Over the years, the pathways into the teaching professional have diversified, meaning many new teachers are entering the classroom with varied levels of traditional student teaching experience. Regardless of their background, the transition into their first classroom requires targeted, intentional support. This reality highlights the critical need for high-quality professional development that equips these educators to build successful, thriving classrooms right from the start.

Because of this shift, our team has regularly reflected on how we can provide the highest level of support for these new educators. Often, it comes down to a fundamental objective: building their teacher toolbox. When we meet with our new teachers, our goal is to help them acquire a variety of strategies they can use in almost any situation that comes their way. But it made us think: if they haven’t had the traditional opportunity to see a live classroom in action, how do we provide them with those essential opportunities to observe best practices and veteran teachers?

Enter… New Teacher Classroom Walkthroughs!

Last year, we allocated professional development funds specifically toward supporting our new teachers through a targeted walkthrough initiative. (We actually did this sitewide for a different purpose, but more on that in a future post!) Three times throughout the school year (once in each of the first three quarters) our new teachers spent a full day visiting classrooms both on our campus and at neighboring sites. Guided by our instructional coach, they observed numerous educators and debriefed afterward to discuss actionable takeaways.

However, to design a truly successful walkthrough day, you must have a specific focus and clear direction for what is being observed and discussed.

Because these were brand-new teachers, we narrowed our focus around classroom management, utilizing a Tier 1 Intervention Checklist we developed several years ago as part of our Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) for student well-being. During each walkthrough cycle, teachers focused on two specific strategy domains. As they visited classrooms, they took notes on those exact strategies in action. They spent the first half of the day observing, and the second half reviewing their notes, discussing the strategies, and mapping out concrete ways to implement those ideas in their own rooms.

As simple as this sounds, we truly believe it was one of the most impactful professional development opportunities we offered all year. Here is why it worked so well:

First, it allowed new teachers to explore a variety of instructional styles. Every teacher has a unique personality, and they need to find the style that fits them best. For example, I have worked with phenomenal educators who are quiet and introverted. When we hire a new teacher with a similar disposition, we intentionally pair them with or have them observe those specific veteran classrooms so they can see success modeled in a way that feels authentic to them.

Second, teachers walked away with an immediate action plan. I have always been a firm believer that professional development is only beneficial if participants can walk away with something they can implement the very next day with minimal initial lift. This format guaranteed exactly that.

Finally, it fostered meaningful connection. Starting at a new campus can feel incredibly isolating. This initiative gave our new teachers a dedicated day to spend together, collaborate with our instructional coach, build relationships, and share ideas, creating a much stronger campus support network.

After all, we can’t expect our new teachers to build thriving classrooms if we don’t give them the tools (and the community) they need to construct them.

Share your best ideas for supporting new teachers in the comments below!