Nurturing New Teacher Growth All Year Long with lilyPD

Nurturing New Teacher Growth All Year Long with lilyPD

If you’ve ever been a new classroom teacher, you probably remember the mix of excitement and uncertainty that came with those first few weeks. There was the anticipation of decorating your classroom, meeting your students, and putting your ideas into practice… AND also the reality that there was so much to learn. Between new systems and new colleagues, countless daily decisions, and the challenge of turning teacher preparation into effective classroom practice, that first year can feel overwhelming. 

The support new teachers receive early on can shape whether they stay and grow in the profession. And retaining good teachers matters for everyone: most shortages stem from teacher departures, and high turnover can disrupt student learning (Saunders & Skinner, 2025). While new teacher orientation serves an important foundation, we know the learning doesn’t stop after the first day, or even the first month!

That’s where lilyPD can help.

Our self-paced, skills-based professional learning microcourses give educators practical strategies they can immediately apply in the classroom while allowing them to learn on a schedule that fits the demands of their first year. The result is ongoing, flexible professional development that complements orientation and induction while continuing to meet teachers’ needs as they grow throughout the year. 

Here are three ways schools and districts can support new teachers with lilyPD.

1. Extend Learning Beyond Orientation (and Into the Moment of Need)

New teacher orientation often covers policies, procedures, technology, and logistics, but there’s rarely enough time to dive deeply into instructional practice. By providing new teachers with access to lilyPD during onboarding, they can continue building essential skills well after orientation ends.

Self-paced courses allow educators to revisit concepts when they’re most relevant, whether that’s before the school year begins or several weeks into the semester. Revisiting concepts over time is what research points to as most effective: meaningful changes in practice develop through learning spread over months rather than in a single session (Darling-Hammond et al., 2017).

That flexibility also means learning is there exactly when a challenge arises. Unlike one-time workshops, lilyPD gives teachers immediate access to courses and resources that align with their current goals and classroom needs, from preparing a new lesson to finding strategies to foster civil discourse or strengthen students’ critical-thinking skills.

Each course also includes classroom-ready resources and implementation ideas teachers can put to use right away, saving planning time when it’s most scarce. And our blog offers a steady stream of strategies and insights to keep growing between courses. This just-in-time approach makes professional learning more relevant, more practical, and more likely to transfer into classroom practice.

2. Complement Your Mentoring and Induction Program

Effective mentoring and high-quality professional learning go hand in hand. Research consistently indicates that structured support for early-career teachers improves both retention and job satisfaction (Saunders & Skinner, 2025). lilyPD provides a shared learning experience that mentors can build upon, creating richer conversations and helping new teachers translate new ideas into classroom practice.

For example, a mentor might recommend our Nonfiction Reading Strategies course, and then use coaching conversations to help the teacher reflect on how they’re applying those strategies in their own classroom.

By combining self-paced learning with personalized coaching, schools can create a richer induction experience without adding significant demands on mentors’ time.

3. Give Teachers the Freedom to Choose What They Learn 

No two teachers are working on exactly the same thing. A first-year teacher might be focused on fostering civil discourse, while a veteran down the hall is refining their approach to teaching argumentative writing. Effective professional learning meets each of them where they are.

lilyPD’s course catalog lets educators choose the learning that fits their own goals and classroom needs, rather than sitting through one-size-fits-all sessions. That kind of autonomy isn’t just satisfying – it’s associated with stronger teacher well-being, commitment, and retention across the profession (Nguyen et al., 2024). 

And because the benefit applies to new and experienced teachers alike, lilyPD gives schools a single, flexible resource that supports the whole faculty: novice teachers building a foundation, and veteran teachers deepening their craft or exploring something new. 

Invest in New Teachers from Day One

Supporting new teachers isn’t just about helping them survive their first few weeks – it’s about building confidence, strengthening instructional practice, and setting them up for long-term success.

By incorporating lilyPD into your new teacher orientation or induction program, your school can provide flexible, high-quality professional learning that continues long after orientation ends.

Contact us if you’d like to learn more about bringing lilyPD to your school or district.

*Feedback shared through lilyPD’s end-of-course learner experience survey.

References

Darling-Hammond, L., Hyler, M. E., & Gardner, M. (2017). Effective teacher professional development. Learning Policy Institute. https://learningpolicyinstitute.org/product/effective-teacher-professional-development-report

Nguyen, D., See, B. H., Brown, C., & Kokotsaki, D. (2024). Leadership for teacher retention: Exploring the evidence base on why and how to support teacher autonomy, development, and voice. Oxford Review of Education. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/03054985.2024.2432635 

Saunders, R., & Skinner, A. (2025, March 27). Addressing teacher shortages: Insights from four states. Learning Policy Institute. https://learningpolicyinstitute.org/blog/addressing-teacher-shortages-insights-four-states