Are new teachers more effective than veteran teachers?

If experience doesn't matter, teaching isn't really a profession is it? In what other "profession" would "consumers" choose the least experienced to go to bat for them. Give me the least experienced surgeon. Give me the least experienced attorney. Right. The only way to justify getting rid of experienced teachers is by using test scores, the least valid way to evaluate teachers and schools. Why wasn't anyone paying attention when Nation at Risk got this insane ball rolling? Ugh. We need veteran and rookie teachers supporting each other. I love the energy of new teachers. They appreciate my experience-based perspective.

This is an interesting question. I spent 31 years working in the classroom before being selected to become a New Teacher Coach/Mentor at the high school level. New teachers often bring to the task a more current skill set, enthusiasm, and very little baggage concerning how to get the job done. They embrace technology at all levels and most work extremely hard to master the job. What they lack is time on the job that provides a much deeper understanding of both the practice and the politics of what they do. As a coach it has been exciting for me to help novice teachers learn to manage time, tasks, collegial relations, student-parent relations, and stress effectively so they can be sure to live balanced lives and maintain their love for the profession. I could not do this effectively if I had not had so many years of experience educating students myself. I think it important not to ask who is more valuable or effective but to realize that great teachers benefit from great mentors who have the ability to support their growth professionally as our field transitions. America's schools can only provide an excellent educational experience to all if we are willing to identify and empower the brightest and the best among us regardless of years of experience at all levels in the field. When this happens, learning gaps will diminish and our children's futures in this country will be secure. It's time to honor the real purpose of an education which is to prepare our children to be constructive,productive, caring, responsible,and contributing members of society. Let's stop embracing ideas that encourage the all or nothing mentality which causes division of purpose and instead recognize that cooperation, collaboration ,empowerment and excellence are the elements needed to make our educational institutions not only effective but great.

You may wish to try Dan Pink's book: A Whole New Mind. I'm not certain these exact statistics are in there, but like statistics are definitely there.

Veterans have the advantage over new teachers because they know the ropes, have experienced things first hand, and have carefully honed their craft. New teachers bring in fresh knowledge, enthusiasm, and determination. However, I still think this all boils down to whether you get it or you don't. I think there are some things that just can't be taught, things that come naturally. I thing teaching is one of them.

Teachers, find your love of teaching again.: http://leahmacvieblog.leah-marie.com/2010/10/choice-the-power-of-one-tea...

[quote]Seventy-eight percent of our citizens read at less than fifth grade level, ninety-seven percent of our incarcerated citizens have specific learning challenges and deficits. Only thirty-two percent of our high-school students actually graduate from high-school. What is worse, our traditional schools are catering to only twenty-two percent of our learners (left brain). [/quote]

Is there a credible source for these statistics? I've been looking for information exactly like this, but haven't found a good source.

Most new teachers are motivated to do better, i.e., attain a permanent position, lobby for a new one, reach tenure. In addition they are not burned out yet. While they often struggle early in classroom management, they are more open to suggestions from administrators. They come to the table with newer techniques and strategies, and being closer in age they can empathize or difuse issues easier as they understand better.

This is the wrong question to be asking. Both sets of teachers have valuable things to offer to students and when we start drawing dividing lines, the ones who suffer are the students. New teachers don't come in knowing what to do in the classroom no matter how much they've studied and researched, no matter how good a student of education they were, there are things they aren't prepared for. And vetran teachers don't stop learning new things when they walk through the classroom doors (at least we can hope not), but they can still use new teachers with different ideas and viewpoints to infuse their own. The same can be said of anyone in any profession who is open to learning and change though. Asking who is better makes educating into a competition instead of an opportunity for sharing best practices and being open to growing and changing.

Considering the lack or real useable material new teachers come with, they are definitely not as effective. They have real cool ideas, but they lack the skill and understanding to really implement them well yet. I've seen many new teachers that could have had stellar curricula if they had been paired with a veteran teacher that could have helped them pace and tweak their curriculum to make it accessible to their current student population. I definitely think if the veteran teacher is jaded and not trying its a different story, but I'm assuming we're talking about good new teacher versus good veteran teacher.

And to comment on your example of schools in China and Japan, those parents are heavily involved. Those teachers don't have to call five or six different numbers to find a child's parent, in their culture education is highly important and highly regarded, unlike the United States. Teaching is a talent and calling, some of us have the talent and answer the calling and give everything we have to our "kids" everyday and lots of time after school hours to compensate for the mentality of this country that education is not that important and every aspect of the child's learning process is the teacher's sole responsibility~parents no longer need to have a vested interest once their child enters school.

I don't discriminate. An old teacher can be just as bad as a new teacher. A new teacher can be just as bad as an old teacher.

Effective teachers are effective teachers. The traits that they have are diffficult to describe but you know one when you see one.

Read: When Students Are Bored