New teachers and principals often suffer from professional isolation as they meet the challenges of their first few years on the job. The Web is the perfect resource to break through this isolation, offering an online network of professional support and information about programs to help new educators deepen their expertise and grow in their careers.
Cyber Support
Who better than other teachers to help new teachers learn the ropes as they negotiate their first year in the classroom? In addition to getting feedback from teachers in your own school, you can find plenty of good advice from seasoned veterans, journeyman educators, and new teachers atwww.teachers.net. This network of 50,000 educators from around the world enables teachers to chat by e-mail or in live chat rooms about numerous education topics, to share lesson plans and photos of their classrooms, and to search job listings.
The Teachers Network Web site (www.teachersnetwork.org) includes many similar opportunities for teachers to connect with one another. In addition, a New Teachers Helpline promises expert answers to questions on such topics as English language learners, technology, and standards within 72 hours.
Induction Approaches
The New Teacher Center at the University of California at Santa Cruz (www.newteachercenter.org) promotes the development of new approaches to teacher and administrator induction and professional development. The Center seeks to promote diversity among teachers, strengthen school-university ties, and improve the quality of mentoring. Join the Center's Network of Researchers on Teacher Induction to read papers and presentations on relevant topics or to upload your own contributions. Click on the Teacher Induction and Administrative Leadership Development links for other articles, such as “Quality Induction: An Investment in Teachers” and “Emotionally Intelligent Principals.”
Is it just California's ideal weather that contributes to its 93 percent new teacher retention rate? Some would credit the statewide Beginning Teacher Support and Assessment program, better known as BTSA (www.btsa.ca.gov). Designed especially for first- and second-year teachers, BTSA relies on ongoing assessment to help support these novices in learning good teaching practices earlier rather than later. The BTSA Basics and Frequently Asked Questions links provide a program overview. Of particular interest are the BTSA Program Standards (which appear as a link in the FAQ), outlining components of successful induction programs.
International Viewpoints
The United States is in good company when it comes to the need to improve teacher induction programs. Most of the 15 top-performing countries in the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) offer little help to beginning teachers, reports “More Swimming, Less Sinking: Perspectives on Teacher Induction in the U.S. and Abroad,” an online article on the WestEd Web site (). The article showcases effective strategies to support new teachers from schools in China, Japan, New Zealand, and Switzerland and profiles well-regarded induction programs in California and Connecticut.
England's National College for School Leadership (NCSL), online atwww.ncsl.org.uk, is the country's professional development organization for head teachers. NCSL has been instrumental in developing and promoting online communities that support new and veteran principals alike. Participation is restricted to educators in England, but educators in other countries can learn much about cutting-edge online professional development through NCSL publications available online. Click on the Research & Development link to read publications that give English perspectives on such topics as the experience of black and minority school leaders, effective leadership of schools in urban and challenging contexts, and how to develop successful school leaders.
Getting and Keeping Good Teachers
Districts facing teacher shortages should go to the National Teacher Recruitment Clearinghouse (www.rnt.org). Here you'll find tools and resources to help expand the pool of qualified teachers, improve district recruitment efforts, and retain talented teachers. The Find and Keep Teachers section discusses “growing your own” teachers through innovative programs and keeping successful teachers through strong induction strategies. The Successful Teaching link offers tips for new educators on managing the transition from teacher preparation programs to classroom teaching as well as advice on staying motivated and growing professionally.
