Onboarding New Teachers So They Want to Stay

When the official school board approval of a new hire and contract is finalized, it is an exciting time! For our beginning teachers, their dream of teaching is starting to materialize. All of the possibilities of changing lives and beginning their career are starting to swirl around in their minds. Dreams of what they want their classroom to be like are being imagined. For others with experience, starting in a new district may mean a fresh start, new possibilities, and hopes for being their best in a new place.

Building on this excitement is why onboarding should begin as soon as possible. In an ideal scenario, there are anywhere from several weeks or months between the official hiring and the start date. This step might be very quick between onboarding, orientation, and the hub of induction starting with day one of the official start to school.

As teachers embark on their official journey in the upcoming school year, it becomes crucial to extend a warm welcome. Equally important is the reassurance that safety features are in place and a seasoned crew is prepared to guide their way. As they embark upon uncharted territory, the easier the new places are to navigate, the more equipped they will be for their next steps. This is why it is important to think about their initial challenges of being new to the profession, district, and community.

It is time to practice vuja de and consider the lens of a new person in your district. Remember, vuja de is the practice of viewing the familiar through a fresh lens. Think about the perspective of someone new to your district. What essentials might a newcomer need to begin their journey with your team and feel integrated into the learning community? Consider how to convey a hearty welcome and share your enthusiasm for their presence. Whose voices should they hear, and when is the optimal time for them to hear from these members of the learning village?

Onboarding as a part of induction should begin as soon as possible after hiring. Remember, it is a process not an event and should, if possible, begin to take place prior to the official start of the school year. Beginning to develop a relationship with the new teacher will help them to feel welcomed and generate excitement for joining the team. When a new teacher orientation is planned right before school begins, the time leading up to this event can focus on fostering the connection between the new teacher and the school or district. What is feasible and most appropriate for each district may vary. The availability of a new teacher to engage in activities or communication before the official start date will likely also vary. Resources and information need to be available at any time.

A new teacher mentor, a team within a department, a grade level of teachers, building principal, central office administration, and any other member of the village can each decide the impact they will have on welcoming a beginning teacher to the profession or a new hire to the team. Regardless of the size of the school district or role of the village member, there are certain components that can help to make a transition smoother for a new teacher. They include both education related and noneducation related considerations.

If you have ever moved to a new house, town, state, or even country, the transition process can be made smoother or more difficult) by what happens throughout the process. It is extremely helpful to have a clear destination or place to live, have the core necessities in place upon arrival (e.g., electricity and water turned on), meet people who jump in to help along the way, and have clear communication of how to get things done, whom to ask questions, or how to start the process of learning about your new surroundings. These are some possible considerations and examples of noneducation related issues that can impact the start of a person’s journey in your community. When you can help enhance the transition process to a new community even in small ways, the opportunity for the new hire to be able to focus on teaching and student learning will also benefit.

Ask your current people what their biggest challenges and frustrations were in getting started. They will be the best resource for learning more. Once, a teacher shared how she was looking for a place to rent and viewed a house in an alarming condition and location. This was one of her first welcomes and introductions to the community. As a result, we created a relationship with realtors and landlords to provide a more positive initial impression and experience in our community and district.

On the education related side of starting new in a district, the barrage of information at the beginning of the school year can be very overwhelming. Finding ways to disseminate information in smaller chunks over time lets it sink in and be absorbed gradually, instead of it arriving all at once.

Here are a few ideas for consideration during the onboarding phase:

Welcome phone call or email. Who would be important for the new hire to hear from? This may be one person or several people. Anyone can do it and it can mean a lot. A phone call from the building principal, superintendent, or department chair to say, “Welcome, we are excited for you to join us. What questions might I answer?” is a  gesture that can go a long way. A handwritten note or an email can be sent to, too.  The size and makeup of your school and district can impact this decision. If you are one of five new staff members in a district or one of 2,500, there would be a different plan for this. It is like how in a very tiny town the mayor may welcome you; in a huge city you might like it if one neighbor made eye contact. Thus it may need to be a building or even department/grade level task, while in other settings the superintendent may reach out as well.

Living accommodations. Visiting places to live is often the first impression your new hire may have of your community. What is available for housing? It is always a bonus to have employees reside in the community. Helping them find a way to do this can make the process more appealing. You can prepare a contact list of people to call as a place to start, or contact local realtors or landlords ahead of time. Having a working relationship with reputable landlords and real estate agents can go a long way in helping make the housing search much less stressful. The quality of the realtors can also impact how the new staff members view the community they are becoming a part of, so please choose wisely. We want our new hires to be treated as professionals and to feel safe and valued as a community member.

Things to do before orientation. This can be a list of things that might be done in advance to prepare for orientation and the school year. These are only suggestions and should not be considered mandatory. It is important to remember that everyone operates differently when preparing. Some new hires will read everything repeatedly and follow each suggestion with followup questions, while others may not check emails until the day before arrival. Provide for both types of personalities and everything in between. 

Technology. A great way to start the welcome wagon is giving new hires a district email to begin communication and become a part of staff group emails. Providing login access and information for key programs can be a helpful tool. It was described earlier, but making sure the technology does not get in the way is truly an easy induction win for a school.

“In Your Shoes” panel. Who knows better about what to expect than the previous new teachers? Provide an opportunity for the incoming teachers to interact with a panel of former year 1 and 2 teachers. This can easily be done using an online video conferencing format so participants can join from anywhere.

Need-to-know information for orientation/dates, etc. Provide location, dress code, tentative agenda, food options, and other considerations as a preview of what to plan for. Just like preparing students for standardized testing, we do not want the format of the test to interfere with the results.

From Teacher Induction that Works by Tara Link and Beth Whitaker. © 2025 Routledge/Taylor & Francis Inc. Reproduced with permission of the publisher. All rights reserved.