Smooth Transition for new staff

It is the time of the year when all schools need to finish the year well, by finalising reports and assessments as well as preparing for any head start/promotions programs. At the same time, attention turns to the following year and new colleagues joining the school.

We have found that induction and enrolment into how we work are essential for a smooth transition into the organisation. To smooth this transition, it is efficient to provide new staff with resources to explore before they start. This way they understand the language and thinking behind many of our processes and expectations.

With that in mind, here are the three books we give our new teachers each year.

• Rosenshine’s Principles In Action. We are primarily a direct instruction school (we call it active instruction) and this is the most practical guide I know. If you are following the Rosenshine principles in your instruction, you are doing your job well.
• The Classroom Management Handbook. A class of 25 boys can be difficult to manage. The tools and routines in this book are used by all our staff and they are what students expect. Having knowledge of these will make your life easier as a teacher and help your students to be engaged and productive.
• Good To Great. The philosophy of Jim Collins underpins most of our school strategy. Rule number 1: the right people on the bus. This is why we hire on alignment rather than experience. As a result, we have a number of what may appear inexperienced people in key leadership roles. We trust our staff development system to create the leaders we need. So far so good.

When all members of your school community are working and have read and understood these texts, it allows for a shared language in the organisation. Understanding the principles behind the decision-making process also builds coherence. We don’t want everyone to think the same, but having a baseline understanding of key evidence that supports the school improvement process will benefit all stakeholders.

Happy coaching,
Mark