It has been nearly ten years since the publication of “From heaven to reality through crisis: novice teachers as migrants” by Naama Sabar. However, when I examined the issues raised in this article, I could see that the challenges I have faced as a teacher trainee are similar to those that the subjects of this study went through. I am not a teacher yet; nevertheless, I have experienced some of these difficulties although I do not have much responsibility as a teacher in my practicum school. I have not experienced most of these cases recited in the article; but I believe that being in a real school environment helps us presuppose the demands of beginning our career as novice teachers.
The writer defines three stages that novices go through during their experience; these are fantasy, reality and adjustment. When I compared this to my own practicum experience, I have found out that I have always been in the fantasy stage from the beginning of my senior year. I hoped that everything was going to be very good. I had the misconception that I could control how effective my training experience would become. It was only when I started to be involved in lessons and when I made my unofficial presentations that I have been involved in a little bit of reality. There are so many extrinsic variables that affect my experience that it seems impossible to control them all. It would be correct to say that we as teacher trainees are much more relax than the novice teachers as it is the teacher who has the responsibility of the classroom even if we are in the classroom. This reduces most of the stress and pressure on us. However, it was still disappointing for me when I found out that the class was really tired at the end of the day while I was really enthusiastic about my first unofficial presentation. I think this is an example of what the writer calls “classroom realities” and there are much more varieties to these realities. During the observation hours, it is possible for trainers to witness some of these classroom variables. Yet, the unpredictability of the situations that arise in the classroom is scary for most of us. The article also made me realize that there are many variables other than in- class variables such as school administration, mentor teachers and veteran teachers that may affect novice teachers’ experience. After reading this article, I have a more clear idea about what to expect once I start my teaching career. I feel one step closer to the reality stage, and the quotes from the subjects of the study have been really helpful in this sense.
Another point I want to talk about is the fact that the subjects of this study started teaching in public junior and senior high schools. In my opinion, this is a variable that affects their experience positively. The writer does not give any information about the conditions and opportunities in public schools versus private schools in Israel. However, when we think about the context in Turkey, this would mean a really big issue for a novice teacher. The difference between the qualities of public versus private schools in our country is obvious even if there are exceptions. Teaching in a private school would be an extra source of stress and burden for a novice teacher in Turkey. The demands and the levels of success expected from the classes and thus the teacher tend to be really high in most cases. Throughout my training experience; I have generally been surprised by the high levels of vocabulary and speaking skills even low grade students possess, and I have found the work load on the teachers and the students excessive. This makes me think that it would be much more difficult to meet the demands in a private institution compared to a public school. In Turkey context, a novice teacher would certainly feel an extra load of stress and frustration as a result of the fear of not being able to meet the demands of the private institution while at the same time trying to realize professional and social integration. In my opinion, the writer could have added this dimension to his study as well; and he could have included the types of school as a variable affecting novice teachers’ experiences in the workplace.
To summarize; throughout Naama Sabar’s article, the quotes from novice teachers have influenced me the most. I have realized that the things that make me scared as a teacher candidate are normal processes that all teachers go through and there are ways to cope with them in time. In this sense, I have found the article helpful and thought provoking especially for future teachers like myself.
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