First-Year Teachers: Expectations vs. Classroom Reality

Introduction

When people set foot in a foreign country for the first time, their mixed reactions — including anxiety, frustration, and helplessness — to vastly different environments have been termed "culture shock" (Chapdelaine & Alexitch, 2004). Similarly, new teachers setting foot into the classroom for the first time tend to experience a wide range of reactions to their new environments that may be vastly different from what they had come to expect. The extent to which these expectations are congruent with the reality they encounter on the job during their first year may determine the extent to which new teachers remain in the profession. In this regard, Mastropieri (2001) notes that, "It is important to examine the experiences of our first-year special education teachers to understand what happens and identify variables associated with positive experiences" (p. 66). Therefore, identifying incongruities between the expectations and realities of first-year teachers' experiences may also serve to identify opportunities for improving their educational process before they enter the profession.

The purpose of this study is to review the relevant literature and the results of a series of semi-structured interviews with first-year teachers to examine their initial expectations compared to their actual on-the-job experience.

The experiences of many first-year teachers are comparable to the difficult adjustment period that any individual goes through in a new job, where they must learn how things are "really done" rather than how they have been described in textbooks and lectures. According to McBride (2000), "The threshold phase is the first year of teaching, or probationary period, when teachers are confronted with all the responsibilities of a teacher for the first time and have to learn how to cope with the associated problems" (p. 119). Likewise, McDonough (2009) emphasizes that, "A first-year teacher negotiates multiple responsibilities, faces pressure to prepare students for the state achievement tests, develops relationships with colleagues, and experiments with curriculum and pedagogy" (p. 528).

It is reasonable to assert that most new teachers recognize they do not know everything about what goes on in classrooms today, but it is equally reasonable to assert that they have formulated some distinct expectations about what is involved — expectations that may or may not be borne out. In this regard, McBride (2000) adds that the first year on the job is a critical period in which new teachers must apply what they have learned while balancing the need to gain acceptance from coworkers, students, and administrators. McBride terms this critical first-year period the "survival" period: "This phase is often called the 'survival' period. Beginning teachers focus mainly on the day-to-day mastery of their new job and strive for acceptance by students, colleagues and school management" (p. 119).

Review of the Literature

Further, new teachers frequently base their expectations about what awaits them in the classroom on their own experiences as students. As Kane (2000) notes, "To the observer, teaching may look easy. Years of watching good and bad teaching as a student may provide the uninitiated with a notion of what works in the classroom and what should be avoided. But being a passenger is hardly the same as steering" (p. 1). When new teachers are forced to "steer" the classroom boat for themselves, many find the help of mentors invaluable. A quantitative study by Whitsett, Roberson, and Beckham (2007) found that mentors could help new teachers modify their teaching styles to accommodate the specific needs of their students. Likewise, the findings of a qualitative review by Wang, Odell, and Schwille (2008) confirmed that mentors can help improve new teachers' level of comfort in the classroom, and that administrator support is important as well.

In order to "survive" the first year of teaching, new teachers must navigate a number of obstacles and challenges. Some of these they may have anticipated and prepared for, but there will inevitably be surprises and rude awakenings concerning the realities of managing a classroom of energetic students who may not be invested in what their new teacher expects. As one teacher emphasized after completing her probationary period, "The first year is tough" (Leahy, 2000, p. 160). When the incongruence between first-year teachers' expectations and the reality they encounter is sufficiently large, it may result in the teacher leaving the profession altogether. A National Education Association representative underscores this point: "All of us who have ever been in the classroom know how daunting the first year can be. Today's new teachers face additional, unprecedented challenges" (Chase, 2000, p. 2).

These "unprecedented challenges" run the gamut from overcrowded classrooms to dwindling state budgets for education and everything in between. Chase adds that, "There are now students with babies, guns, and disabilities, students without discipline or hope, classrooms in disrepair, politicians and communities that are antagonistic toward public education, more diverse and demanding student populations — and expectations that teachers act as substitute social workers and parents" (2000, p. 2). When new teachers encounter these types of environments, it is little wonder that many decide teaching is not for them (Martinez, 2004). As Chase points out, "All of this can be extremely demoralizing. Not surprisingly, the highest attrition rate among teachers occurs in their very first year of teaching. We can't afford to lose such fresh talent" (p. 2). The reaction of one first-year teacher is perhaps reflective of the wider sentiments produced by a high degree of incongruence between expectations and reality:

"It is not at all what I expected. Nothing prepares you for what it is really like. You get a form, you get a duty, you get a lunchtime club to run, you get after school revision club, you get marking, you get parents evenings, you get 300+ exams to mark, you get 300+ reports to write. I don't blame anyone who wants to leave." (Bubb, 2004, p. 91)

Based on qualitative interviews with and quantitative surveys of winning candidates for the Sallie Mae Award, Daugherty (2003) found that a majority of these award-winning teachers were satisfied with the preparation they received in their college education programs. Daugherty notes that, "Many teachers were fully satisfied with their college preparation programs. They reported a high level of readiness for teaching, crediting teacher education programs that emphasized hands-on experiences in actual school environments" (2003, p. 458). The fundamental differences between theory and classroom reality were also highlighted: "They noted how much more effective it was to experience class situations 'live' than to 'read case studies' or 'be lectured on the subject of interactive teaching!' 'You can get straight A's in your education courses,' concluded one teacher, 'but the true test comes when you enter a real classroom'" (2003, p. 459).

