Don’t Just Prepare New Teachers, Nurture Them

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Don’t just prepare new teachers, nurture them

By Suzanne Bouffard

Categories: Career pathways, Implementation, Mentoring & induction, System leadership

Throughout the production of this issue, I have heard outstanding educators lament their first years of teaching. Pointing to their past shortcomings, they blame themselves, saying things like: “I had no idea what I was doing,” “My students deserved better,” or “I wish I could go back and apologize to those students.” One coach said she connects with former students on social media for the express purpose of apologizing. What’s often missing in these stories is the role of the systems that let those new teachers down — and, by extension, let students down. Teaching is not just a tough job; it’s a complex one that demands ongoing learning, constant recalibration, and flexibility that would stun a gymnast. Teaching isn’t something a person can do

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Suzanne Bouffard

Senior Vice President, Communications & Publications | + posts

Suzanne Bouffard is senior vice president of communications and publications at Learning Forward. She is the editor of The Learning Professional, Learning Forward’s flagship publication. She also contributes to the Learning Forward blog and webinars. With a background in child development, she has a passion for making research and best practices accessible to educators, policymakers, and families. She has written for many national publications including The New York Times and the Atlantic, and previously worked as a writer and researcher at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. She has a Ph.D. in developmental psychology from Duke University and a B.A. from Wesleyan University. She loves working with authors to help them develop their ideas and voices for publication.