The Rookie Teacher Trainer

and 50 ways in which they are uncannily similar to a rookie teacher

When you are a rookie, your self-worth hangs in the balance multiple times a day. You haven’t overcome enough adversity to believe in yourself, and you haven’t succeeded enough for others to believe in you.

I’ve been a rookie teacher, and I remember the self-doubt and headless chickenry like it was yesterday. While I struggled every day and wished I could magically fast-forward to ten years later, I was accorded one courtesy that most rookie teacher trainers are not lucky to get: other adults in my school (and even the students) knew that I was a rookie. I knew that I was a rookie. I knew I was still learning. I knew there was a lot I didn’t know. And I knew that if I put in the effort, I could learn.

When it comes to newly minted teacher trainers and leaders, unfortunately, such awareness and courtesy are rather uncommon. Unlike a rookie teacher, a rookie teacher trainer finds it hard to even admit to themselves that they don’t know everything. There are fewer support systems yet harsh judgments for mistakes.

It’s worse when rookie teachers themselves who have hardly spent 2-3 years in the classroom turn into teacher trainers. They are trying to teach someone something they aren’t experts at. Sometimes misguided leadership gives out premature promotions, and at other times financial considerations don’t allow someone to be a teacher for long enough to learn teaching.

My advice to inexperienced teachers applying to be teacher trainers and leaders is always, “Don’t do it. You’re not ready yet.”

My advice to rookie teacher trainers who are already in the arena: “You need to learn to be a teacher trainer first before you get to transform teachers, classrooms and schools. That requires humility. The first step towards humility is the awareness that you are a rookie.”

I’ve been working with new teacher trainers and leaders in my recent work with schools and in an attempt to create awareness and empathy, I created a slide deck titled ‘50 Ways in which a Rookie Teacher Trainer is Exactly Like a Rookie Teacher”.

Teacher trainers, teachers and school leaders may benefit from the reflection facilitated by the slides.

Here are ten of the slides from the deck:

Rookie Teacher Trainer Ten Slides

36.8KB ∙ PDF file

Download

Download

On the other side of this paywall, you will find

• the complete presentation with 50 slides in PDF format

• the link to the complete presentation published on Google Slides

Teachers and teacher leaders can use these slides to reflect on the ways in which they are still at the rookie stage and get clarity on what they must learn next.

The slides, easily turned into checklists, are helpful to school leaders, principals and even parents trying to figure out why their child is struggling with a teacher.

Cover Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash