This article presents the author's response to Jon A. Levisohn's article entitled "A Menu of Orientations in the Teaching of Rabbinic Literature." Levisohn's article provides educators with a comprehensive review of possible modes of studying and teaching rabbinic literature. His method of extensive consultation and dialogue with teachers of…

Studies have shown that teacher quality is the single greatest factor affecting student achievement. However, it is not simply enough to recruit highly qualified candidates and place them into the schools where they are needed the most; the United States needs a system to support and retain these teachers. This essay posits that school districts…

How novice lecturers learn to be successful in their role is relatively under-researched, although the assumption may be made that the newcomer has learned the fundamentals how to engage in academic practice--at least in terms of research and scholarship--via the PhD process. However, although many lecturers now enter from a professional or…

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…

Defines socialization and its three stages. Looks closely at the process of organizational socialization, focusing on the reciprocal nature of socialization, the process of cultural learning, factors influencing institutional identification, and research needs. Considers ways in which organizational socialization can benefit Catholic educators.…

The author discusses four goals that can be realistically accomplished through teacher induction programs, while warning that beginning teacher programs cannot be expected to reform education as a whole. (MT)

This document describes a potential crisis at Northern Virginia Community College (NVCC) due to the large numbers of faculty who are approaching or have already reached retirement age. NVCC is the third largest community college in the nation, made up of five campuses, soon to be six, and an Extended Learning Institute for distance learning. NVCC…

Generally, induction programs focus on the assessment of beginning teachers' skills rather than providing support and assistance. The author proposes a model program which encourages self-evaluation through reflection. (MT)

The authors present their reactions to other articles on teacher induction in the same journal issue, and highlight the possibilities and problems of induction programs. (MT)

Of all challenges facing open-door community colleges, none is more important than the need to renew and improve teaching quality in order to accommodate increasingly diversified student populations. Several policies have been particularly helpful to open-door institutions in improving student retention and achievement, including the following:…

Suggests an alternative to typical practices of new staff orientation: one week of paid orientation without direct responsibility for children so they can experience the program vision in action and practice assuming their role within it. Details strategies involved in this approach and encourages directors to calculate the cost of turnover in…

A common problem faced by new teachers is lack of supervisory support and learning on the job through trial and error can often dishearten the rookie enough to abandon the job and often the profession. Suggestions are offered on how to redress this problem and a starting point could be the implementation of what the Alliance for Excellent…

Tips to help new music teachers are presented. They include: learn the lay of the land; establish good relations with your superiors; use teaching methods with which you are familiar; get acquainted with the community; and beware of local politics. (RM)

Presents a rationale for the orientation of part-time instructors and suggestions for orientation program design and areas to be covered, such as emphasis on quality, college-level work, textbooks, class attendance, grades, examinations, prerequisites, academic deficiencies, visitation of classes, student evaluations, and facilities. (AYC)

Describes experiences of a Philadelphia teacher who is transferred irregularly from school to school as student enrollments shift. Focuses on difficulties of understanding how the new school operates, obtaining supplies, getting to know a new staff and student body, and teaching students with special needs. Recommends that frequently transferred…