How NQTs can Make a Good Impression on New Colleagues
ATL serves up some advice on how to build good relationships and make a success of your new job…
The relationships you form with staff, students, parents and governors can make all the difference in the early stages of your career.
As a new teacher, you are trying to make a good impression, understand the school culture and work out who’s who – so here are a few tips that will help you start off on the right foot:
- Beware of being isolated within a department, as this may stop you forming other helpful relationships; notably with other new teachers.
- If you do notice cliques, try to stay neutral. It is important not to get drawn into internal disputes
- Try not to allow your enthusiasm to be dampened by others’ negativity – you need to retain positive energy for your teaching.
- Help others when you can: people will respect someone they can rely on, and will be more likely to return the favour.
- At break time, it is worth observing ‘staffroom etiquette’. For example, be careful not to use someone else’s mug or sit in someone’s ‘special’ chair. This sounds trivial, but it could help you avoid getting off to a bad start with your colleagues.
- Well-established staff can sometimes feel threatened by change or new ideas. Acknowledge the skills and expertise of your more experienced colleagues, but don’t forget that your view matters. Have the confidence to voice your opinions and suggest improvements – but remember to tread carefully.
Value support staff
Teaching assistants, administrative and other support staff have a crucial role to play in the successful running of a school. They can provide information about its culture and organisation and offer valuable support, so it’s important to build good relationships. Try to involve TAs in as much planning, preparation and assessment as possible – this will demonstrate that you value their support.
Be careful with criticisms
You will need to tread carefully when commenting on the teaching of other staff. A general rule of thumb when starting anywhere new is to listen, learn and develop relationships.
You will need to learn about the culture of the staffroom; does the school embrace peer observation and feedback, or is it very hierarchical with a clear pecking order? If the culture is one where you are expected to offer colleagues feedback on their teaching, you need to be very specific and constructive in your observations and comments.
Talking to senior managers
How much contact you have with senior management team (SMT) members may depend on the size and culture of the school in which you are teaching.
It is important that you learn the structures and accepted routes of communication within your school. If you are in a very hierarchical establishment, you may need to communicate everything through your immediate line manager.
Concerns about fellow colleagues
There may be times when you have a concern regarding the performance or professionalism of a colleague. You must proceed with great caution; any workplace has a complex network of relationships, and knowledge of these and the relevant policies/procedures is vital before you take action. Bearing in mind the established friendships and relationships within your school, it may be worthwhile talking to a more experienced colleague you trust to ask for their advice. You can also get good advice and support from your union through your school rep or branch secretary. Whether talking to your rep informally or making a formal complaint, it is important that you are specific about the behaviour(s) that are causing concern, and useful to write down your observations.
Working with outside professionals
Teachers and support staff are increasingly working with other professionals in multi-agency teams. The focus of these teams are the ‘whole’ child, which is driven by the government’s agenda to ensure that every child is healthy, stays safe, makes a positive contribution, achieves to their potential and enjoys economic wellbeing. School staff need to have good relationships with other practitioners such as social workers, nurses, GPs and educational psychologists. This may mean building knowledge and trust through joint training or working, or encouraging others to support what the school is doing in key areas.
These groups will be expected to work together using various tools that the government has developed to support integrated working, which will be at the core of teachers’ working lives moving forward.
You can find more advice for NQTs at ATL’s dedicated New2Teaching website. For more information about the union, visit atl.org.uk or follow @atlunion
