Research Matters / Improving Teacher Induction

No new teacher is totally prepared for the first day of school. In assuming all the responsibility for the success of their students, new teachers must quickly learn how to assess students' knowledge, plan the curriculum, set expectations for classroom behavior, and build relationships with parents—all while planning and delivering daily lessons. The choice for Principals is to allow new teachers to learn through trial and error or provide a comprehensive induction program.

Fewer than 1 percent of teachers get what the Alliance for Excellent Education (2004) calls a “comprehensive” induction package: a reduced number of course preparations, a helpful mentor in the same field, a seminar tailored to the needs of beginning teachers, strong communication with administrators, and time for planning and collaboration with other teachers. Such a package could make a real impact in teacher attrition, according to researchers who have investigated the variables that correlate with teacher turnover.

Can induction programs improve the instructional practice of new teachers? Experts claim that induction programs can accelerate the process, especially if such programs provide training targeted to beginning teachers' needs and pair new teachers with carefully selected mentors who are given the necessary time and training (Anderson & Pellicer, 2001; Shields et al., 2004).

What you can do - Research on principal leadership and induction indicates that school leaders can promote instructional development among beginning teachers in several ways:
1. Insist on quality mentoring.
2. Integrate new teachers into school wide learning opportunities.
3. Promote learning during evaluation.

A good resource on designs and funding strategies for induction programs is Susan Villani's book Mentoring Programs for New Teachers (2002). An older but still excellent resource is Learning the Ropes, published by Recruiting New Teachers (Fideler & Haselkorn, 1999).

Warning: When developing induction programs, remember that although new teachers need support, forcing them to participate in too many learning activities can adversely affect their teaching. Principals must be realistic. Sometimes the best way to strengthen induction is to allow the new teacher some discretion about which activities he or she would find most valuable.

Source: Wayne, Youngs, and Fleishman, Educational Leadership, May 2005,