Next steps for Early Career Teachers
As you come to the end of your induction period as an early career teacher, what happens next? It can feel daunting to be launched into action without the support that induction offers, so what is the best way forward?
In theory, your induction will have bridged the gap between your initial teacher education and your first role in the profession. It is designed to help teachers to undertake the role with confidence, in any school. However, completing induction is not an indication that your learning is done. Teaching is a job in which you inevitably learn and develop your craft as the years go by, and it can help to be deliberate about how that happens.
If you are coming to the end of your induction period and are wondering what happens next, these thoughts may help:
Consolidation
Consolidating your learning and building on your experience is a key next step for everyone who has recently completed their induction. You have learned, and achieved, an incredible amount in recent years and there is no shame in wanting to consolidate that to become more confident in the way you tackle whatever the school day has to offer.
Use this time to reflect on what works best for you, what you could change, and what you can stop doing altogether. Aim to develop a solid habit of reflection during this time. This will greatly help you to determine what your next steps should be.
Expand your skills
One option open to you at this stage is to actively expand your skill set. Do you have a specific area of interest within your work that you want to become expert at? Does anyone in your school already have these skills? Seek out other experts that you can learn from. Look out for webinars, podcasts and books that can help you. CPD courses may be available to you and there may be others in your locality who also want to develop the same skills. Be active in seeking out learning opportunities and the people who can help and support you along the way.
Develop your professional learning network
This is the equivalent of finding your tribe in the world of education. There has never been a time when there was agreement among all education professionals about how teaching and learning works best. Approaches vary according to the needs of the children being taught, and it is important to develop a professional network that you can learn from and be supported by. These people may not necessarily be in your school. You can meet other teachers at CPD events, online, by keeping in touch with people you trained with, and through subject association and union events to name just a few.
Developing your professional learning network also brings you into contact with educators outside your immediate circle. This also helps you to stay up to date with developments in your field and serves as a reminder that there is no single way to teach, despite what some may say! Broaden your experience, in order to strengthen your expertise.
Undertake CPD
Continuing (and continuous) professional development (CPD) and learning is essential for a happy and successful teaching career. While there is much to be said for consolidating your induction, you will almost certainly have a strong idea about what you want to learn more about at this stage in your career. Seek out CPD opportunities in your locality and online. Surprisingly, there is a fair amount that is accessible free of charge online, but it would also be a good idea to discuss with your school if there is any budget available for teachers who are emerging from induction. Use the expertise of experienced colleagues to help you to develop some ideas for future professional learning.
Consider adding to your qualifications
Now is a great time to think about whether you want to add to your qualifications. Perhaps use this next year to explore the options open to you in your locality. Would a Masters be appropriate for you now? Is there an area of SEND that particularly interests you? There are many qualifications out there that can significantly boost your knowledge and be an important step on the path to specialising in a specific area of your work. Explore the options, talk to existing experts, and plot a possible path ahead.
Remember your wellbeing
Contrary to what some in the business world may think, creating balance in your life is crucially important. You are not on the planet simply to work. Your family, friends, hobbies and interests all add significantly your overall wellbeing, not to mention your ability to perform your work duties effectively. Life is about balance and now is a great time to review how balanced you feel your life is.
If you feel that your wellbeing is being negatively impacted by your workload, do not struggle on alone. Your line manager should be able to help, but if you would rather speak to someone in confidence from outside your school, Education Support can help: Education Support, supporting teachers and education staff
Job hunt
There is a possibility that you have already decided that teaching is not for you. While that may turn out to be the case, it is always worth exploring the possibility of moving school rather than leaving the profession, just in case a new setting suits you better. You may think about changing age and phase, or moving from state to private – the possibilities are many and varied! Eteach.com can help with your search.
If teaching in a school really is not for you, other roles associated with education are aplenty, so you do not have to move away from the field too far in order to change your daily work, but remain in a profession you enjoy. Online teaching is also a possibility, as is running the education service of a charity or museum.
There is always a path ahead. You have achieved an immense amount to get to where you are, so give yourself the gift of time to explore what you want to achieve next. Good luck!
About the author
Elizabeth Holmes
After graduating with a degree in Politics and International Relations from the University of Reading, Elizabeth Holmes completed her PGCE at the Institute of Education, University of London. She then taught humanities and social sciences in schools in London, Oxfordshire and West Sussex, where she ran the history department in a challenging comprehensive. Elizabeth specialises in education but also writes on many other issues and themes. As well as her regular blogs for Eteach and FEjobs, her books have been published by a variety of publishers and translated around the world. Elizabeth has also taught on education courses in HE and presented at national and international conferences.
