By David Cicarella, NHFT President
When it comes to teaching, the research is clear. Experience matters. Dozens of studies published within the past 15 years have analyzed the effect of teaching experience on student outcomes and have found that teacher effectiveness associated with experience are the most profound in the early years of our careers, but absolutely continue, often as long as 20 or 30 years. Teacher effectiveness increases at a greater rate when we teach in a supportive and collegial environment. An equally important factor is to allow teachers to accumulate experience in the same grade level, subject matter, or district.
No research suggests that the mere passage of time will make every teacher better. However, it does clearly indicate that for most teachers experience increases effectiveness. The greatest gains in teacher effectiveness occur when conditions for collegial relationships among staff exist along with a positive and professional working environment.
New teachers bring new ideas and fresh energy. Providing our new colleagues with high-quality mentoring will yield experienced teachers that continue to improve in their craft as they remain in the profession. The benefits of experience will be the most profound when new teachers are carefully selected and comprehensively evaluated. Study after study confirms the above conclusions. Experience matters.