By Ken Spero
Induction is where preparation meets reality.
For new teachers and school leaders, the first years in the role are defined less by what they know and more by how they respond—under pressure, with limited time, and in situations that rarely have clean answers. Induction programs are meant to support that transition. Too often, however, they focus on orientation and compliance rather than helping educators build judgment in the moments that matter most.
The challenge isn’t a lack of clarity about expectations. National frameworks such as CAEP and PSEL, along with widely adopted instructional frameworks like the Danielson Framework for Teaching (FFT), clearly describe what effective practice looks like. The harder task is helping new educators practice those expectations before they are tested in high-stakes, real-world situations.
That’s where simulation-based learning fits.
Why Induction Needs More Than Orientation
Being in a classroom or stepping into a leadership role does not automatically prepare teachers and school leaders to navigate the realities of school life. New educators face difficult conversations, ethical dilemmas, competing priorities, and emotionally charged situations almost immediately.
Induction programs typically provide mentoring, observation, and reflection. What they often lack is structured practice—a place where educators can rehearse decision-making before their choices affect students, families, or colleagues.
Simulation-based learning fills that gap.
In a simulation, participants step into realistic situations drawn from everyday school life. They make decisions, weigh trade-offs, and experience how those decisions play out over time. They can pause, reflect, discuss their thinking with others, and try again.
That pause matters.
Real schools rarely allow new educators the space to slow down and think. Simulations are intentionally designed to create that space.
Simulations as a Digital Practicum
One of the most practical ways simulations strengthen induction programs is by functioning as a digital practicum—a structured environment for applied practice that complements on-the-job learning.
Induction for Teachers: CAEP + Danielson in Practice
For beginning teachers, simulations support competencies emphasized across CAEP standards while also bringing the Danielson Framework for Teaching to life.
The FFT articulates high-quality instruction across domains such as classroom environment, instruction, and professional responsibilities. What simulations add is the opportunity to practice those domains in context.
Through simulations, teachers rehearse situations that require them to:
- Establish and maintain productive learning environments
- Make real-time instructional decisions
- Respond to student behavior thoughtfully
- Communicate professionally with families
- Reflect on practice and adjust instruction
Rather than treating Danielson as an evaluation rubric applied after the fact, simulations allow teachers to experience FFT-aligned decision-making before they are observed or formally assessed. This helps shift the framework from something done to teachers into something used by teachers as a tool for professional growth.
Induction for Leaders (PSEL-Aligned)
For new principals, assistant principals, and system-level leaders, simulations support PSEL-aligned growth in areas such as:
- Ethical and professional leadership
- Supporting teacher growth and instructional improvement
- Engaging families and communities
- Navigating conflict and political complexity
- Understanding the systemic impact of leadership decisions
Leadership simulations are especially valuable in helping new leaders practice supporting teachers through frameworks like Danielson—conducting conversations, offering feedback, and balancing instructional leadership with relational trust.
Simulations allow leaders to see how decisions ripple across people, policies, and time—without putting relationships or credibility at risk.
What the Research Says About Simulation-Based Learning
The case for simulations in induction programs is not just intuitive—it’s supported by research across both teacher preparation and leadership development.
Research on preservice teachers shows that decision-based simulations build confidence, readiness, and professional judgment by providing safe, mistake-friendly environments where educators can engage with complex situations, reflect on consequences, and explore alternative approaches (McAllister & Harati, 2023). Participants benefit from seeing how decisions unfold over time rather than being told what they “should” do.
Leadership research reinforces these findings. Studies examining simulations across the principal pipeline demonstrate that simulations strengthen decision-making, systems thinking, and role clarity for emerging leaders—particularly when navigating complex human and organizational dynamics (Azukas, Dexter, & Gibson, 2025).
Across both bodies of research, a consistent theme emerges: simulations make thinking visible. Because participants must choose, explain, and reflect, their reasoning becomes clearer—to themselves, to mentors, and to program leaders. That visibility deepens coaching conversations and strengthens reflective practice, both of which are central goals of induction.
Taken together, the research suggests that simulations function as a true digital practicum, bridging theory and practice in ways traditional induction structures often struggle to do.
From Induction to Retention
Induction programs are ultimately retention strategies.
Educators rarely leave because they lack commitment to students or the profession. They leave when they feel overwhelmed, unsupported, or unsure of their ability to succeed.
Confidence doesn’t come from watching others work. It comes from experience—making decisions, reflecting on outcomes, and learning from missteps in a supportive environment. Simulation-based learning contributes to that confidence by helping educators build self-efficacy early in their careers.
When educators feel capable rather than constantly reactive, they are far more likely to stay.
A Scalable Model for Diverse Contexts
One of the underappreciated strengths of simulation-based induction is scalability. Not every new educator enters the same kind of school or receives the same level of mentoring. Simulations help level that playing field by ensuring consistent access to meaningful, practice-based learning experiences.
Because simulations are flexible and repeatable, they work across diverse contexts—large systems and small districts, traditional and alternative pathways—without overburdening mentors or administrators.
A Final Thought
Induction should not be about surviving the first years. It should be about building the judgment and confidence that sustain a career.
Simulation-based learning doesn’t replace mentoring, coaching, or frameworks like Danielson. It strengthens them—by giving new teachers and school leaders a place to practice before it counts.
That’s how induction moves from orientation to transformation.
References
Azukas, M. E., Dexter, S., & Gibson, D. (2025). An exploratory study of simulations for leadership development in the principal pipeline. Education Sciences, 15(6), 770. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci15060770
McAllister, G., & Harati, H. (2023). Contending with controversy: Using a decision-based simulation for preservice teacher education on addressing challenged books. Journal of Applied Learning & Teaching, 6(Special Issue 1). https://doi.org/10.37074/jalt.2023.6.S1.7
Kolb, D. A. (1984). Experiential learning: Experience as the source of learning and development. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Complete the form below to join our next webinar or receive the recording for the webinar related to this blog.