HIRING AND SUPPORTING NEW TEACHERS WHO FOCUS ON STUDENTS’ LEARNING

Abstract

Hiring the best teacher for a school is a high stakes venture, fraught with danger that the choice may not be productive in terms of optimizing student learning. Those charged with the task of hiring teachers may not share a common view of how to assess applicants to identify the right “fit” for the position. A Professional Shift Theory (pst) model was developed to conceptualize characteristics of teachers’ shift toward focusing on students’ learning. School administrators identify the evidence they look for in interviews to highlight pst characteristics in potential hires, and support these characteristics after hiring. This study was undertaken to help school administrators identify those characteristics that they determine to be most desirable in new teachers who are potential new hires for a board. The study found many related trends in the responses of participants, including their heavy reliance on the use of conceptual language among interviewees as evidence that these teacher applicants can deliver the named skill when they teach. It is evident in this study that administrators who hire new teachers would benefit from professional development that helps them understand ways to mentor, model, and coach new teachers, and need further professional development that would help them understand how these types of support differ.