Transitioning from teacher candidate to beginning teacher remains a difficult one despite school districts' efforts to provide mentoring and induction programs. This commentary examines teacher attrition and current practices used to support new teachers entering the profession. We draw on the tenets of characteristics of effective mentorships and…

This evaluative case study explores how mentors or coaches, called Associates, support beginning in-service teachers in developing reflective teaching practices, as well as which practices are most effective in supporting beginning teachers. Using a definition of effective reflective practice and a tool for gauging progress toward becoming a…

Our pan-Canadian research study examined the differential impact of teacher induction and mentorship programs on the early-career teachers' retention. Using the results from a pan-Canadian "Teacher Induction Survey" (N = 1343), we compared ECTs' experiences with induction, mentorship and career development within their first five years.…

Despite research examining why teachers leave at such high rates, the intractable problem of attrition persists. Recently, teacher preparation programs have reported lower enrollment trends, and K-12 schools have reported higher attrition rates. Considering that one critical component of the problem is retention, more work is necessary to explore…

This qualitative case study examines the experiences of four new educators who participated in a semester-long professional development institute aimed at fostering social justice literature instruction. Specifically, we examine what practices new educators developed and deepened over the course of the institute. Data interpreted through deductive…

Problematizing the notion of teacher shortage, the author asserts the complexity of intersecting systems that impact teacher pathways and school staffing. By assuming a collective responsibility for supporting teachers from pre-service into in-service roles, stakeholders can work across these systems to enact local solutions. Data from the City…

The shortage of special education teachers is a growing threat to the quality of education received by students with disabilities in the United States. The shortage is exacerbated by high rates of teacher turnover especially among beginning special educators (BSEs) assigned to teach in self-contained classrooms. To promote retention, greater focus…

There is little research on the experiences of new bilingual education teachers in the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic. This case study analyzes the written reflections of 20 first-year Spanish/English bilingual teachers in New York City, in which they shared their experiences and perspectives as bilingual educators during emergency…

Beginning teachers are challenged to make concrete the identities they envision for themselves in their practice. We examine how a particular context, the noticing interview, supported a novice teacher's identity work through disciplined awareness to cultivate the inner witness. In a noticing interview, teachers view and discuss video segments…

How do we help teachers grow in accordance with their ethical ideals? Specifically, how do assessment practices fit within teachers' sense of themselves as caring and professional early childhood educators? I pursue these questions by drawing on a collaborative blog. In doing so, I offer portraits of novice early childhood teachers as ethical…

This study examined the effectiveness of pre-service education in Cyprus, in preparing primary teachers to teach English in primary state schools. A survey and follow up interviews were employed to investigate the following: a) Novice teachers' perceptions of their preparedness to teach English after completing a 4-year Teacher Education program,…

Drawing on our experiences as teacher educators in two programs designed specifically to prepare teachers for particular contexts, this article illustrates how we design our courses to help new teachers link foundational understandings to specific teaching practices in particular school and classroom contexts. We describe our integrated approach,…

This paper reports findings from a study of two beginning English teachers and the relationship between their sense of agency and their respective contexts. The qualitative study followed two teachers through their first year of teaching. How the perception of agency and the role of being a teacher evolved was determined to be related to the…

The purpose of this qualitative study is to investigate how new educators respond to pedagogical tasks that require them to use and reflect upon their Teacher Language Awareness (TLA). TLA is defined as a teacher's ability to use, analyze, and teach language--an increasingly important part of teachers' knowledge base given high numbers of English…

An abundant and longstanding body of scholarship has underscored the White femininity of the U.S. K-12 teaching workforce and the need to diversify its ranks. Black males, in particular, potentially struggle with the notion of becoming teachers given their often highly negative lived experiences with schools and schooling including low…