Love, Hate, and Controversy in a School District: A Teacher Couple’s Messy Divorce

Teachers who are married to other teachers within a school district often experience their personal life events in full view of the school community. How should a principal respond when a math teacher wants to leave due to her divorce, knowing that math teachers are hard to find? Challenges in this case for campus principals and human resource administrators include (a) hiring high-quality teachers in a tight labor pool, (b) providing new teacher induction, and (c) evaluating and responding to performance issues of teachers during times of high emotional stress.

Quelles compétences pour accompagner des enseignants débutants? Étude multicas

Numerous studies around the world report that new teacher induction is particularly critical, with beginning teachers often dropping out of the profession. Coaching, such as that provided by a mentor, occupies a front-line position among the means that can support new teacher induction. But, to ensure fruitful support in terms of professional development for the beginner, the mentor must act with precaution and mobilize several support skills. This is one of the aspects documented in our doctoral research, conducted in the form of a multi-case study and using a qualitative/interpretative approach with four coach-beginner dyads from secondary education in Quebec.

Exploring the Self-Efficacy and Perceptions of Virtual Mentoring of Teachers Participating in a New Teacher Induction Program

Teacher turnover is an issue plaguing states and districts around the country, particularly among novice teachers. Research indicates that strong induction and mentoring programs can provide novice teachers with critical support and guidance as they make the transition from the pre-service environment to the professional workforce resulting in higher levels of self-efficacy and performance. Teachers with high self-efficacy exhibit more enthusiasm and persistence and higher levels of organizational commitment. While there is a considerable amount of research on traditional, face-to-face new teacher induction (NTI) programs, there are few studies that investigate the integration of technology for a virtual experience. This study sought to explore quantitative measures of teachers' self-efficacy and the perceptions of novice teachers engaging in virtual mentoring in the context of a NTI program. Results of the survey indicate that participants (n = 67) reported a moderate degree of confidence in their ability to satisfactorily accomplish tasks within their classrooms. The scale is comprised of three subscales: Student Engagement, Instructional Strategies, and Classroom Management. The participants indicated a higher self-efficacy in Classroom Management than in any of the other subscales. Several themes emerged from the qualitative data highlighting the importance of the frequency, quality, and content of teachers' interactions with their mentors. This study contributes to the existing literature on virtual mentoring and explores how the experience can provide teachers with an opportunity to cultivate self-efficacy.

TEACHER INDUCTION POLICY (2017) OF KHYBER PAKHTUNKHWA GOVERNMENT: SUPPORT, CRITIQUE, AND BRIDGING GAPS

The present study aims at analyzing New Teacher Induction policy (2017) of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Government that has been adopted for the induction and training of the new teachers. The study strives to explore the overall effectiveness of this policy. The data was collected through in-depth interviews and interpreted by employing thematic analysis under 4 themes. The sample was selected through multistage stratified sampling; however, selection of purposive sampling was employed for the selection of representatives of PITE, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Government. The results of the study revealed that during the formulation of the policy; none of the stakeholders were taken on board and the policy was designed by the government in collaboration with non-governmental organization. No homework was assigned to quarter concerned in order to make the policy effective, authentic and compatible to the classroom environment and international standards of teacher education. The policy was formulated without the input of stakeholder; therefore, the new inductees lack satisfaction in training and claimed that educational resources were not utilized to their effectiveness. The areas for improvement of teachers were not considered in the new policy. It is; therefore, recommended that the New Teacher Induction policy (2017) may be reviewed instantly for its pros and cons and the role of experts may be included in addition to already existing stakeholders.

INNOVATION: A CASE STUDY OF AN ENGLISH TEACHERS’ INDUCTION

The induction of new English teachers is not often made the focus of language programs. In many institutions, the orientation experience receives little attention, resulting in work-related stress at the beginning of an instructor’s teaching contract. Consequently, not only the quality of teaching is affected but also the teachers’ motivation and perception of the program. This research article analyses the results of a case study of an innovation to a new teacher induction in a language program in the city of Cuenca, Ecuador. For this, the case study was based on two-way communication between the administration and the teaching staff through direct feedback, the consideration of language program management principles, as well as the application of a teacher survey after implementation. As a result, the innovation to the induction of new teachers seemed to reduce teachers’ job-related stress during the first week of classes, thus helping to create a learning environment where the program, its teachers, and its students benefit as a whole.

