‘I’m coming back again!’ The resilience process of early career teachers

Abstract

Early career teachers face a range of challenges in their first years of teaching and how these challenges are managed has career implications. Based on current literature, this paper presents a model of early career teacher resilience where resilience is seen as a process located at the interface of personal and contextual challenges and resources. Through a semi-structured interview the challenges faced by thirteen Australian early career teachers and the resources available to manage these challenges are examined. Findings show that beginning teachers experience multiple, varied and ongoing challenges and that personal and contextual resources are both important in sustaining them through the beginning year(s) of their teaching careers. The study emphasises the critical roles played by family and friends and the importance of relationships in the resilience process. Implications for future research and teacher education are discussed.

Classroom Ready? Building Resilience in Teacher Education

“…There were ideas regarding how to develop personal resources and strategies such as developing refl ective skills (Leroux & Théorêt, 2014 ), enhancing emotional competence (Hong, 2012 ), managing stress (Curry & O'Brien, 2012 ) and developing coping strategies (Mansfi eld, Beltman, & Price, 2014 ). Other suggestions were connected to the importance of building relationships and included assertiveness training (Ee & Chang, 2010 ), managing relationships (Keogh, 2010 ) and dealing with parents (Fantilli & McDougall, 2009 ).…”

In-service teacher training to provide psychosocial support and care in high-risk and high-need schools: school-based intervention partnerships

“…In their work on teacher resilience, Mansfield, Beltman, and Price (2014) note the importance of partnerships, which they define as contextual resources, to support early career teachers to remain as teachers. Similarly, Ebersöhn (2012) found that teachers' adaptation was supported by them flocking together in partnerships with peers, as well as a range of school-community service providers.…”

Influences on the capacities for emotional resilience of teachers in schools serving disadvantaged urban communities: Challenges of living on the edge

“…'), the research reported in this paper challenges the 'false distinction' between the 'personal' and the 'professional.' It draws attention, for example, to the differences that can be made by various types of support provided formally and informally, for example, the critical role played by family and friends and in-school task appreciation by school leaders and colleagues (Papatraianou & Le Cornu, 2014;Mansfield, Beltman, & Price, 2014).…”