Best Practice: How to welcome a new teacher into school

To ensure a good start for both the newly recruited teacher and the school, the school leader (and/or mentor/senior teacher) may:

• Select a mentor to guide the new teacher. This could be the school leader, head of department or a senior teacher. The mentor will also manage the probation and induction programme with the school leader.
• In secondary schools the Head of Departments (Science, Arts and Commercial) have special obligation for mentoring new teachers in their subject.
• Welcome the new teacher appropriately and introduce them to their new colleagues, either in a group or one by one.
• Show the new teacher around the school premises and introduces facilities, teaching materials and tools the new teacher will need.
• Explain the basic duties of a teacher in the school making sure the new teacher understands.
• The school leader, mentor and new teacher should prepare a systematic plan for probation, mentoring and induction.
• Observe the new teacher in a friendly and unobtrusive way and guide them constructively without negative criticism.