What Principals Should Teach Every New Teacher

Yesterday, I stood in front of a group of brand-new teachers starting their residency program. These educators were about to enter classrooms for the first time, armed with passion but facing the reality that good intentions don’t automatically translate to student outcomes.

I spend most of my time working with principals, superintendents, and network leaders, the people responsible for creating the systems that help teachers succeed. But yesterday reminded me of something crucial: The most important work principals do isn’t managing systems or analyzing data; it’s developing the people who directly impact students every day.

As I looked at these new teachers, I knew I had to give them something practical, something that would help them not just survive their first year but instead thrive and become the kind of educators our students deserve. What struck me as I shared these principles was this: Every principal should be having this exact conversation with their new teachers.

I left them with four principles that separate good teachers from great ones. Four simple words that all start with F. These aren’t just nice ideas; they’re the foundation of teacher success that principals can actively cultivate in their buildings.

1. Feedback: Teach Them to Be Hungry for It

“Receive feedback, ask for feedback, and implement it consistently,” I told them. Then I shared a story that every principal should know: “I once had a first-year teacher who surpassed her mentor teacher in her first year because she was so hungry for feedback.”

This teacher didn’t just wait for formal evaluations or scheduled observations. When I left her classroom one day to use the restroom, planning to come right back to give her real-time feedback, she literally chased me down the hallway. She couldn’t wait.

What principals can do: Create a culture where feedback is expected, not feared. Instead of saving observations for evaluation season, make daily and weekly classroom visits the norm. More importantly, teach new teachers how to ask for feedback. Give them sentence starters: “What’s one thing I could have done differently in that lesson?” or “What did you notice about student engagement that I might have missed?”

That hunger for improvement is what separates those who grow exponentially from those who plateau. But principals have to model it first. When you openly seek feedback from your own teachers and act on it visibly, you create permission for everyone to grow.

2. Follow the Best: Help Them Find Excellence

“Find the best teachers and leaders in your building,” I continued. “If they’re not in your building, find them in your city. If not in your city, find them in your state. Study them. Emulate their practices. Ask them to observe you and give you feedback.”

Excellence leaves clues, but new teachers need principals to help them find those clues. Too many new teachers try to reinvent the wheel instead of learning from those who’ve already figured out how to make it turn smoothly.

What principals can do: Don’t leave this to chance. Deliberately pair new teachers with your strongest performers, not just for mentoring, but for observation and study. Create structured opportunities for new teachers to observe excellence, both in your building and beyond. Consider organizing field trips to high-performing schools, bringing in master teachers for demonstration lessons, or creating video libraries of your best teachers in action.

More importantly, teach new teachers how to analyze what they observe. It’s not enough to watch; they need to understand why certain practices work and how to adapt them to their own style and students.

3. Focus on Data-Driven Planning

Here’s the hard truth I shared, and it’s one every principal should communicate clearly: “Never assume that because you taught it, they got it. In fact, I can guarantee you that 100 percent of your students did not master it the first time. So now that you know that going in, what will you do about it?”

The answer: Plan for re-teaching from day one. Build in time for reviewing exit tickets and incorporating spiraled review. Student achievement data will increase exponentially because of this simple shift in mindset.

What principals can do: Help new teachers understand that data isn’t about judgment; it’s about information. Provide simple, consistent tools for gathering daily data. This could be exit tickets, quick checks for understanding, or informal assessments. More importantly, protect time for teachers to actually review and use this data.

Keep it simple. Data analysis and re-teaching don’t have to be complex. Consistency will win the day, every time. When principals create systems that make data review automatic rather than additional, teachers are more likely to use it effectively.

4. Fun: Give Them Permission to Enjoy the Work

Finally, I gave them permission to be human: “Your first year of anything will suck, but stick with it. You will be substantially better in year two with lots of lessons learned. Either way, have fun. Plan to have fun with your students, your peers, your family, and yourself. This work is only sustainable if you don’t take yourself too seriously.”

Teaching is hard. But when we lose the joy, we lose our effectiveness. The most impactful educators I know have figured out how to maintain their sense of humor and find genuine enjoyment in the work, even during the toughest moments.

What principals can do: Model this yourself. Let new teachers see you laughing with students, celebrating small wins, and finding moments of lightness in difficult days. Create opportunities for teachers to connect with each other beyond just work tasks. Protect them from taking on too much in their first year, and remind them that perfection isn’t the goal; growth is.

How Principals Can Implement the 4 F’s

• Early in the school year: Have this conversation with every new teacher. Don’t assume they know these principles; teach them explicitly.
• Monthly check-ins: Use the 4 F’s as your framework for new teacher support conversations. Ask: “How are you seeking feedback? Who are you following and learning from? What does your data tell you? How are you taking care of yourself?”
• Peer partnerships: Pair new teachers strategically with veterans who embody these principles. Make the expectations clear: this isn’t just about survival support; it’s also about excellence development.
• Systems support: Create building-wide systems that make these principles easier to follow. Regular feedback cycles, observation opportunities, data review protocols, and culture-building activities.

Why This Framework Works

As I watched this group of new teachers take notes and nod along, I realized something important: These same principles that make teachers excellent are what make principals excellent, too. When you hunger for feedback, study the best, use data to drive decisions, and maintain joy in the work, you model exactly what you’re asking of your teachers.

The teacher who chased me down the hallway for feedback? She’s a teacher leader and mentor now, known for the culture of continuous improvement she builds wherever she goes. The principles that made her an exceptional teacher in year one continue to serve her as she develops others.

The Ripple Effect

When principals invest in new teachers with this kind of intentionality, they’re not just improving individual classrooms; they’re building the culture of their entire school. Today’s feedback-hungry teacher becomes tomorrow’s mentor who expects growth from everyone. Today’s data-focused educator becomes the teacher leader who helps others improve instruction.

But it starts with principals being clear about what excellence looks like and giving teachers the tools to get there from day one. The 4 F’s aren’t complicated, but they’re also not automatic. They require intentional cultivation and consistent reinforcement. When principals make these principles part of their new teacher development from the start, they set everyone up for success.

Because our students deserve teachers who are growing, learning, and thriving, not just surviving.

Brandi Nicole Chin is a nationally recognized expert in educational leadership and founder of the highest-performing middle school in Denver. She has coached hundreds of school leaders nationwide and currently leads strategic initiatives expanding high-quality school options throughout Missouri. Her book Hope Is Not a Strategy: How Great Leaders Build Real Accountability launches in December 2025.