Mentoring for family-teacher relationships: a new teacher’s journey

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to chronicle the efforts of a new White teacher in her first two years of teaching in an elementary school with a largely Hispanic population as she forged connections with her students’ families while drawing on continued, constructivist mentoring from her university professor. The case points to the need for new teacher mentoring programs to include some emphasis on family-teacher relationships. Design/methodology/approach The new teacher kept a weekly journal of her interactions with families over a two-year period. Notes were taken during and after mentoring sessions. Data analysis was conducted using the case analysis format designed by Miles et al. (2014). Findings The goal of fostering constructive family-teacher relationships was not fully realized for this teacher in her first year. Through reflections, readings, and discussions in mentoring sessions, she gradually learned to respect the wisdom and expertise of families. Research limitations/implications As with all case studies, the results are not generalizable in a traditional sense (Hodkinson and Hodkinson, 2001); however, a larger issue can be addressed in a case (Stake, 1995). In this case, the larger issue is that White teachers working in high-poverty schools are likely to encounter differences between their cultural backgrounds and those of their students’ families. New teachers must determine how to respond in this situation, and mentoring offers support in helping them to act. Practical implications Action steps and guidelines developed by the teacher are included, along with a list of selected articles to spur discussions in constructivist mentoring sessions. Originality/value Coordinators of new teacher induction programs are encouraged to include a component in their curriculum for best practices in developing relationships with families.

Does New Teacher Induction Really Improve Retention?

Policymakers have increasingly worked to combat teacher turnover by implementing induction programs for early-career teachers. Yet the existing evidence for the effects of induction on turnover is mixed. Drawing on data from the three most recent administrations of the Schools and Staffing and Teacher Follow-Up Surveys, as well as the Beginning Teacher Longitudinal Study, this study investigates whether different kinds of induction supports predict teacher turnover among nationally representative samples of first-year teachers. We find that receiving induction supports in the first year predicts less teacher migration and attrition, suggesting that using induction to reduce new teacher turnover is a promising policy trend. We also find that levels of induction support are fairly constant for different kinds of teachers and teachers in different kinds of schools. The exceptions are that teachers who are Black and who work in schools with more students who speak English as a second language report higher levels of induction supports.

Educative mentoring: a way forward

Purpose – In recent years mentoring has been promoted as an essential, yet complex, new teacher induction dynamic. Mentors generally develop their knowledge of this role in isolation and in situ, and despite extensive research in the field few studies investigate how mentors learn. Therefore it is important to continue to examine the complex aspects of learning to mentor. The purpose of this paper is to focus on understanding the knowledge, attitudes and skills required by mentors to simultaneously focus on their own learning, new teachers’ learning and student learning. Design/methodology/approach – In this New Zealand study the authors examined a pilot programme aimed at shifting mentoring practices to an educative model. Through a two-year professional development intervention, 22 participant mentors inquired into, analysed and documented their practice. Data were gathered through learning conversations, action research documentation and reflections. They were analysed using qualitative methodology. Findings – Evident was a shift in mentoring practice from a focus on the transmission of knowledge-for-practice to inquiry into knowledge-of-practice. Change was observed after sustained and serious engagement with evidence about mentoring practices. However the shifts did not come easy, nor were they assured. Research limitations/implications – This study is not without limitations. Transferability is potentially problematic. The pilot study was well resourced, therefore expecting the implementation and outcomes to transfer to other contexts without similar resourcing maybe unrealistic. Practical implications – The findings contributed to the development of a mentoring curriculum and national guidelines for mentoring new teachers. Originality/value – While the findings emerged from a situated context, the theoretical and practice issues reported are matters for international attention, particularly the matter of transitioning from a well-practiced, efficient teacher mentor to an adaptive educative mentor.