Call to Action: How Do We Help New Teachers?
What problem do new teachers face?
“Nearly half of all beginning teachers will leave their classrooms within five years, only to be replaced by another fresh-faced educator,” Owen Phillips told nprEd. When asked “What can schools specifically do to address the problem of teacher turnover,” Richard Ingersoll, a Professor of Education and Sociology at The University of Pennsylvania, says:
“Induction is often used for beginning teachers in the first couple years… It can mean having a mentor for instance… [or] freeing up time for the beginning teacher so that they can meet with other colleagues and learn from them, compare notes, and try to develop some kind of coherence of curriculum”
In the interview, Ingersoll summarizes the research findings of the impact of induction programs:
- Beginning teachers better master classroom and teaching practices;
- Increase retention for new teachers;
- Higher student achievement in classrooms with developing teachers.
How can alternative certification programs help solve this problem?
This interview was a “call to action,” a need for school leaders, teacher-leaders, and all educators to establish opportunities. New teachers have the need and desire to learn and develop their skills so they can be successful. High-quality alternative certification programs will give their teacher candidates these opportunities. Giving them a chance to earn some experience before they go into the classroom by themselves. This is a cornerstone value for the TeacherReady® program, and a value we are looking for when recruiting program candidates.
We provide a support-focused learning environment for aspiring teachers where they can continuously learn, apply, and achieve so that students in their classrooms (and future classrooms) are learning.
New Teacher Begins Preparing for a Successful Year
TeacherReady® alumni, Kelly Vollmer, was a new teacher at the secondary level when she completed the program. Vollmer is preparing for a successfuk year by incorporating the concepts she learned:
“As I prepare for the upcoming school year, I am making sure to review important lessons on the first day of school and classroom management, as I know these will be essential to a successful year…. While I know that this first year will be a learning experience for me, I also enter it confident that TeacherReady equipped me with the skills I need to make it a success.”
When new teachers feel as confident as Kelly Vollmer during their first year of teaching, their students reap the benefits. Schools can nurture and grow enthusiasm by implementing mentor support programs and induction support for the first-year teachers.
Savannah Cox, TeacherReady®
Featured Image: nprEd • Additional Image Provided By Kelly Vollmer
