Being a teacher is amazing: stimulating, heartwarming and often very funny. It’s also incredibly tough.
This is perhaps why, sadly, data on newly qualified teachers and their early career retention can make for such disheartening reading - not least that 12 per cent leave the profession after just a year and 19.9 per cent after two.
Schools must recognise from this that it is crucial that the right support is offered to any new recruits starting their careers to ensure they do not join these early leaver statistics.
A smooth start
At our school, to try to do just that, we launched our Teacher Residency Programme in August 2022 to help make the start of a career in teaching as smooth - and exciting - as possible.
This is not a buddy system whereby colleagues meet once a week for a coffee and a chat. Instead, we pair two teacher “residents” to work closely with an experienced teacher lead.
Most of the time, when a teacher leaves our school, we fill that role like for like. However, under the Teacher Residency Programme, we now sometimes use the opportunity to evolve that original role into one that is filled by two teacher residents in the first or second year of their careers.
We see this as an investment in the future of our school and the wider teaching profession.
Collaborative models
By grouping these resident teachers with a current, more experienced teacher who leads this team, all three educators are better positioned to work in a variety of collaborative models.
For example, in one instance, a resident teacher supports the lead for one class, then teaches the next on her own; in another scenario, the two resident teachers may work together to group students based on their current understanding, creating small groups for personalised teaching; and all three teachers will work together for a common planning, marking and feedback session.
This means the team is working together to deeply understand the learning progress of all the students in their care while the teacher residents are simultaneously developing their experience, confidence and flexibility to implement best-practice educational content and delivery.
The teacher lead, meanwhile, is also developing new skills and knows they are having a positive impact on a wider group of students.
The programme is open to all teachers who are already fully qualified and trained but still in the first years of their career, but we are also open to applications from individuals who are making a career change.
This experience is a two-year commitment. There is no obligation for a teacher to stay on after they have completed the residency programme, and they are not guaranteed a job, but they will always be a strong candidate for current roles at ACS International Schools.
Looking to the future
Should they choose to move to another school, we would feel confident that we have helped create a dynamic teacher who is able to inspire the next generation of global thinkers and doers, wherever they are.
August 2023 saw all the first cohort of residents return for their second year, which will see an increase in release and responsibility, including new opportunities to coach sport or sponsor a club. An additional teaching team has been hired and has begun their first year in the programme, too.
While still in its early stages, we can already see the value of our Teacher Residency Programme and how it differs from a traditional first-year teaching experience.
This matters hugely if we are to ensure that a new generation of fantastic teachers is prepared for and passionate about leading the profession forward.
Brianna Gray is head of professional learning and growth at ACS International Schools
