Educating Preservice Teachers: The State of Affairs
Induction Programs for Beginning Teachers
The induction of preservice teachers into the work force is an issue of consideration. Educators need to ensure the successful transition from preservice teacher education into the teaching work force. These new teachers need to be provided with effective ongoing training and support (i.e., modeling, classroom visits, debriefing sessions that focus on effective instructional classroom strategies, and classroom management skills). The following is a list of guidelines for schools in the process of creating effective induction programs:
- A mentoring/coaching component is an essential part of the program. Before school starts, the beginning teacher is assigned to a mentoring coach.
- There is always some type of professional development offered to the beginning teacher before the first week of the school year. The professional development offered could focus on one or more of the following: school culture, home-school connections, classroom strategies, classroom management, and stress reduction.
- A structure for modeling effective teaching during the beginning teacher's daily instructional time (e.g., one possible structure could be team teaching) is set in place as a natural part of the school day.
- A strong sense of administrative support is evident.
- Opportunities for beginning teachers to have observation visits in master teachers' classrooms are in place.
- Beginning teachers are provided with systematic ongoing professional development whereby the beginning teachers have an active role in the planning, implementation, and evaluation of the professional development process.
- Beginning teachers are given the opportunity to actively participate in classroom-level action research or schoolwide action research within the first year of teaching.
The first year of school for a beginning teacher is critical. Therefore, the transition from preservice teacher education to the teaching work force must establish an effective system for supporting new teachers.
Educators and all major stakeholders involved in the process of educating America's children must come to realize that preparing teachers to meet the needs of today's children is an intensive process. This process does not have a simple formula. The task is complex and arduous, and it calls for the combined efforts of all involved with preservice teacher education to ensure quality and alignment as America moves forward to serve and develop one of its most valuable resources—its children.
A concluding question should be considered after viewing issues that face teacher education in the 21st century: How does higher education ensure quality and alignment in preservice teacher education?
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