Novice teacher identity negotiation in secondary schools

The rate of teacher turnover is near fifty percent within the first five years of employment. Staff turnover of this magnitude not only costs districts money to continually retrain faculty but has been linked to drops in student achievement. If we knew what happened during those first years to cause such dropout rates, we might be able to combat it.

New teachers often enter the field with an idealistic or stereotypical understanding of school life. Their own experiences in school as K-12 students are more influential than the preparation they receive in college. They see teaching through a student’s eyes – that it looks easy or is mostly common sense. The actual complexity of teaching is disillusioning, and they experience “reality shock.” They typically have not thought about their own identities as teachers outside of the stereotypical parameters, and therefore find it quite difficult to feel empowered in navigating the realities of the classroom.

In this study, six secondary school teachers shared their experiences in handling the first years on the job through several interviews and written reflections. Their thoughts suggest that both their pre-service preparation and their on-the-job professional development could be improved to better support their skill and identity development. If new teachers knew the behind-the-scenes reality of the profession, they could be empowered to combine effective practices with their own unique perspectives and styles to successfully develop as professional educators.