3 things Abbott Elementary gets right about new teacher engagement

Key factors:

• New lecturers have a look at engagement in another way–and Abbot Elementary is spot-on in its depictions of new and seasoned educators
• The present additionally highlights pupil engagement and teacher help as essential components of a new teacher’s journey
• See associated article: 5 methods for first-year particular training lecturers

Abbott Elementary has been extensively beloved since its conception, and for good cause. Like many present and former educators, I’ve beloved watching the sitcom for the sensible humor and nice characters, but in addition for a way precisely it represents a lot of what I skilled throughout my time as a teacher, tutorial coach, and principal. 

There has by no means been a present that so efficiently captures the enjoyment of educating whereas concurrently depicting the challenges, heartaches, and relationships that include it. One actually essential factor Abbott does properly is spotlight the most important variations between how newer and extra skilled lecturers strategy engagement, and the way new lecturers develop as they study new methods and observe their expertise to extend pupil engagement. 

New lecturers’ excessive expectations of themselves

In a study performed final yr, 96.9 % of lecturers mentioned they used teacher caring and relationships as an engagement tactic usually or fairly often. When I used to be an educational coach, the lecturers I labored with knew how essential it was to construct sturdy relationships with their college students. As a consequence, lecturers would attempt to go above and past to point out how a lot they care about their college students. This resulted in spending quite a lot of time on actions that didn’t all the time lead to pupil engagement, with out realizing each could be accomplished concurrently. It’s a large problem, significantly for busy lecturers attempting to maneuver the needle academically. 

When I watch Abbott Elementary, one factor that stands out is seeing the much less tenured lecturers – Gregory, Janine, and Jacob – maintain themselves to extraordinarily excessive requirements, however not all the time understanding the most effective methods to successfully have interaction their college students. In the Season 2 episode “Read-A-Thon,” we see this entrance and middle. Jacob needs to create a podcast membership. He dedicates quite a lot of his free time exterior of the classroom and demonstrates vital effort to attach together with his college students via the creation of the new membership.