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Kutsyuruba B, Lewis D. (2026). Using Traits of Leadership to Overcome the Challenges of Becoming and Being a New Teacher in Ontario. johepal. 7(2), 128-145. doi:10.66224/johepal.7.2.128
URL: http://johepal.com/article-1-1770-en.html
URL: http://johepal.com/article-1-1770-en.html
Using Traits of Leadership to Overcome the Challenges of Becoming and Being a New Teacher in Ontario
Abstract: (694 Views)
This article details a self-study and collaborative response to an early career teacher (ECT) facing challenges in the first year of teaching. Some of the experiences were so demanding that the ECT considered leaving the profession altogether. It is for this reason that the ECT completed a self-study in the first year of teaching under the guidance of a mentor (a former instructor in their teacher education program). The ECT worked as both an occasional teacher and long term occasional teacher in Ontario, Canada during this study. Each teaching assignment presented different kinds of challenges. Although each experience and the accompanying challenges were unique, all of them were overcome with attention to specific traits of leadership. The use of these traits was explored through a self-study methodology that included daily self-reflection, frequent journaling of experiences, and timely communication with a mentor. This article discusses the greatest challenges the ECT experienced in the first year and the ways in which the ECT overcame them through leadership. The article concludes with system-level recommendations developed from these experiences. It is hoped that the insights herein can be used by other new teachers as they navigate the vicissitudes of teaching themselves.
Keywords: Early Career Teachers, Self-Study of Teacher Education Practices, Teacher Resilience, Mentorship, Leadership in Early Career Teaching, Reflective Practice, Teacher Leadership
Type of Study: Research |
Subject:
Special
Received: 2025/10/29 | Accepted: 2026/05/24 | Published: 2026/06/30
Received: 2025/10/29 | Accepted: 2026/05/24 | Published: 2026/06/30
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