Negotiations and reconciliations in the first year of teaching

This study investigates the lived experiences and developing identities of three secondary first-year teachers, exploring the practices each employed to reconcile expectations of teaching with their realities. Authors present distinct narratives synthesized from weekly reflections and interviews, identifying factors that supported new teacher reconciliation including a strong connection to community, healthy social emotional skills, and the recalibration of the role of curriculum. This study advocates for teacher preparation programs to recognize areas of misaligned expectations and provide support for new teachers in the construction of realistic views of teaching as essential to developing teacher identity and impacting retention. •Successful navigation of first-year teaching requires reconciliation of misaligned expectations with classroom realities.•New teacher reconciliation is crucial for teacher success and the development of teacher identity.•Community connections, healthy social emotional skills, and recalibration of the role of curriculum promote reconciliation.•TPPs should foster preservice teacher reconciliation practices to ensure first year success and retention.