What To Look for in a New Teacher

From the Marshall Memo #437

(Originally titled “What’s Missing From Teacher Prep”)

In this Educational Leadership article, Connecticut educators Gary Chesley and Janice Jordan bemoan the fact that many new teachers are unprepared to succeed in the classroom. “Teacher preparation institutions need to transform their programs to reflect the realities of the 21^st century,” they say. From focus-group interviews with a number of new teachers, Chesley and Jordan compiled a list of ways university programs could improve. This list could also be used by principals as selection criteria when hiring new teachers. 

• Understanding what’s required of a professional – Teachers need to be prepared for the physical and mental demands of classroom teaching and know the importance of reaching out and collaborating with colleagues and reflecting on what’s working and what isn’t.

• Knowing how to teach content – Teachers need to be up to date on Common Core expectations, know how to teach reading (at all grade levels), and be adept at using formative assessments to check for student understanding and develop alternative approaches when students don’t get it the first time.

• Knowing classroom management – New teachers must be able to hit the ground running with clear expectations and routines and adept handling of student misbehavior.

• Knowing how to plan units and lessons – Teachers need solid training in big-picture curriculum planning and creating effective daily lesson plans.

• Knowing how to engage students – This includes motivation, differentiation, cooperative grouping, and tapping into students’ background knowledge and life experiences.

• Knowing how to integrate technology – Teachers need to be adept at using computer hardware and software to find information on the Internet, organize and present new learning, and communicate with families.

• Knowing how to use data – Teachers need to be able to use summative, interim, and on-the-spot assessments to monitor student progress and plan instruction – and devise non-traditional assessments that go beyond paper-and-pencil tests.

• Knowing how to work with special-needs students – Teachers must be prepared to differentiate effectively for students with a wide range of disabilities.

“What’s Missing from Teacher Prep” by Gary Chesley and Janice Jordan in Educational Leadership, May 2012 (Vol. 69, #8, p. 41-45), http://www.ascd.org; the authors can be reached at chesleyg@bethel.k12.ct.us and jordanj@bethel.k12.ct.us.