that providing time for teachers to collaborate was a priority, they also acknowledged that limited resources meant they had to search for ways to provide this time without increasing costs. Working together, they met that challenge by developing a creative schedule that provides collaborative team time for teachers at least once each week. As a result, every teacher in the school participates on one or more teams whose members work together interdependently to achieve common goals. Every teacher has the benefit of the insight, skill, and support of colleagues.

Bus tours of the community and goody bags from the chamber of commerce have their place in the orientation of new staff, but they are no substitute for the collaborative culture and embedded processes for continuous improvement that benefit not only new teachers, but veterans as well. It is true that schools typically suffer from a lack of resources, but educators are often too quick to cite insufficient resources as the reason they cannot initiate programs and procedures to improve their school. It is time to acknowledge that creating an environment that supports and nurtures new staff is more a question of leadership than a question of money.

About the author

Rick DuFour is an author and consultant on strategies for improving schools. You can contact him at 465 Island Pointe Lane, Moneta, VA 24121, (847) 910-6725, e-mail: rdufour@district125.k12.il.us.

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