Before returning to early childhood education, I held a supervisory position in the service side of a major insurance company. My orientation and onboarding lasted 18 months. I spent time in every department, learning how the company operated and how its people worked together. The company expected me to understand its culture and the connections among departments, alongside my own responsibilities.
That investment shaped how I understood supervision. I needed to see the organization as a whole to lead effectively within it. Learning the culture required time, relationships, and opportunities to ask questions.
When I returned to early childhood, real world, I noticed gaps in how programs prepared and supported employees. I raised business-related concerns with directors, but often felt those concerns received little attention while conversations remained centered on child development. Child development was essential to our work. I also believed that sound organizational practices were necessary to support the adults responsible for children’s experiences.
Many difficulties my colleagues described seemed connected to unclear expectations and insufficient preparation for their workplace. As my responsibilities expanded to national leadership, I continued encountering this pattern. From my vantage point, more than 12 years passed before I saw sustained recognition in the conversations around me that early childhood programs also require business expertise.
That experience still informs my question for directors. How intentionally do we help a newly hired educator become a capable, informed member of our organization?
What onboarding research tells us
Orientation introduces the workplace and its immediate expectations. Onboarding extends that introduction through guided learning, feedback, and growing responsibility. A handbook and welcome meeting can be useful starting points, but educators also need opportunities to apply what they learn. For directors, this means deciding who will explain a practice, who will model it, and who will follow up. The process should make room for the new educator’s questions and contributions as well as the program’s expectations. That takes intentional planning before a new vacancy is filled.
In a 2026 study, Denker, Markowitz, and Bassok examined 2021 survey responses from 314 newly hired teachers in publicly funded child care centers in Jefferson and Orleans parishes, Louisiana. Fifty-eight percent reported individual training or a meeting with a site leader; 53 percent observed or shadowed another teacher. About one-quarter did not agree that they received sufficient onboarding, and more than one-fifth did not report feeling prepared afterward (Denker et al. 2026).
Experiencing more onboarding practices was associated with stronger professional well-being. Classroom coaching showed particularly consistent positive associations across the teacher outcomes examined. However, this observational, self-reported study cannot establish causation. Its two-parish sample and pandemic-era data also limit generalization.
A broader systematic review offers cautious support. Frögéli, Jenner, and Gustavsson (2023) found the strongest evidence for structured, supported training on the job. Evidence certainty was low, and most participants were nurses, limiting direct application to child care. Together, these studies encourage directors to examine how new employees learn through supported work.
Connecting operations with children’s experiences
An early childhood program must coordinate staffing, payroll, enrollment, family communication, and classroom practice. Onboarding can show educators how these responsibilities connect. For example, learning how to request coverage helps a teacher understand who arranges support when a classroom needs assistance. Clear procedures give teachers a reliable path for seeking help.
Recent leadership research reinforces the need for administrative preparation. A McCormick Institute report examined self-reports from 649 administrators across 23 states and identified differences in confidence across career stages, including human resources and systems development. The study assessed perceived confidence and did not measure performance, but its findings support targeted leadership learning (Kelton et al. 2026).
My insurance company experience suggests a practical adaptation. Help each new educator understand the whole program. Arrange brief introductions to staff who handle enrollment, food service, scheduling, and family support. Explain their roles and how teachers collaborate with them. Even in a small program, one person may perform several of these functions.
Making the culture visible
Culture is communicated through everyday responses. Imagine a newly hired teacher who asks why children must wait so long between lunch and rest. A director can treat the question as useful information, invite the teacher to describe what she noticed, and examine the schedule together. That response teaches the employee how ideas are received.
A dismissive response, such as saying the schedule has always been that way, may discourage further inquiry. Posting a statement about collaboration cannot substitute for making time to listen.
Directors can also ask new educators about language preferences, accessibility needs, previous experience, and concerns about asking for help. Explain unwritten routines openly so employees can learn them before mistakes occur. New staff should learn how the program works while having opportunities to help it improve. Experienced teachers joining a different program need this introduction, too; expertise in teaching does not provide familiarity with a new workplace.
Planning the first 90 days
The following framework is my proposed application of these ideas. The Louisiana study did not test a 90-day schedule. Directors should adjust its pace to the educator’s experience, role, and learning needs while meeting all required preparation before assigning responsibilities.
Days 1 through 30 Building understanding
Begin before the first day with a named contact, a clear schedule, and an explanation of what the educator will learn. During the opening weeks, introduce the program’s philosophy, daily operations, and expectations for working with children, families, and colleagues.
