What It Takes for a Rookie Teacher to Succeed

(Originally titled “Now That I Know What I Know”)

From the Marshall Memo #436

In this Educational Leadership article, high-school English teacher Dan Brown describes his naïve assumptions as he started teaching in New York City in 2003 – and the horrible first year that ensued. Brown resigned that summer, wrote a book about his experience, and returned to the classroom a year later, determined to do better. He did, eventually earning National Board Certification. But it was years before he understood why that first year went so badly – for him and thousands of others. The central problem, he now believes, is that new teachers “don’t know what they don’t know.” He had bought into the idea that anybody with intelligence and motivation can succeed at teaching and if they don’t, it’s their fault. Here’s his analysis of the real success factors. If even one is missing, he believes, the whole ship can sink.

• Comfort with your teacher persona – “You can’t entirely be yourself as a teacher,” says Brown; “you have to cultivate a teacher persona – a blend of your real self and the benevolent pedagogical manipulator and authority figure that teachers must be… As Dan, I don’t really care if a kid tucks in his shirt. As Mr. Brown, little matters more. As Dan, I utter a curse word every now and then. As Mr. Brown, foul language offends me deeply.” Brown recommends closely observing a variety of teachers in action, trying some of their strategies, and above all, learning students’ names as soon as humanly possible. “It all boils down to coming across as well-organized and kind,” he says; “these are the two qualities that stand out to students more than any other… Kids can sense phoniness or fear… Losing your composure in front of students is bad, bad news.”

• Familiarity with the school community – It’s a mistake to think that closing your classroom door and controlling your room will lead to success, says Brown: “Relationships among adults beyond the classroom walls make all the difference in a school. This includes administrators and colleagues, of course – but also parents… Phone calls, e-mails, and conversations on the blacktop are very important.”

• Dedication to the job – “Part of persevering in this profession,” says Brown, “involves carrying a high threshold for bureaucratic blunders, miscarriages of justice, untimely copy machine malfunctions, misguided policies, betrayals of trust, and other epic travesties – as well as one’s own mistakes.” It’s crucial to collaborate with veteran teachers on issues like lesson planning, and if the school doesn’t support this, new teachers need to reach out and make it happen underground. “Novice teachers can only figure out so much on their own,” he avers. “Dedication to the job means forging relationships and creating opportunities to pick colleagues’ brains, figure out what works, and apply it to your class.”

• A high-quality preparation program – “Extensive observation and student teaching must be a bare minimum before any teacher tries to run a classroom,” says Brown. He cites Urban Teacher Residency United as an exemplar – http://www.utrunited.org. 

• A supportive school leader – “For much of my first year, the sight of administrators filled me with dread,” he says. “The idea that they could help me become a better teacher was not even a passing thought; they were menaces to avoid.” In his current school in Washington, D.C., he has nothing but praise for his leaders; they run a tight ship, build school culture, support teachers, and help him forge external partnerships. 

• High-quality curriculum – “Administrators who choose scripted test prep are operating from a position of fear,” says Brown. “Scripted curriculums are boring for students and teachers. People don’t have breakthroughs or epiphanies, and it’s deadening for intellectual curiosity.” There’s exciting and empowering material out there, and teachers need to be able to use it, he says. 

• District policies that promote good teaching – Brown had bad experiences with district administrators in his early years, including one district superintendent who photographed teachers’ bulletin boards and put stinging critiques in their permanent files. “New teachers can’t thrive when their supervisors’ priorities do not involve excellent teaching,” he says. 

“Now That I Know What I Know” by Dan Brown in Educational Leadership, May 2012 (Vol. 69, #8, p. 24-28), http://www.ascd.org; Brown is at danbrownteacher@gmail.com.