Teacher retention has been the subject of much study, yet recent estimates of teachers who choose to leave the profession within the first three years to pursue other careers remains at an unacceptably high level of 33.5 percent. These figures are alarming in light of the fact that schools desperately need qualified teachers. Several authors maintain that in order to solve the teacher shortage problem, the focus should be on retaining already qualified teachers rather than encouraging alternative routes to certification. Growing evidence also suggests that teachers who lack adequate preparation to become teachers are more likely to leave the profession. Studies on teacher retention demonstrate that some teachers are both resilient and persistent, remaining in the profession despite being confronted with the same challenges and obstacles of those who leave. Traits of resiliency and persistence describe people who are able to recover strength and spirits quickly and persevere in the face of obstacles. The literature on teacher education has focused on novice teachers who leave the profession, which has substantially contributed to the understanding of important variables related to teacher retention. Future research should focus on novice teachers who are exemplars in the field in order to isolate key characteristics that teacher education programs can nurture and enhance in their teacher education candidates. The purpose of the qualitative study described here is to answer the following research questions: (1) What major obstacles did successful novice teachers face during their first year of teaching?; (2) What teacher education or other factors shaped their current views and successes?; and (3) To what extent are these teachers able to use critical reflection as a problem-solving tool? The results of this study support the notion that self-efficacy, derived from successful field and student teaching experiences and the ability to use reflection for problem solving, outweighed positive school climate as a factor in novice teacher success.