Beginning teachers face significant challenges as they assume the complex work of teaching while they are still learning to teach. In addition to the activities involved with learning to effectively teach, they must also learn to work with others; collaborate with colleagues, administrators, paraprofessionals, and parents; and manage varied…

The primary goal of this handbook is to provide relevant and practical information for mentors as they guide the development of beginning special education teachers. Even the best prepared of new entrants face steep learning curves as they work to apply in complex school settings what they have learned from their pre-service programs. At the same…

Partnerships between schools and universities allow these organizations to leverage their assets while expanding and enhancing their knowledge bases. The Professional Development School (PDS) is a well-established type of partnership in which university and school faculty provide school-based preparation experiences for preservice teachers, while…

Learning to interact with other adults in a positive and productive manner is an important dimension of learning to teach. Novice special education teachers rely on others for support as they navigate the school culture, learn policies and procedures, and work to solve problems. Although interactions with adults can be helpful, they also can be…

Principals have a significant influence on the well-being of novice teachers. In fact, they can be the decisive factor in a new teacher's commitment to staying in or leaving teaching. The quality of the relationship with school administrators is as important to novice special education teachers as it is to novice general education teachers.…

Mentoring and induction support influence novice special education teachers' determination to remain in teaching. Those with high levels of support tend to report greater job manageability and success in teaching challenging students. They also tend to feel better about their preparedness to teach, knowledge of pedagogical content, and ability to…

Novice special education teachers struggle with many of the same pedagogical challenges as their general education counterparts. They often need help learning the curriculum, acquiring and adapting necessary materials, and addressing challenging student behavior. A complicating factor is that novice special education teachers typically have…

The learning curve is high for novice special education teachers. They must assume full teaching responsibilities, while at the same time become familiar with district and school policies, curriculum, and assessment policies and procedures. They are expected to build relationships with administrators, teachers, paraprofessionals, families, and…

A collaborative school context can support novice special education teachers. Co-teaching and team teaching represent collaborative opportunities that can counteract the historic isolation of special education teachers. Co-teaching and team teaching--the focus of this Brief--also have the potential for supporting novice teacher socialization in…

E-mentoring--the use of technology-based communication formats in which mentors and mentees interact--is emerging as a solution for supporting novice teachers, especially when they have limited access to inbuilding support. This Brief describes the possibilities of using e-mentoring with novice special education teachers.

Most states have policies for new teacher induction and mentoring programs that districts use as a foundation when designing and implementing local programs. Although most state policies do not differentiate programs for novice special education teachers, there are particular aspects of their experience--discussed in this Brief--that may affect…

Positive climates that encourage professional growth and teacher collaboration can bolster the impact of induction programs and may influence novice special education teachers' decisions to remain in teaching. As you plan induction programs, consider how Professional Learning Communities--the topic of this Brief--may be used to integrate special…

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…

Having a quality relationship with school administrators is important to novice teachers. Principal support influences teachers' job satisfaction and decisions to remain in teaching. Although special education teachers can benefit from general administrative support, they also may require additional supports that address the unique obstacles they…

Partnerships among institutions of higher education and school districts are desirable. Partnerships enable organizations to leverage their resources as well as expand and enhance their capabilities. They also provide opportunities for personnel with specialized areas of expertise to address shared challenges. Partnerships take considerable time,…