Five years ago, few would have predicted that expenditures for public education would be at the same levels, or perhaps even lower, particularly with growing numbers of "at-risk" students, rising accountability benchmarks, and a nationwide challenge of aging buildings and infrastructure. Yet, in these grim economic times, quality classroom…

New special education teachers (SETs) face some typical challenges as well as ones that are specific to their particular work settings. Providing support that addresses teachers' unique needs is important for increasing their effectiveness, helping them make a smooth entry into teaching, and reducing their stress and turnover. Nearly 20 years ago,…

There are two sides of the physics teacher turnover equation: teachers leaving and teachers entering. This month we will focus on teachers' future teaching plans. As seen in the figure, about 5% of the 27,000 teachers who taught physics in U.S. high schools in 2008-09 were in their first year of teaching physics (but not necessarily their first…

Teacher trainers provided guidance and instruction to newly hired AISD teachers in August 2011. When surveyed, most teacher trainers responded that the information and support they received to conduct training were of high or very high quality. A separate report also was published that summarizes survey results from the new teachers being trained.…

Principals are a critical component of creating a positive school environment that supports new teachers to meet the diverse needs of their students. The induction process for beginning special educators can often be more challenging for school administrators and may require different supports than those provided for novice general educators. The…

Background: Institutions of higher education, specifically schools of education, should play a pivotal role in supporting educators' development of data literacy for teaching. While novice teachers are often prepared to use test-based assessment data, they learn these experiences in isolated courses that do not connect to instruction or school…

New teachers require specific and targeted support, as witnessed by alarming rates of attrition in their first years in the profession. Research shows they often struggle to bridge the gap between their university study and effective practice, especially with issues such as assessment, classroom management and diversity. New teachers should have…

Students with emotional/behavioral disorders (EBD) can present intensive needs, requiring the intervention and instruction of well-trained and qualified teachers who work with them in the classroom. However, schools face serious shortages in the field of special education, particularly for staff who work with this population of children (McLeskey,…

This paper presents a theorised classroom-based account discussing the author's interdisciplinary approach to engaging first-year teacher-education students in self-critical inquiry using creative writing techniques as an entry point into Arts-based three-dimensional storytelling. Via an interpretation of Lacan's "speaking…

Although novice special education teachers benefit from the same types of support and induction that their general education colleagues receive, certain aspects of their experience require attention. This Brief summarizes why a mentoring model is needed for special novice education teachers and what administrators can do to help these teachers…

This paper argues that the staffroom is an important professional learning space where beginning teachers interact to understand who they are and the nature of their professional work. The authors highlight the theoretical importance of space and place in the construction and negotiation of beginning teacher subjectivities. To illustrate the…

Presented is a cross-analysis of seven case studies to show how induction and mentoring worked to shift beginning teachers from a focus on survival and self to a focus on student learning. Stage teacher development theories have influenced the support given to beginning teachers, therefore induction tends to prioritise classroom and stress…

Too often, early elementary teachers enter the classroom unprepared for the particular challenges of teaching children in grades 3 and under. Many were trained in programs that focused on older elementary grades, even though their license qualifies them to teach children as young as kindergarten. Teachers who obtained their certification through a…

Increasingly, many of our higher education teaching staff hail from diverse backgrounds with cultures that are often dissimilar to the world of academia. Drawn to education as a second career, or courted from industry for real world verisimilitude, their experience and external sector knowledge can be invaluable to an institution, but of little…

In this reflective essay, I share my experiences as a US-based professor leading graduate students on a 2-month teaching practicum in northern Thailand. I describe the process of arranging the practicum in coordination with the host university and the challenges of teaching 2 teacher-education courses while also mentoring novice teachers and…