877-542-5504 877-542-5504

Beginning Teachers

Want to Help Fellow Teachers?

Please help us grow this free resource by submitting your favorite lesson plans.

Internet Sites:

• Building a Professional Teaching Corps in Boston: Baseline Study of New Teachers in Boston’s Public Schools (April 2004)
This study tracked the experiences 470 new teachers in Boston during the 2002-03 school year and was intended to provide schools with concrete information on teacher hiring and retention. The research recommends that schools strengthen support and professional development systems from as early as the hiring phase so new teachers have a better sense of preparedness when they begin their new jobs.
http://www.bpe.org/pubs/misc/New%20Tchr%20Rpt%204-04.pdf

• The Impact of Mentoring on Teacher Retention: What the Research Says (February2004)
A comprehensive literature review of mentoring and induction programs by Richard Ingersoll and Jeffrey M. Kralik.
http://www.ecs.org/clearinghouse/50/36/5036.htm

• Role of Principal Leadership in Increasing Teacher Retention (February 2004)
A study focusing on the role of principals in teacher retention
http://www.advocatesfored.org/principalstudy.htm

• A Better Beginning: Helping New Teachers Survive and Thrive
A guide from the NEA New Teacher Support Initiative for local affiliates interested in creating new teacher support systems.
http://www.nea.org/teachershortage/betterbeginnings.html

• The Voice of the New Teacher (2003)
“Beginning teachers share opinions and perspectives on their first years in the profession.” This report was produced by the Public Education Network with support from the MetLife Foundation.
http://www.publiceducation.org/pdf/Publications/Teacher_Quality/Voice_of_the_New_Teacher.pdf

• New-Teacher Excellence: Retaining Our Best (December 2002)
In this report from the Alliance for Excellent Education, the authors “examine what we know about effective induction programs and offer examples of programs around the nation that might serve as models for others.”
http://www.all4ed.org/publications/NewTeacherExcellence/NTE.pdf

• New Teachers OnLine 
An excellent resource for new teachers and their mentors and supporters from the Teachers Network.
http://teachersnetwork.org/ntol/

• Reduce Your Losses: Help New Teachers Become Veteran Teachers ( June 2001)
A publication by the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) focusing on the efforts of  SREB member states in the retention of new teachers. 
http://www.sreb.org/main/HigherEd/ReduceLosses.asp

• Lifelines to the Classroom:  Designing Support for Beginning Teachers
This “knowledge brief” from WestEd is aimed at administrators who are interested in creating or enhancing support programs for new teachers. It identifies the problems and issues faced by new teachers and “provides a rationale for giving explicit support to new teachers.”
http://www.wested.org/online_pubs/tchrbrief.pdf

• Southeast Center for Teaching Quality: Teacher Induction
Includes links to a report titled, “Assessing and Supporting New Teachers: Lessons from the Southeast” as well as other articles and resources related to new-teacher induction programs.
http://www.teachingquality.org/resources/SECTQpublications/Induction.htm

• Supporting Beginning Teachers: How Administrators, Teachers, and Policymakers Can Help New Teachers Succeed (May 2001)
“This booklet provides a synthesis of recent research, describes programs to support beginning teachers, and offers tips for helping new teachers thrive.” Provided by the Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory.
http://www.nwrel.org/request/may01/index.html

• Mentoring Beginning Teachers: Lessons from the Experience in Texas
An investigation conducted by the Southwest Educational Development Laboratory of the structure and effectiveness of new teacher induction programs in Texas. http://www.sedl.org/pubs/policy23/

• Admirable Teaching Traits
This newsletter from Teaching for Excellence includes an overview of fifteen key characteristics of teachers. Available as a pdf document.
http://www.teachingforexcellence.com/AdmirableTeachingTraits.pdf

• Survival Guide for New Teachers
Presents advice from award-winning first-year teachers on how to work with veteran teachers, parents, principals, and teacher educators.
http://www.ed.gov/teachers/become/about/survivalguide/index.html

