This review examines studies on the workplace socialization of classroom teachers according to functionalist and interpretive perspectives, analyzes literature on school contexts that support socialization to career-long professional growth and inquiry, and considers the research implications for studying the socialization of special education…

Describes the humanistically oriented faculty development program at a public teaching university that introduces new faculty to the principles of a democratic, nurturing pedagogy. The major components, a group experience and a mentor relationship with a senior professor, benefit faculty who participate directly and the university as a whole.…

Describes a model for providing individualized and comprehensive support for beginning special educators in the face of acute personnel shortages. Describes the interacting factors in the model specific to the individual teacher and to the teaching environment and tasks. Provides recommendations for implementation of the beginning-teacher support…

Explores the various responses of four first-year English teachers to a state-mandated mentor program in New Jersey and implications for Wisconsin's proposal for a distinct mentor-supported license stage for beginning teachers. Suggests that mentors must appreciate their responsibilities and that school administrators must support the…

Discussion of mentoring of beginning special education teachers considers: how mentors can help, matching mentor with new teacher, first-year teachers' comments about their mentors, and alternative sources of mentor support. Topics mentors should discuss with new teachers and useful Web sites for new teachers are discussed. (Contains 12…

A conversation about the return of a university professor to the elementary school classroom as a first-grade teacher of English as a Second Language shows that some of the problems new teachers have are actually issues of ritual. There are no rituals in the schools that transform teachers into their new identities as teachers. (SLD)

Identifies constraints and opportunities provided by a British model of mentoring that involves inducting student teachers into a nationally prescribed but locally created community of practice. Considers how increased attention to student teachers' intentional and metacognitive learning may benefit mentors and schools and provide a counterweight…

At the end of their initial year of training, teacher trainees in Los Angeles (California) attend several presentations entitled Multicultural Week. Researchers analyzed presentation content and teachers' views of stereotypes and teaching diverse students before and after the presentation. Results indicated the presentations had little effect on…

Describes a project which set up mentoring conversations via e-mail to support the developmental growth of preservice teachers in secondary English teaching methods courses. Examines in depth the e-mail correspondence of a mentoring veteran teacher, showing how she mentored by modeling, illustrating, affirming, questioning, qualifying, and…

Observed and interviewed two beginning teachers regarding their feelings and concerns about their first 3 years of teaching. Although they were initially fearful, they gained confidence with classroom management and discipline, seeking to make an impact on their students, refine their teaching materials, and express concern for students. During…

Changes in the training and certification of teachers in Quebec alter the dynamics of the induction process. New certificate-in-hand teachers are more readily perceived by their experienced peers as full-fledged teachers, and through preparation of support measures, veteran teachers participate in a collective process of professional…

Describes how one district developed a mentoring program for beginning teachers to reduce the risk of attrition resulting from the hierarchy found in many school systems. The district determined a program mission, goals, and roles and responsibilities. An ongoing program assessment ensures that the program continues to offer valuable help to new…

The purpose of this article is to provide insights useful to readers involved in or considering the design and delivery of alternative path programs by presenting (a) a chronology of the multiple definitions of alternative certification, (b) key components of quality alternative path programs, viewed through the example of a program for…

Beginning teachers face a myriad of challenges as they enter schools, including a growing emphasis on standards and accountability, an increasingly diverse student population, and lack of support or mentoring. Current attrition rates for beginning teachers are high and continue to grow. This situation is more pronounced in low-income urban schools…

This article focuses on the induction experiences of new academic staff and the role of their head of department in this process. Respondents reflected on personal experiences and their narratives give a fine-grained account of the same event from two contrasting perspectives. We expected to find that the heads would be key figures in the…