Coming into Teaching: The Impact of the Profession on Novice Teachers’ Feelings, Identities, and Wellbeing

Résumé

Teaching is considered a difficult, demanding, and exhausting job. The interplay of several features, components, and hardships in the profession renders its sustainment arduous. Often, teachers have to learn and re-learn on the job, thus undergoing multi-layered transformations that provoke many tensions. Drawing upon the existing literature and a mixed-method study, this article examines the influence of the teaching profession on novice teachers’ feelings, identities (professional and personal), and wellbeing. To collect data, a cohort of novice Algerian EFL teachers participated in the exploration through an online survey. The results, analysed graphically and qualitatively (thematically), reveal that novice teachers find teaching overwhelming and consuming. The participant teachers reckon that teaching has added to their stress and anxiety levels, affecting their physical and mental health, memory, and concentration. Therefore, it is concluded that teaching transforms novices’ feelings, identities, and wellbeing through its processes, routines, responsibilities, and commitments. The study recommends relying on a support system that assists teachers in coping with the impact and adversity of the profession. Providing assistance and encouragement for teachers is also advised. Moreover, improving one’s reflective practice, resilience, stress management, self-care, and dedication to the job can be functional mental and emotional resources for teachers.