Chapter 4: Jekyll and Hyde: One Teacher—Two Schools

New teachers are filled with the idealism of a perfect classroom, perfect students, students who respond positively to the efforts of the teacher, and expected support from their new campus and administrators. However, the reality for new teachers is often very different (Clark & Byrnes, 2012). This incoming idealized perception contributes to higher teacher attrition, especially for middle and high school teachers. New teachers often face more challenges than their experienced peers; such as, being assigned the students with significant academic or behavioral challenges, classrooms with fewest resources and worn furniture, and lack of support by others. On rare occasions, these new teachers may be given a split assignment—being assigned to two schools in the district. Using a phenomenological, single-case study approach, against the backdrop of the Dr. Jekyll–Mr. Hyde metaphor, this chapter describes one teacher’s experiences as a new teacher whose first job was in a difficult and demanding teaching assignment.