Clarify responsibilities and decision boundaries. Which classroom choices can the educator make independently? When should the teacher consult a colleague or contact the director? Practice common situations, such as communicating a family concern or requesting assistance.
Arrange guided observation of an experienced educator. Identify a focus, such as welcoming children or supporting transitions, and discuss the reasoning behind the observed practice. Invite the new teacher to contribute knowledge from previous experience. Schedule brief, regular check-ins so questions have a dependable place.
Days 31 through 60 Practicing with coaching
Move from observation into supported practice. A coach or prepared mentor can observe an agreed-upon classroom routine, describe what happened, and invite the teacher’s interpretation. Together, identify one next step and revisit it during the next observation.
Choose one meaningful improvement goal. For example, a teacher might work toward helping children participate more comfortably in cleanup. The teacher and mentor could examine waiting time, materials, and adult language, then try an adjustment and observe children’s responses.
Include reflection on relationships and organizational routines. Ask whether the educator knows whom to approach for supplies, curriculum questions, or scheduling support. Address confusion promptly, and arrange paid time and classroom coverage for mentoring.
Days 61 through 90 Strengthening professional judgment
Increase responsibility as the educator demonstrates readiness. Ask the teacher to explain the observations and reasoning behind a decision, including how family perspectives and children’s individual needs informed it.
At the 90-day conversation, review progress toward the improvement goal and identify continuing support. Invite feedback on the onboarding experience: Which explanations helped? What remained unclear? What should the next new employee experience differently?
This emphasis on collaborative learning and reflection aligns with NAEYC’s professional standards, particularly competencies 6d and 6e (NAEYC 2020). Continue coaching beyond day 90 whenever needed; completing a calendar period does not establish mastery.
Preparing directors to support new educators
Directors need preparation for this work themselves. Assigning a strong teacher to mentor someone does not automatically prepare that teacher to observe, give useful feedback, or support adult learning. Agree on the mentor’s responsibilities, provide guidance, and check whether the arrangement is working for both people.
Budget for the time involved. If onboarding depends on a mentor skipping breaks or a new employee studying everything at home, the program has placed its learning responsibilities on already busy educators. Identify who will cover classrooms and how meetings will fit into paid schedules.
Program owners, technical assistance providers, and funders can help directors build these systems. Onboarding also belongs within a larger commitment to fair compensation, manageable workloads, and respectful supervision. A welcoming beginning cannot resolve every reason an educator might leave.
Learning from each new hire
Directors can examine both implementation and experience. Track whether planned observations, coaching visits, and check-ins actually occurred. Then ask employees whether those experiences helped them understand their work. Attendance at a meeting is different from having an opportunity to practice a skill.
At 30, 60, and 90 days, ask what feels clear, where assistance is needed, and whether the educator feels comfortable raising a concern. Pair these conversations with supportive classroom observations. Over time, review patterns in early departures and exit feedback, recognizing that pay, staffing, and personal circumstances also influence employment decisions.
If several teachers struggle with the same procedure, revisit the procedure and how it is taught. Use the information to improve the workplace. New employees can reveal assumptions that longtime staff no longer notice.
My 18-month experience showed me what it feels like when an employer makes learning the organization part of the job. Early childhood leaders can bring that same intention to a schedule suited to their programs.
When a teacher begins work, children and families are meeting someone who also needs support. A thoughtful onboarding process makes that support visible through clear explanations, guided practice, and continuing relationships. It is an early opportunity for directors to demonstrate the learning culture they want everyone to experience.
References
Denker, H., Markowitz, A. J., & Bassok, D. (2026). Supporting newly hired child care teachers: The role of onboarding. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 76, 217–229. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecresq.2026.03.003
Frögéli, E., Jenner, B., & Gustavsson, P. (2023). Effectiveness of formal onboarding for facilitating organizational socialization: A systematic review. PLOS ONE, 18(2), Article e0281823. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0281823
Kelton, R., Hassan, N., & Wen, X. (2026, June 8). Bridging competency gaps: A career stage approach to administrative leadership development in early childhood center administrators. McCormick Institute for Early Childhood. https://www.mccormickinstitute.nl.edu/bridging-competency-gaps-a-career-stage-approach-to-administrative-leadership-development-in-early-childhood-center-administrators
National Association for the Education of Young Children. (2020). Professional standards and competencies for early childhood educators [Position statement]. https://www.naeyc.org/resources/position-statements/professional-standards-competencies
About the Author
Victoria Long-Coleman, Ph.D., MBA is the Founder and Principal of Early Childhood Innovations. An early childhood educator, leadership, coach, author, speaker, she focuses on strengthening educators, developing leaders, and translating research into practical approaches that improve early childhood systems.
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