“…Your opinion is counted even though you’re new here”: experiences that enhance teacher belonging

Sense of belonging is a fundamental human need and driver of human behavior. A large corpus of literature explores the antecedents and benefits of increased sense of belonging for students in K-12 contexts. However, scant research has examined the antecedents of belonging for K-12 teachers. Drawing on interview data from 39 teachers in one school district, this study explores experiences that foster school sense of belonging in teachers new to the district. We found five overarching themes related to enhancing teacher belonging: (1) collegial support, (2) leadership support and trust, (3) feeling valued and heard, (4) collaboration, and (5) socializing and creating friendships with colleagues. This paper offers insights for school leadership and new avenues for future research.