It’s early November. The leaves are falling, daylight is shrinking, and somewhere in a classroom across your district a new teacher is quietly asking themselves a question no one is hearing:

“Can I really do this for the rest of the year — or will I quietly walk away after winter break?”

As a former teacher and now a coach working with early-career educators, I’ve witnessed this moment more times than I can count. One story still sits with me:

I was coaching a second-year elementary teacher — we’ll call her Maya — who had started the year energized, hopeful, and deeply committed to her students. But by late October of her second year, she called me one evening and said:

“I’m planning to resign after winter break. I just can’t keep doing this.”

Her principal believed she was doing well:
“She’s fine — she just needs more classroom management experience.”

But Maya wasn’t fine.
She was exhausted.
Isolated.
Overwhelmed by the gap between what she thought she should be able to sustain and what she was actually experiencing.

She was attending mandatory ELA trainings, juggling Infinite Campus updates, managing parent calls, and navigating complex student needs — with almost no structured support or space to process the emotional and instructional weight of it all.

What struck me most was not her resignation plan — it was how quietly it was happening.

No one knew.

And I remember thinking:

If Maya is here, how many more are here, too?

The Data Confirm What We Are Seeing

• Roughly 30% of new teachers leave their school within a year.

• Nationally, 44% of teachers exit the profession within five years.

• More than 55% of educators say they’re considering leaving earlier than originally planned.

• Schools and districts lose $20,000–$25,000 per departing teacher when accounting for recruitment, substitutes, training, and lost continuity.

And here’s the most critical insight:

New teachers don’t decide to stay or leave in May.
They decide in November.
They just don’t submit the resignation paperwork until January.

So What Do Schools Do Now — In the Middle of Everything Else?

We often assume the solution is major PD, new training programs, or another initiative.

But the most impactful retention move this month is much simpler:

One Actionable Step This Week

Hold a 20-minute, non-evaluative “What’s Heavy?” conversation with every early-career teacher.

Ask only three questions:

What is feeling heavy for you right now?

What is one routine or instructional move you would like support in strengthening?

What is one thing we can put in place before winter break to make things feel more manageable?

And most importantly:

Do not coach, correct, or redirect in this meeting.
Listen. Document. Follow up with support.

This one move builds belonging, psychological safety, and restores belief — before they reach the point of emotional exit.

How NTOB Can Support Schools Right Now

New Teachers on the Block partners with districts and schools to:

• Coach instructional coaches and leaders on how to lead these conversations with skill and care

• Train early-career teachers in practical, Monday-ready routines, culture-building strategies, and confidence-building instructional moves

• Design 30/60/90-day support rhythms that reduce overwhelm and stabilize retention before winter break arrives

We don’t fix morale with motivational speeches.
We fix it with systems of support that are human, predictable, and doable.

Final Thought 

If a teacher is questioning whether they can come back after the holidays, you won’t see it in their lesson plans.
You won’t see it in their hallway smile.
You won’t see it during a walk-through.

You will only know if you ask now — and create support now.

November is the turning point.
The window to keep them is open — but it is closing.

Act now.
Not in January.
Now.

Join the Movement to Support & Retain New Teachers

If your school, district, or teacher preparation program is ready to shift from surviving the semester to strategic, sustainable support, I invite you to join the movement.

Schedule a “November Retention Pulse” consultation and let’s build the plan before winter break.

Visit: https://newteachersontheblock.com
New Teachers on the Block (NTOB) — Equipping. Encouraging. Empowering.

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