The best way to discern a new teacher’s effectiveness and likelihood to remain in teaching is how quickly they learn to manage class, including student behavior., according to an article in Education Week.
A new study analyzing the instructional progress of 25,000 novice teachers in Tennessee, based on the results of their evaluations, emphasizes the importance of classroom management skills.
Classroom management shapes the overall classroom dynamic, says Brendan Bartanen, an assistant professor of education leadership at the University of Virginia and co-author of the study. If a classroom is not orderly, and most students cannot think and learn with the distractions, it is going to be difficult to see substantial improvements in student learning, he says.
The study used data from Tennessee’s teacher-evaluation system, classroom observations and growth in student test scores.
Weak behavior management and poor content-presentation skills were most often cited among the 25 percent of new teachers who received the lowest overall observation and test scores.
“Overall improvement among new teachers is likely driven by improvement in those two skills in particular—among the teachers who stay,” Bartanen says.
Young teachers very rarely get fired for having poor behavior management skills, but principals may transfer low-performing teachers to other schools or encourage them to leave.
New teachers may also leave if they struggle with behavior problems to the extent they burn out.
How to support new teachers? Provide more effective feedback for teachers after observations.
Administrators should give feedback that:
- aligns to the area in which the teacher most needs improvement;
- is based on and justified by evidence;
- sets clear and specific goals; and
- includes the next steps the teacher should take.
Providing more training and support for young teachers in managing students can lighten the load for the school overall, since new teachers are more likely than others to refer students to the principal’s office for discipline.
The study shows that higher-performing novice teachers and veteran teachers are more likely to need improvement in more sophisticated teaching skills such as asking and soliciting answers to questions or facilitating high-quality partner and group work.
High performers also need targeted feedback, perhaps on ways to deepen their teaching skills.
School leaders shouldn’t forget that novice teachers who arrive equipped with foundational teaching skills — such as class management — should have opportunities to develop as well, Bartanen says. “They’re probably going to need a different set of supports around a different set of higher-order teaching skills,” he says.
Most teachers improve rapidly their first few years on the job and more slowly after that, signaling the need to continue focusing on more than just novices.
“Five years is not all that long when you think about a 35-year teaching career, and the fact that we’re not seeing consistent improvement after those first few years, means I think we’re potentially leaving a lot on the table in terms of helping teachers become even more effective,” Bartanen says.
Education Week
