Concerns of Beginning Teachers

Chapter 11 Exploring Your Role, Jalongo & Isenberg, Pearson Education, Inc., 2004

Relationships with children and families. What should I expect from children of this

age? How will I respond? Will my response be appropriate? What if children, parents, or families don’t like

or respect me? What if a child has a problem that I do not

know how to handle? How will I talk with parents and families

during conferences? I’ve never done this before!

Chapter 11 Exploring Your Role, Jalongo & Isenberg, Pearson Education, Inc., 2004

Relationships with adults. What if my supervisors don’t like or respect me? What if I make a terrible mistake? What if I am observed on my very worst day of

teaching? If my supervisors think that my teaching is bad,

what will I do? Will I be encouraged and helped, or simply

branded as a bad teacher? What about my grade point average or other types

of evaluation? What if my supervisors don’t agree on what I

should be doing? Will I be caught in the middle?Chapter 11 Exploring Your Role, Jalongo & Isenberg, Pearson Education, Inc., 2004

Learning Activities. What if the activity that I have planned turns out to

be a disaster? What if children are uninterested or won’t

cooperate? What if I plan something for half an hour and the

children are done in a few minutes? How will I ever find the time to plan adequately for

everything I am expected to do? How am I going to assess children’s learning? What can I do to make sure that I treat children

fairly?

Chapter 11 Exploring Your Role, Jalongo & Isenberg, Pearson Education, Inc., 2004

Future career.

Will I be able to find a good job? How will I conduct myself during

interviews? How will I make sure that prospective

employers know what I can do and give me a chance?

*McDonald, 1991

Chapter 11 Exploring Your Role, Jalongo & Isenberg, Pearson Education, Inc.,

2004