Keeping New Teachers in Mind

Author: Johnson, S.M., Kardos, S.M.
Publisher: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD)
Publication Date: 2002, March
Journal: Educational Leadership
Journal Volume: 59(6)
Pages: 12-16
Full text available online at: http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational_leadership/mar02/vol59/num06/Keeping_New_Teachers_in_Mind.aspx

Abstract (written by WestEd)

The Project on the Next Generation of Teachers at the Harvard Graduate School of Education conducted a five-year, qualitative study of 50 new teachers and found that few received the support and help they needed with issues of curriculum, instruction, and classroom management in their first year of teaching. The study identified the importance of a school's professional culture in new teacher induction, and the authors were able to categorize three distinct professional cultures across schools — the veteran-oriented professional culture in which professional practice is aimed toward veteran teachers; novice-oriented professional cultures, which are common with start-up charters having new recruits and urban schools with high turnover; and integrated professional cultures, which encourage teamwork, camaraderie, and ongoing professional exchange across experience levels and targeted support and development for all teachers. The article further describes the importance of organized support, on-site and on-time professional development, and characteristics of effective principals and teacher leaders.