Suggests having and induction ceremony for new teachers, and offers a creed for first-year teachers. (SR)

Offers 10 hints and guidelines to help experienced teachers mentor beginning teachers. (SR)

Discusses principles for selecting mentor teachers, and for pairing mentors and beginning teachers. (SR)

Offers a model and guidelines for a teacher induction program called the "Performance Enhancement Model," with six essential elements: planning, mentors, seminars, coaching, networking, and celebrating. (SR)

Focuses on mentoring as a professional behavior that can address both the quantity and the quality of the teaching force. Argues that recruiting teachers is only a small part of the challenge to place a qualified person in every classroom: retaining good teachers requires a commitment to professional growth, a goal that can be addressed through…

Describes the Beginning Educator Support and Training (BEST) program in Connecticut, in which beginning teachers are required to demonstrate effective program performance in a formal assessment process and are assigned a mentor to assist them during the first year or two of teaching. (SR)

Presents and discusses results from a study of effective mentoring programs for beginning teachers in Michigan. Discusses identifying and training mentors, designing a framework for mentoring programs, mentoring methodologies, and planning and evaluating the programs. Notes that money for such programs, while helpful, is not necessary. Argues that…

Discusses characteristics of effective mentors (experienced educators working closely with new teachers). Describes strategies for mentors, including personal and emotional development, effective instructional strategies, successful classroom management techniques, and successful interactional strategies. (SR)

Elementary, middle school, and high school principals have a powerful impact on the schools in their charge. These lead administrators mold the atmosphere of a school and, in turn, the feelings of the teachers who work in it. The current teacher shortage combined with the demands of standards-based education has made retaining new teachers a…

This article discusses the results of interviews with eleven new teachers about what their major fears are when starting to teach. Previous research about teachers' concerns points to a number of problem areas (Fuller 1969; Rutherford and Wall, 1990; Borko and Putnam 1996; Veenman 1984). New data reveal underlying patterns that, at first glance,…

This article is a recollection of events as the author began her teaching career. Her first experience was an "alternative route" she claims, since it involved her joining the Peace Corps and accepting a teaching position in Uganda. In the article, she discusses that although the breadth and depth of induction programs vary widely both…

Describes New Zealand's program for beginning teacher induction, in which new primary teachers (K-8) receive weekly release time for the purpose of staff development. Argues that using this model would help combat the impending teacher shortage in the United States. (SR)

Offers reminders for principals as they orient first-year teachers and induct them into the profession with an eye toward retention: intervene to diminish teacher isolation; facilitate mentoring and collegial relationships; maximize potential for success through the teaching assignment; offer development opportunities; be accessible; and explain…

Reports on a study investigating whether there is a relationship between the expressed concerns of teachers and principals and the supervisory actions that both recommend. Finds fundamental differences between what new teachers need and what administrators who supervise them actually do. (SR)

Suggests principals and supervisors should be aware of the special needs of beginning teachers and work to provide a climate that supports positive growth. Offers strategies for beginning teacher and administrator strategies on the issues of isolation and loneliness, classroom management and discipline, conflict with colleagues, understanding…