The problem addressed in this study is that novice early childhood educators (ECEs, Grades kindergarten through 3) underestimate the challenges of teaching. Researchers have shown that although over three million teachers are employed in public schools yearly, on average 23% and up to 50% of newly inducted teachers leave the profession within 5…

This case study examined three pre-service teachers' reflection processes during their first teaching practicum. During the six-week practicum, the pre-service teachers reflected on their own as well as their peers' teaching in group mentoring meetings several times a week. Unstructured stimulated recall facilitated pre-service teacher-initiated…

While mentoring programs continue to increase in number, the field still knows little about what kinds of interventions mentors do and the impact they have on beginning teachers. This article shares a case study example of a positive mentoring relationship--beginning teacher Madeleine, and her mentor, Kelly--extracted from a larger qualitative…