Attempting to balance all the aspects of teaching can be overwhelming and challenging without the appropriate measures for novice teachers. The purpose of the mixed-methods study was to examine the challenges and opportunities in teacher retention of K-12 novice teachers in a rural, south Mississippi school district. Novice teachers may struggle with the role of teaching and resign from teaching earlier than expected if mentoring and induction are not facilitated effectively. Novice teachers need help to balance diverse learners and challenges faced in the classroom. Notably, novice teachers experience unwarranted stress induced by the inability to balance teaching expectations, yielding unstable emotional levels and potential burnout. These factors represent the justification for studying the retention of novice teachers. A mixed-methods study was conducted using an anonymous questionnaire to identify the challenges and opportunities in retaining novice teachers. A Pearson correlation was administered to examine teachers' perceptions of self-efficacy and professional development as factors of job satisfaction. Novice teachers' perceptions demonstrate self-efficacy is a factor for job satisfaction, but without a statistically significant difference. Novice teachers' perceptions demonstrate professional development is a factor for job satisfaction, but without a statistically significant difference. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]