PLM Purpose and Rationale
The purpose of this PLM is to provide beginning educators with resources and strategies to improve their instruction and increase their impact on student learning. Consider the purpose and rationale for this PLM, and in your Guided Notes reflect upon the major takeaway that strikes you.
Purpose
According to the National Education Association (NEA) survey, 55% of educators are considering leaving the profession earlier than planned (Walker, 2022). Teacher salaries and recruitment to desired locations or different careers all impact the interview pool of potential candidates. Studying the support beginning teachers receive and its impact on retention is very relevant to our current times with vast teacher vacancies across the nation.
A report released by Public Schools in Eastern North Carolina (NC) identifies over 1,200 vacancies in K-5 across NC as of January 2023 (Denise & Hinson, 2023). During the Covid-19 pandemic, the number of teachers who left the profession rose to 7,300 in NC public schools according to the 2021-2022 State of Teaching Professional annual report (Denise & Hinson, 2023).
Rationale
A variety of factors impact educators’ decisions to leave the field, but also new teachers’ decision to enter the field (Walker, 2022). There are both intrinsic and extrinsic factors that impact teachers’ decisions to remain in their current position (Arthur & Bradley, 2023). Globally, between 15 and 50% of teachers in their first five years leave the field (Whalen et al., 2019). Practices such as creating a warm and welcoming work environment can be addressed by schools in order to improve retention (Whalen et al., 2019). Beginning teachers also need support with skills such as stress reduction, lesson planning, classroom management, and administrative task completion (Whalen et al., 2019). Teachers who receive supports early in their first years of teaching are more likely to remain in their position (Ronfeldt & McQueen, 2017). Beginning Teachers participating in this professional learning module will learn tools, tips, and tricks to better prepare them with skills and knowledge to apply to their current or anticipated classroom.
In the video below, beginning teachers share their advice and insight from their first year of teaching. Think about how these aspects can apply to you and your classroom. The advice highlights the importance of the four focus areas of the PLM and the multiple resources shared. After viewing the video you will reflect on your first year of teaching or upcoming first year of teaching and think about possible challenges you may encounter and how you could effectively overcome them in your classroom.
Document the possible challenges that you believe may occur within your first few years of teaching in your Guided Notes.
Video Run Time: 12:13
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