Text 2.B Developmental Stages of New Teachers

Stages of New Teachers

Several scholars have studied new and experienced teachers and discussed the differences between them. New teachers have different concerns than more experienced teachers. These are summarized below:

Stage 1: Survival Stage

“Inexperienced teachers, several studies suggest, are primarily concerned with their own survival on the job. They are very sensitive to how principals, supervisors, and other teachers judge their performance, and they are uncertain about their personal adequacy. In contrast, superior experienced teachers are primarily concerned with student progress and measure their own success against personal standards….Novices are insecure, fearful, and preoccupied with proving their adequacy to others. They eagerly seek and cling to whatever seems to work.” (Pajak, 1993, p. 244).

Stage 2: Maturation Stage

“As teachers achieve some success and become more secure, they focus less on their own needs and begin to adapt their methods and materials in order to improve their instructional technique. They tend, however, to be conventional and conform to group norms and expectations. Their concern for students is limited to the learning needs of the class as a group.” (Pajak, 1993, p. 244). Teachers at this stage are branching out beyond a concern for self and self-adequacy but they still “play it safe” a bit and lack in their ability to account for individuals as well as the class as a whole.

Stage 3: Confident Teacher Stage

These teachers are highly committed to students’ needs and possess the capacity to address those needs effectively through their instruction. They can work with both individuals and groups within their classrooms and their concerns go beyond themselves, their own students, and their own performance to encompass all students, colleagues and peers, and the school and society as a whole.

It is important to note that teacher candidates do not always fall squarely into one stage. In one aspect of their teaching, they might be in survival stage. In other aspects, they might be a maturing teacher candidate or confident teacher candidate.

As you observe your teacher candidate what do their words and actions tell you about the stage of development that they are experiencing?
Does this stage apply across the board or not? These stages of development might impact how you observe and work with your teacher candidate.