Bringing New Teachers Aboard

L. Werner Lumm, Ed.D.

The task of helping new teachers adjust to the school is one that practically every Christian school administrator will face at some point. If handled properly, it can be enjoyable. If handled improperly, however, it can be fraught with problems and characterized by turmoil. One key to handling the task properly is realizing that new teacher induction actually begins with the interview process. The impressions made and relationships begun during this important time form the basis for the employer/employee relationship.

The interview process should be characterized by truthfulness. It is especially important that each prospective teacher understand all the responsibilities of the position for which he is being considered, including church participation expectations.

Furthermore, acts of thoughtfulness during the interview process help to establish a good foundation for the new-teacher induction process. A number of years ago when I was interviewing for a position, it was necessary for our infant child to accompany my wife and me on an interview trip. The school administrator thoughtfully arranged for the pastor's wife to keep the baby during one interview session so that my wife could be present and undistracted. This act of kindness on his part helped to put us at ease and get the interview process off to a positive start.

Although the interview process is important, the major focus of this article is the time period after the decision to employ has been made and before the new teachers have achieved veteran status in the school. In a typical school situation, it will begin after a new teacher has signed a contract and will continue through at least the first year of employment.

Before New Teachers Arrive

Before new teachers actually arrive on the scene, they should be supplied with as much information about the school as possible. The more they can learn about the school before actually assuming their new responsibilities, the better. They should be given policy manuals, faculty handbooks, student handbooks, copies of the most recent yearbook, and recent editions of other school publications. These items make it possible for them to become familiar with school operations and personnel before being expected to function in the new setting.

Additionally, much can be done to help new teachers arrange for housing. They should be supplied with recent maps of the area, names of realtors who have been helpful in the past, information on apartments in the area, copies of the real estate classified ads from Sunday papers, and other sources of real estate information. If they make house-hunting trips to the area, it is usually helpful to provide accommodations for them. Not only does this provision relieve some of their financial burden, it also allows the administrator (or other staff members) to demonstrate hospitality and to become better acquainted with prospective co-workers. Veteran teachers often welcome these opportunities to meet and fellowship with their future colleagues.

The period before arrival is also an opportune time to apprise new teachers of local and state governmental expectations and the locations of the agencies with which they will be dealing. Advance awareness of vehicle registration requirements, driver's license procedures, and voter registration processes makes it much easier for new teachers to take care of these details of life promptly upon arrival in town. These responsibilities are frequently forgotten or neglected until overdue; and it is a very poor testimony when Christian school employees do not fulfill them promptly.

Advance knowledge of the procedures necessary for establishing utility services can also be extremely helpful. Many times, some of this work can be done before arriving in town. A sheet identifying the offices to contact and providing their hours, telephone numbers, and web addresses makes the task of contacting the various companies much easier. Furthermore, deposit information can be of considerable value in helping new employees plan for the expenses of transition.

Finally, there may be situations in which temporary housing would prove beneficial. During one of our moves, a teacher whose entire family regularly worked in an out-of-state camp during the summer allowed us to live in his house for the bulk of the summer while we searched for and purchased a home of our own. This began a wonderful relationship with his family and made our transition to the new setting much easier.

When New Teachers Arrive

When a new faculty member's family and belongings arrive in town, much can be done to make the day easier for them. I strongly suggest that the administrator and as many faculty members as possible be at the new family's residence to help them unload their belongings. Meals should be provided, and babysitting services could be arranged if there are young children in the family. Before leaving, helpers should be certain that the family is prepared to have a restful first night in town, even if that means assisting them with tasks such as setting up beds or hooking up the washing machine. Not only is this assistance a tremendous encouragement to road-weary travelers, it is also a strong testimony to the willingness of school personnel to help in any way possible. If you have ever moved, you know the fatigue and stress associated with the process. Anything that can be done to minimize or relieve these effects of moving is a tremendous blessing.

Once new teachers arrive in town, it usually helps to provide them with a list of community service organizations and good local stores. Faculty members who have lived in a community for a number of years can be of great help in this regard. They may even offer to accompany the newcomers on initial shopping visits to help acquaint them with the locality and the stores. Additionally, information relating to doctors, dentists, hospitals, and other health care providers is comforting to have. If any of these providers are under contract with the school, maps showing the locations of their offices are helpful. Some new teachers may even be interested in good sources of child-care or senior-care services.If new teachers arrive much before the start of the school year, they may need an interim source of income. If that is the case, it would be good to provide any help that you can in arranging for short-term work.

During Formal Teacher Orientation

New teachers need special sessions during the in-service training that normally occurs at the beginning of each new school year. Most importantly, they need to be familiarized with the day-to-day operations of the school. Sessions need to be included in which the history and philosophy of the school are reviewed (an excellent topic for the pastor), key parts of the manuals or handbooks are reviewed (ideally, done by the administrator), and common forms, schedules, and duties are explained (usually handled at the building level). New teachers should be formally introduced to the other staff members, and a brief word of testimony from each new teacher usually is time well-spent.

New faculty members also need a thorough tour of the facilities, introduction to the resource people available, and demonstrations of the instructional equipment provided for teachers' use. Along with demonstrations of items such as the photocopier, the audio-visual equipment, and the computers and software available, reservation and checkout procedures for these items need to be explained. The more familiar new teachers become with the physical plant and equipment, the better able they will be to utilize the full potential of these resources in their work.

During the First Year

A key factor in the success of new teachers in a school is often their teaching assignments. Even experienced teachers in a new school setting have the greatest chance of success if their teaching assignments are focused in their major areas of preparation. When that is the case, they can concentrate on skillfully managing the classroom and teaching content they already know rather than on hurriedly learning content one day in order to attempt to teach it to the students the next day. It is also best if new teachers are not assigned the most trying classes. Although I do not wish to minimize the significance or merit of seniority, I would like to note that very few other areas of endeavor assign the most difficult tasks to the least experienced workers. Doing so has always seemed to me to be a recipe for failure.

It is often very helpful to assign mentors to new faculty members. Usually, veteran teachers are available who are not only willing but also desirous to help new colleagues adjust to the exigencies of their new school. Whether it is by helping operate the copier or giving some advice on dealing with student problems, faculty mentors can be a significant source of help to new teachers.

Finally, new faculty members should be formally introduced to both students and parents. It is best if these introductions come early and in nonthreatening and non-confrontational settings. Many schools have open-house activities at the beginning of the school year for the express purpose of reviewing school expectations and introducing the faculty. After these introductions take place, it is wise to discreetly advise new teachers of potentially difficult situations. Although such information is very sensitive and must be handled with much wisdom, new teachers who are aware of potential problems can prepare themselves better for dealing with any difficulties that may arise.

In Conclusion: Be Observant

As an administrator, I found that some of the most valuable times I spent with the faculty were the unstructured times in areas such as the teachers' lounge, the lunchroom, or the stands at ball games. It was during those times that I most frequently became aware of adjustment problems, student problems, family problems, financial problems, or even spiritual problems that needed my attention or the time and attention of someone else who could help. While problems are certainly not limited to the first year of teaching in a school, the first year is a time of particular vulnerability. The primary responsibility of an administrator is to help new teachers through their problems rather than to castigate them for having problems. An observant and ministry-minded administrator can do much to make the first year in a school a time of tranquility rather than a time of turmoil.

Reprinted from Balance, a publication of the School of Education, Bob Jones University. Used with permission of Bob Jones University. Please write BJU Press, for permission to reproduce this article.