Cultivating Connection: Leadership Practices that Support Early Career Teachers’ Sense of Belonging

Abstract

Given the multiple transitions that early career teachers (ECTs) experience in the initial years of their careers, navigating a sense of belonging can be particularly challenging. Using data from a series of phenomenological interviews with seven ECTs in the southeastern United States, this article investigates the role of school leaders in shaping and supporting ECTs’ sense of belonging. Major findings suggest that school leadership practices that encouraged ECTs’ psychological safety, visibility within their schools, and social connection with colleagues strongly influenced their sense of belonging. Prioritizing a sense of belonging enables school leaders to foster confidence and effectiveness, thus supporting ECTs’ retention and effectiveness.