Even teachers who received some experience in actual school environments felt that more needed to be done to help new teachers hit the ground running by addressing day-to-day issues typically encountered in schools. A qualitative study by Certo (2006) of four first-year teachers found that college preparation courses needed to devote more attention to the daily activities required to manage a classroom effectively. Daugherty adds that, "Many teachers requested more practical ('nuts and bolts') instruction regarding the daily operation of the school. They suggested the need for training in areas such as class advising, how to get children on school buses, behavior towards secretaries and custodians, and handling controversial teaching units such as health" (2003, p. 459). Although these were award-winning teachers, it is reasonable to suggest that their observations apply to almost any new teacher entering the profession.

The theoretical framework of this study held that the expectations of first-year teachers could be discerned through a series of semi-structured interviews, which allowed interviewees the opportunity to expand on different issues in ways that neither an unstructured nor a fully structured interview format would permit. This framework is consistent with the guidance provided by Klandermans and Staggenborg (2002), who cite the advantages of semi-structured interviews over structured ones: "In a semi-structured interview the interviewer relies on an interview guide that includes a consistent set of questions or topics, but the interviewer is allowed more flexibility to digress and to probe based on interactions during the interview" (p. 92). This approach is also consistent with qualitative work by Couvier, Brandon, and Prasow (2008), who emphasize the importance of learning about the experiences of first-year teachers "in their own voice" (p. 261).

Four high school teachers from different schools who had completed their first year of teaching were recruited to participate in the semi-structured interviews used to achieve the above-stated research purpose.

Following the review of the relevant literature, the next step was to conduct the series of semi-structured interviews. All interviews were recorded using a handheld recorder with mini-cassettes and transcribed using a transcription machine. All interviewees provided informed consent prior to the start of the interviews. Two of the four interviews were conducted face-to-face at the interviewees' schools after hours; the other two were conducted by telephone. The semi-structured interview format shown in the tables below was used to help ensure uniformity of responses and to assist in identifying the major themes and issues that emerged from the interviews.

How well did your education prepare you for your first year of teaching?
"We studied a lot of theory, of course, and things like effective classroom management techniques, but I have to say that when push comes to shove, theory goes out the window and you just have to rely on your intuition and instincts to get the job done. My students have been top-notch but keeping a lid on them can be tough. All in all, college taught me how I could teach, but I didn't learn how to really teach until I'd taken some lumps and learned the ropes."

What were the biggest surprises you experienced during your first year?
"One of the biggest surprises was just how smart these kids are and how eager most of them are to learn. I had read all the surveys about how ignorant high school students are in this country like everyone else, and I expected to find the same thing in my classes, but by and large I couldn't have been more wrong."

Theoretical Framework and Methodology

Did you receive enough support from peers and administrators during your first year?
"My principal assigned me a mentor before I even really got started, and that helped a lot. She told me how things got done in the school and showed me around so I wouldn't be completely lost at first. I remember she even called me at home a few times to see how I was doing. At first I was reluctant to admit I needed help because I didn't want her to think I was stupid, but after a few weeks I started asking her lots of questions that hadn't occurred to me before. Yes, the support I received from my peers and principal was great."

What helped you survive your first year?
"Besides the mentor, just going to work every day with the thought that 'I can do this' in the back of my mind helped. After a while, I actually started to believe it, too."

What advice would you give to teachers just starting their careers?
"Keep an open mind and keep trying. Things may seem wacky and unfamiliar at first, but you can shape the job to suit yourself after you get some experience."

Conclusion

The research was consistent in showing that the first year is the hardest for most teachers, and some do not succeed for various reasons and, as a result, quit teaching altogether. The research also showed that although many teachers do succeed, they typically encounter incongruence between what they expected and what they actually encounter when they walk into the classroom for the first time. When this incongruence is sufficiently extreme, it can produce the same effects as so-called "culture shock." By helping teachers in training become better acquainted with the reality of the classroom environment and the day-to-day administrative operations of schools, college preparation programs can help minimize this incongruence and, in doing so, reduce the unacceptably high rate of first-year teacher attrition.