How to Support New Teachers in Personalized Learning—and Minimize the ‘Disillusionment Phase’

I remember my first year of teaching as too many gallons of coffee and energy drinks, not enough hours of sleep, and a blend of euphoria and frustration. The sprint to winter break especially is one of the toughest times of the year for new teachers, because the honeymoon is over. Students have tested teachers’ boundaries, and in some cases, broken them. The new teacher’s organizational skills are strained, as evidenced by stacks (virtual and real) of ungraded assignments. The New Teacher Center labels this period as a new teacher’s “disillusionment phase.”

Right now, it is extremely unlikely that a first-year teacher did their student teaching or training in such a [personalized] model.

The first-year experience can be compounded by joining a school that implements a model that incorporates a personalized learning and/or blended learning model. Right now, it is extremely unlikely that a first-year teacher did their student teaching or training in such a model or attended a school that looked like this as a student. And while a lot of teacher training is transferable (e.g. classroom management, organizational skills), the new teacher must shift gears in terms of what their classroom looks like, what their role is, and how to plan instructionally.

As someone tasked with supporting those who implement personalized learning, I have been reflecting on how to support first-year teachers who are both new to the classroom and new to a next generation model of teaching. These points are not groundbreaking, but they are best practices that coaches and instructional leaders have implemented for years. However, the focus on the shininess of online platforms and executing new models perfectly often leads us as instructional leaders to place a lesser priority on these strategies. Here’s what I’ve discovered works well.

Continue reading Jin Soo's column on the EdSurge blog...