Especially for New Teachers

Sun 15 2008

According to the summary of a report from the National Commission on Teaching and America's Future, after 3 years, 1/3 of new teachers leave the field; after 5 years, almost half of those new teachers are gone.

School systems, colleges and universities and other organizations in the business of education increasingly extend help to teachers entering the classroom for the first time. On the web, numerous publications and gateway projects offer a range of materials, advice, and ideas for the new educator.

The US Department of Education offers a Survival guide that includes a helpline, mentorship column, and articles on what to expect, planning guides, and resources and activities for the new teacher.

Help for your First Class: Resources, tools and Tips for New Teaches, a newsletter from scholastic.com with regularly updated articles including teaching ideas, planning guides,

Teachers Net includes articles on curriculum, professional development, administration, classroom activities, materials and personalities.

College and university schools of education frequently have support sites for new teachers. Visit these sites: New Jersey Consortium of Middle Schools, School of Education, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and New Teacher Center, University of California at Santa Cruz.

About the Author

Lee Ann Ghajar is a digital history associate in Public Projects at CHNM and a PhD candidate in American history at George Mason University.