Onboarding New Teachers

Recently I went through the process of being onboarded for some work I’ll be doing at a K-12 educational institution.

The onboarding process was as follows:

Day 1:

I was met by the Talent aspect of the Human Resource department, the person who hired me.

We spoke briefly and warmly, and then I was escorted to the Orientation Room.

It was here that the onboarding began.

I was introduced to the tech experts—the ones who make the emails go zoom.

They gave a thorough introduction on how to get emails, how to ask for tech help (what happens if the internet goes down?!!) and so on.

That very funny presentation took about 30 minutes.

I was also treated to a poem—tech folk are multi-faceted.

Then we learned about sexual harassment in the workplace (don’t do it) and corporal punishment (don’t do it) from a different human resource expert. (I wondered if he was an attorney; the language was very specific).

Then we moved into setting up benefits, taxes, and so on. This was done under the expert and well-dressed guidance of the talent expert.

A word about dress—

Everyone is well-dressed. Everyone. The styles vary, but it’s as if there is a silent and friendly one-upsmanship happening and I’m here for it.

The first day of onboarding took about four hours, and that included some tangent conversations that involved tea, grounding, international travel, and Mortal Kombat.

Day 2 of onboarding was more in-depth.

1. I met the principal in the main office first thing in the morning.She greeted me warmly, asked me for the proper pronunciation of my name, and then personally escorted me to the room with the person I would be shadowing for the day.

Let’s break this down.

A. The leader of the school greeted me warmly. This made me feel safe, comfortable and welcome.

B. She asked for the correct pronunciation of my name. I have worked in places where people didn’t know my name for the entire school year and I worked right next to them.

C. She took me to the room. Not a student helper. She did.

D I was meant to shadow someone. This meant that I was not alone, that I would learn all the little things you don’t think of on the first day like what does that bell mean or can I eat the cafeteria lunch too .

2. I was able to observe an obviously award winning, published, expert teacher Do Her Thang, Okurr? Her routine was down, students knew the expectations, and they gave it all. Brilliant.
3. Then Lunch!
4. Then I was able to observe yet another expert teacher. Different style from the first, no less challenging. High expectations are the norm.
5. And then it was over.I learned more by sitting there and watching than I ever could’ve learned in a meeting.In addition, being given time to learn the rhythm of the environment is such a wonderful way to be brought into the fold of an educational institution.

I have now experienced a prime example of how to bring a teacher into a piano studio, school and establishment. I plan to write this up and disseminate it to new studios.