When experience fails: rethinking reality shock in experienced teachers

The term reality shock has generally been used to describe the crises novice teachers face when they first encounter the real demands of school life. Yet this way of framing the concept obscures the ongoing nature of professional change and overlooks how teachers in mid- and late-career stages may also find themselves becoming novices again. Drawing on accounts from teachers at various career stages, this article reconceptualises reality shock as a recurring, context-dependent process. Adopting an ethno-phenomenological approach, the study combines staffroom observations in an Istanbul middle school with narrative reflections. Findings reveal that reality shock manifests through five ruptures: (1) transitioning into unfamiliar school cultures; (2) reaching the limits of established pedagogical routines; (3) professional solitude and informal staffroom hierarchies; (4) redrawn boundaries with leadership and parents; and (5) ‘quiet ruptures’ where experience fails to yield professional closure. The study positions reality shock as cyclical and plural, challenging the linear relationship between experience and expertise.