Field Study Abstract

Abstract

New teachers often have spent the previous five years of their lives taking college courses and preparing to become a teacher. Often, the previous semester to the first real job is spent student teaching. Sometimes, the previous year is spent student teaching. Too often, schools hire new teachers and expect them to know everything that a veteran teacher knows. Schools forget that new teachers are often new to communities, new to the work world, and new to teaching. Teaching in the real world is different from college courses, observations, and student teaching. When a teacher has his first teaching job, he is on his own. Schools expect the new teacher to be familiar with procedures and routines. Schools expect new teachers to be familiar with curriculum and be prepared to move forward with a district’s curriculum with little preparation. A new teacher induction program can work wonders in the development of teachers. Some schools have found success in developing programming for new teachers. A difference exists between mentoring and induction. Each new hire comes from a different background. This field study will examine several programs in existence, a number of research-based practices that others are using, and additional research that supports the need for new teacher programs. Finally, this field study will present a framework for A New Teacher Induction Program That Works.