• What To Expect Your First Year of Teaching (September 1998)
Based on discussions among winners of the 1996 First Class Teacher Awards, this document contains advice for new teachers, those who educate teachers, and others interested.  Questions asked of the participants included: What was it like the first year? What were your toughest challenges, your greatest rewards? Did you get the right preparation? Do you have any insights you could offer new teachers?
http://www.ed.gov/pubs/FirstYear/

• USC Clearinghouse of Resources for Beginning Teacher Support & Assessment
A collection of online resources for new teachers and those involved with supporting them.
http://www.usc.edu/dept/education/CMMR/CMMR_BTSA_home.html

• Learn NC: Beginning Teacher Handbook
This handbook for new teachers includes advice on getting started, classroom management, physical environment, and looking professional. It also includes suggestions from experienced teachers on a variety of topics.
http://www.learnnc.org/newlnc/newteach.nsf/FrontPage?OpenForm

• Recruiting New Teachers, Inc.
RNT is a national non-profit organization which was formed in 1986 to raise esteem for teaching, expand the pool of prospective teachers, and improve the nation’s teacher recruitment and development policies and practices. This site offers guidance and resources for prospective teachers, as well as insight on current trends and issues in the field. We also provide unique networking opportunities for educators, summaries of RNT’s cutting-edge policy research and surveys, and highlights of our publications, services, and advocacy efforts.
http://www.rnt.org/

• ERIC Digest — Selecting and Retaining Teacher Mentors (2002)
http://www.ericdigests.org/2004-1/mentors.htm

• ERIC Digest — Teacher Mentoring as Professional Development (2001)
http://www.ericdigests.org/2002-3/mentoring.htm

• ERIC Digest — Beginning Teacher Induction (1999)
http://www.ericdigests.org/2000-3/induction.htm

• ERIC Digest — Teacher Mentoring – A Critical Review (1996)
http://www.ericdigests.org/1997-1/mentoring.html
 

Online Communities

• Mighty Mentors
“This award winning service enables teachers to safely mentor one another via email. Mighty Mentors can help you find a mentor or mentee for a short- or long-term mentoring partnership. Teachers can help other teachers improve their teaching techniques, troubleshoot classroom problems, and more. Mighty Mentors is a free public service from Teaching.com.”  Free registration is required.
http://www.teaching.com/mentors/

• Beginning Teachers Chatboard at Teachers.net
This discussion forum will serve new teachers as they dialogue about their endeavors to become “seasoned” professionals.
http://teachers.net/mentors/beginning_teachers/

• Teacher Focus – New Teachers’ Place
A variety of discussion forums for teachers, including the “New Teachers’ Place.”
http://www.teacherfocus.com/phpBB2/viewforum.php?f=34
 

Organizations:

• Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium
INTASC is a consortium of state education agencies, higher education institutions, and national educational organizations dedicated to the reform of the education, licensing, and on-going professional development of teachers. INTASC had established model core standards for licensing teachers which represent the principles that should be present in all teaching regardless of the subject or grade level taught and serve as a framework for the systemic reform of teacher preparation and professional development.
Council of Chief State School Officers
One Massachusetts Avenue, NW · Suite 700
Washington, DC 20001-1431
voice: 202.336.7000 · fax: 202.408.8072
http://ccsso.org.red.doceus.com/projects/interstate_new_teacher_assessment_and_support_consortium/

• National Commission on Teaching and America’s Future (NCTAF)
The NCTAF is “…a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing every child with competent, caring, qualified teachers in schools organized for success.”  The NCTAF partners with 22 states to enhance teacher quality and student learning, and publishes reports on a range of teaching issues including teacher preparation, new teacher induction, and professional growth. 
2010 Massachusetts Avenue, NW
Suite 210
Washington, D.C. 20036
Telephone: 202-416-6181 (main)
Fax: 202-416-6189
http://www.nctaf.org
E-mail: rmatthews@nctaf.org