Retention is the Result Part 3 of 5

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Set Teachers Up for Success With Onboarding 

For most schools, onboarding isn’t the highest priority. Usually, it’s relegated to the realms of HR and leaders spend their time thinking about other things they believe are more important. 

But you’re missing out on a massive opportunity to set your teachers up for success if you gloss over this impactful moment in a teacher’s career at your school.

Yes, teachers new to your school need to sign all of the policies, learn how the payroll systems work, and understand how to request time off. And most states have requirements or recommendations around induction you’ll need to honor as well. 

That’s not what I want to focus on here. 

Rather, I want to help you maximize the onboarding experience for new teachers so that they feel excited, energized, and prepared to jump into action on their first day. My goal is that every teacher feels empowered to contribute meaningfully right from the start.

So how do we do that? 

Design Your Onboarding Playbook

The most prepared schools have a playbook for their teachers’ success—and I’m not talking about the employee manual or handbook that everyone is given by HR!

No, this playbook is your new teachers’ deeper dive into understanding the culture of the school that they’re joining. It should cover all of the standard logistics and institutional knowledge they need to know: policies, procedures, processes, ethics code, and contact information. But it should go much deeper than that, too. 

To start, add a customized letter at the front of the playbook to tell your new hires exactly what strengths you saw in them from their interviews, and how you envision them fitting into the picture at your school. This is a powerful way to engage teachers and continue to build a strong relationship with them right from the get-go. In fact, consider sending them a small, personalized gift along with the playbook to reinforce your gratitude and excitement for them.