Beginning teachers most often are viewed as needing significant support in all areas of teaching. As a result, professional development (PD) associated with induction programs typically is presented by experienced professionals. This article describes one induction program's attempt to draw on the strengths within its network, engaging new…

This qualitative case study describes how one beginning primary grade teacher benefited from collaborative lesson-planning meetings with her grade-level colleagues. The teacher accumulated knowledge of curriculum, pedagogy, and professional contexts as she participated in planning meetings each week during her first year of teaching. Furthermore,…

Increasingly, graduate programs in education are promoting the development of teacher leadership. Yet the discussion on how to prepare teachers for leadership roles and responsibilities is only beginning. In this article, we draw on the written reflections of early career teachers enrolled in a curriculum and instruction master's program so…

The purpose of this study was to document four novice secondary teachers' experiences as they progressed from the last year in their teacher education program through their first three years of teaching. Autobiographies, interviews, and focus groups were conducted to record their stories as novice teachers. In addition to the development of their…

This article addresses teacher retention in a successful, new, small urban school. As a longitudinal study, it focuses on the intersections between individual teachers' expectations about teaching, contextual factors, and experiences at the school site and teachers' future career plans. The experiences and perspectives of three representative case…

A methodical review of the literature revealed that, although similarities exist, the needs of beginning special educators differ significantly from those of the general population of beginning teachers in the following areas: procedural information, curriculum and instruction, classroom management, and collegial interactions. The article reminds…

This article describes how a study group for beginning teachers, led by instructors from the teacher education program from which they had just graduated, supported the novice teachers' abilities to survive their induction year and the constraints of school practices influenced by high-stakes accountability policies. Findings demonstrate that the…

Ample research demonstrates the power of comprehensive induction to develop and retain new teachers. Education scholars generally agree on what powerful systems of induction include, yet few tools exist for guiding schools in creating such systems. Drawing on theory and practice, we have created such a tool. This article introduces the "Continuum…

Dispositions are the engine of performance in teaching, linking inner values and commitments with action in the context of practice. This article presents a theoretical conception in conjunction with an individual case study of the process by which dispositions develop and function in teaching. Focusing on teaching that is ambitious both in its…

In this article the author describes a mixed-methods study of first-year urban teachers' social support networks. Social Network Analysis (SNA) data on the support networks of 24 first-year teachers provided a background context and framework for the case study analysis of 4 of the teachers. Findings of the analysis identified 2 important networks…

This article shares the ways new early childhood teachers carry forward the social justice principles emphasized in their teacher education program into their actual practice. Their participation in a university-sponsored mentoring group served as the context for this study. Through an emergent themes analysis, we explored how they prioritized…

Prospective teachers are often found to have difficulty focusing their attention on students in sustained and constructive ways. Instead, in what is sometimes understood as a developmental matter, beginners may seem highly concerned with their own feelings and needs. This article offers a contrary finding. It examines two cases of prospective…

This article calls into question recent research on induction and mentoring and illustrates the effects of comprehensive induction programs on new teacher motivation, satisfaction, and retention. This analysis contradicts recent research and suggests that comprehensive induction can positively influence the retention and development of new…

Following worldwide trends in an effort to combat attrition rates of novice teachers, mentoring of new teachers has become a common practice. However, not all experienced teachers have the supervision and leadership skills necessary to guide new teachers through their first difficult year. In order to solve this problem, various programs have been…

The purpose of this essay is to describe quality teacher induction that has evolved from "fourth-wave" (1997-2006) teacher induction program development and research. A definition of quality induction is proposed, and a set of induction goals and components are outlined. Understandings gained from fourth-wave programs are described, including ways…