At different stages of her career, the author has experienced, supported, and facilitated professional learning efforts. As an assistant principal, she finds that she has learned something of value at each stage. In this article, as the author reflects on her career, she realizes that it is important to learn and grow rather than just try to…

There is discouraging evidence that many beginning teachers quickly abandon the practices advocated and modeled in their teacher education programs at colleges and universities and regress to imitate the kind of instruction that they experienced themselves as students, or conform to the dominant model in schools where they feel great pressures to…

Casting special education teacher development as an avatar living in a virtual and changing landscape is a creative way to consider the current state of the field and project possible futures. In this commentary, the authors consider areas that may help strengthen the Avatar, including conceptualizing and identifying the outcomes of teacher…

If the author was to pinpoint her greatest passion as an educator, it would be that of mentoring teachers. Everyone knows the statistics of how many new teachers leave the profession after just a few years and that one of the factors in retaining them lies in the value of a quality mentor. Looking back, the author realizes that educators' first…

The author is part of the Beginning Teacher Support and Assessment (BTSA) induction program--a California state program that is meant to offer support to new teachers as they exit the credential program and begin a job in a district. More than 80% of new teachers across the United States participate in some kind of induction program. At least 30…

In this webinar, Ellen Moir, CEO and founder of the New Teacher Center, shared research that shows evidence of the effectiveness of the NTC induction model in raising student achievement and its potential for reducing teacher attrition (Moir, 2009). This Q&A addressed the questions participants had for Ellen Moir following the webinar. The…

As both Friedman (2007) and Wagner (2008) have eloquently emphasized in recent years, children need to learn more complex material in preparation for further education and work in the twenty-first century. Teachers, therefore, must learn instructional approaches that develop the knowledge and skills students need to succeed in an increasingly…

If veteran teachers made a list of resolutions for what they'd do next school year to better support new teachers in their schools, what actions and approaches should top those lists? The question has high stakes because half of all new teachers leave the profession within the first five years. Researchers have identified "support from the…

In this wide-ranging interview with Educational Leadership, Stanford University Professor of Education Linda Darling-Hammond discusses the kind of preparation and support new teachers need to survive their critical first years in the classroom. Among her central recommendations are more intensive mentoring that lasts through the first year of…

This paper is written in response to two BCPSEA (British Columbia Public School Employers' Association) documents: (1) "Teacher professional development: A question of development, growth and currency." From the series of BCPSEA papers "Perspectives in Practice."…

The purpose of this essay is to describe quality teacher induction that has evolved from "fourth-wave" (1997-2006) teacher induction program development and research. A definition of quality induction is proposed, and a set of induction goals and components are outlined. Understandings gained from fourth-wave programs are described, including ways…

In the second decade of the 21st century, some schools are in trouble and some schools are not. The subject of this Occasional Paper is the preparation of teachers for schools that--lacking sufficient resources, effective leadership, or vocal advocates--are failing to educate their students by any reasonable measures. The teachers and teacher…

New teachers need to know about the political context in which they are working, and the best way to do this is to adopt and maintain a quiet watchfulness and avoid allegiances. Listening and observing, reserving judgments, reflecting on the motivations of the participants in the debate--these are the crucial behaviors for the teacher learning the…

In this article, policy and research on teacher induction in Portugal are examined. The lack of a formal induction system (despite recognition of its relevance in legal policy documents) and the mismatch between national regulations and practice are also discussed. The authors argue the need for a coherent and sustained induction and support…

Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) is now firmly on government agendas in many countries, including England, and the need to develop a professional workforce is generally agreed. The reform of the children's workforce in England acknowledges that increasing the skills and competence of this workforce is critical to its success. Two new…