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…

The authors argue that to help beginning teachers improve their practice, they (as teacher educators) must acknowledge their ongoing development toward becoming professional educators in the school communities they inhabit and with the students they serve. This piece cites numerous examples of teachers reflecting over a two-year period on their…

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…

This article provides readers with five lessons the author has learned over the years as a mentor teacher to several preservice teachers: (1) Build confidence; (2) Be patient, flexible, and honest; (3) Listen and learn; (4) Be ready for extra work; and (5) Embrace the experience. Included in her reflective thoughts are comments from two of her…

Beginning teachers typically enter schools feeling like foreigners, coping often with the jolting disorientation of not knowing where to find basic things such as restrooms, copiers, and mailboxes. They also struggle to pick up on the routines that others seem to have mastered with ease. At the same time, the culture and territory of US schools…

Beginning teachers face many challenges and difficulties; as a result, one-third will leave the profession in the first three years and nearly half will be gone within their first five years in the profession. The challenge facing university teacher education programs is to fix the hole in the bottom of the bucket and find strategic new ways to…

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…

Gives advice for the beginning teacher by narrating the fictional experiences of one teacher's childhood and explaining how these experiences shaped the teacher's professional outlook. Concentrates on the visit of one of the teacher's uncles to America. (HB)

Gives advice for the beginning English teacher especially with regard to being ready for the unexpected. Suggests ways that all teachers might react to the unexpected when it does appear and possibly even parlay it into a learning experience for both teacher and students. (HB)

Contains 12 responses from secondary school teachers to the question: "What practices have you found most useful in inducting student teachers and beginning teachers into the profession?" (PRA)

Gives advice for first-year English teachers. Recounts the difficult circumstances under which one teacher was placed in the classroom unawares. Emphasizes the importance of mentors and mentoring activities. (HB)

Details the experiences of a beginning English teacher and her mentor. Describes how the first-year teacher made the transition from college student to practicing professional. (HB)

Contends that beginning teachers must learn quickly to be passionate about teaching. Provides five pieces of advice for beginning English teachers. (HB)

Provides advice from 15 veteran English teachers for smoothing the transitional period of beginning teachers. (HB)

Gives advice for first-year English teachers. Advocates keeping a journal of daily activities, meeting regularly with other teachers, and asking lots of questions. (HB)