Beginning teachers’ roles and responsibilities

Hulme, Moira ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4095-3880 and O'Sullivan, Rachel (2022) Beginning teachers’ roles and responsibilities. In: Learning to teach in the Secondary School: a companion to school experience (9th edition). Learning to Teach Subjects in the Secondary School Series . Routledge, pp. 24-38. ISBN 9781032062297 (paperback); 9781032062280 (hardback); 9781003201267 (ebook)

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Abstract

This chapter discusses teachers' roles and responsibilities as beginning teachers. It considers the key players in the school and their initial teacher education programme. The chapter examines how to navigate their school placement, taking an ecological approach to professional practice – looking at the policy level, community level, organisational level, interpersonal level and individual level. It then focuses on teacher's professional learning journey and the stages of development they go through. As teachers prepare for their first school placement, it is helpful to remember that they are joining a system of education that operates at many levels: individual, classroom, organisational, community and national policy levels. Conducting a contextual analysis of the school and local community is an important component of pre-placement preparation. Contextual analysis involves reviewing the external environment. Taking on the role of a beginning teacher means forging and managing professional relationships with adults, as well as pupils.