In Estonia, homeroom teachers are appointed to every class from Grade 5. In grades 1-4, classroom teachers who teach most subjects also assume this role, whereas from Grade 5 onwards, subject teachers serve as homeroom teachers. Importantly, the homeroom teacher role is not defined as a separate position but constitutes an additional responsibility within teachers’ general workload. Homeroom teachers’ work is guided by the national curriculum, school development plans, and official job descriptions, giving schools autonomy in defining this role. To foster a shared understanding, the Class Teacher’s Handbook (Harro-Loit et al., 2020) outlines key dimensions of the role, including supporting students’ academic and personal development, collaborating with parents and colleagues, and acting as a moral and values educator. The role of homeroom teacher requires competencies in psychology, collaboration, and communication. These competencies are largely developed through professional practice and collegial learning (Sapir & Mizrahi-Shtelman, 2024b), highlighting the importance of in-service professional development. In recent years, the role of homeroom teachers has received increased attention in Estonia, yet empirical research remains limited. Existing studies, mainly at the Master’s level, have focused on specific role dimensions or teachers’ interpretations of their responsibilities (Ilves, 2024; Ruuben, 2017). Little attention has been paid to beginning homeroom teachers, their induction into the role, and the support they require and receive. Addressing this gap, Laaspere (2025) examined factors influencing beginning homeroom teachers’ coping with their new role and the support they need from schools. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven beginning homeroom teachers. Data were analysed using thematic content analysis informed by the Job Demands–Resources (JD-R) model (Bakker & Demerouti, 2007). The findings indicate that while beginning homeroom teachers were generally aware of their formal responsibilities, they lacked a clear understanding of the concrete tasks and time demands involved. Emotional and psychological factors functioned simultaneously as demands and resources; however, available resources were insufficient to offset job demands, leading to difficulties in coping. Support was primarily received from colleagues, yet participants expressed a need for clearer role expectations, mentors, and training. This is noteworthy given that while mentoring is mandatory for beginning teachers in Estonia, it is not specifically provided for beginning homeroom teachers. Overall, the findings indicate that a key challenge for beginning homeroom teachers lies in developing a realistic and comprehensive understanding of the role and its demands, pointing to the relevance of structured induction processes and targeted in-service professional development.

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