Addresses the needs of beginning special education teachers in small, rural school districts; describes strategies for recruiting special education teachers in rural areas; describes programs that small and rural school districts can use to orient new teachers to the school and community; and identifies strategies for retaining teachers in rural…

The inexperienced teacher should begin the year with a plan grounded in information from effective classroom models. Knowledge of what activities to select, in what sequence to place them, and how to communicate with students about the selected activities might relieve much of the doubt and anxiety that can cloud professional judgment and…

Reviews research on "mentors"--experienced teachers assigned to assist those less experienced. Covers mentor characteristics, behaviors, and roles; appropriate matching of mentors and proteges; the needs of beginning teachers; and the changes in the mentor-protege relationship that occur as proteges gain experience and need mentors less. (PGD)

Although mentoring enhances teachers' and trainees' professional development, there is little consensus regarding best management practices or universal applications. This paper considers mentoring and associated dimensions, using the literature to inform various aspects of the mentoring process: selection and training practices; mentor-student…

This presentation examines teacher attrition and defines policies that could help reduce attrition. It first presents a theory of teacher attrition that explains what patterns to expect in teacher attrition and turnover and why some teacher attrition may be inevitable. It presents findings from a longitudinal study of Indiana teachers,…

Projected teacher shortages are due to an expanding need and teachers leaving the profession. With the extreme pressures on beginning teachers, a large percentage of them leave the profession within their first 5-6 years. Causes for leaving the profession include school staffing actions; personal reasons; pursuing another job; and dissatisfaction.…

Intended for educational leaders, this three-section monograph presents information and perspectives regarding support given to beginning teachers. The first section reviews a variety of perspectives on the purposes that teacher induction programs can serve. Among the perspectives discussed are those based on studies of beginning teachers'…

A period of induction for beginning teachers helps make the transition from student to teacher a smoother process. Current research findings on induction, effectiveness of using research in such programs, and issues worthy of further research are explored. (DF)

Reviews recent studies on new faculty and on graduate students aspiring to a faculty career, documenting deficiencies in graduate education and the need for better bridges between doctoral preparation and the actual work of faculty. (EV)

The roles of mentors in entry-year teacher programs are explored, with particular emphasis on the Ohio experience with entry-year and mentoring programs. Entry-year programs have the potential for addressing several perspectives on the development of teachers that inform the nature of mentor leadership. (CB)

In this report, three specific questions guide the analyses that follow: (1) To what degree has the School District of Philadelphia upgraded the teaching credentials of its teachers? (2) How well has the district succeeded in reducing teacher attrition and increasing the experience level of its workforce? (3) Have district efforts since the state…

This booklet targets policymakers and educators with busy lives (especially those in developing countries) who may neither have the time nor the opportunity to read widely across all the issues raised herein. This publication looks at all forms of teacher learning, formal and informal, from teachers' own early schooling, through their training,…

Career and technical education (CTE) administrators are increasingly being forced to resort to filling CTE teacher positions by hiring industry experts for classroom teaching positions and subsequently using creative ways to develop qualified, certified, and exemplary CTE instructors. Traditional teacher mentoring and induction programs fail to…

Many local education agencies as well as school districts are currently designing induction programs for beginning teachers. One feature of these programs is the appointment of a mentor or sponsor teacher. This review is designed to summarize existing literature from the teaching profession on the mentoring relationship in order to assist…

Program goals of the Doane College (Nebraska) teacher induction program include: improving teacher performance, retaining promising beginning teachers, promoting personal and professional well-being, satisfying mandated certification and induction requirements, providing strategies for beginning teachers to acquire additional knowledge and skills,…