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Perspectives
Rewriting Survivor
Lost at sea…trial by fire…an uphill battle…crashing and burning… almost constant failure…a debacle—
that’s the colorful language that a few
of this month’s authors use as they
recall their own first year as a classroom
teacher. Their descriptions are hardly a
persuasive ad for new recruits.
One reason that the first year often
gets such bad reviews may be the fact
that teaching is such a
complex art. As Linda
Darling-Hammond relates
in her interview with EL
(p. 18), teaching well not
only requires subject matter
expertise, pedagogical skills,
and an understanding of
student psychology, but it
also demands the ability
to keenly observe and
respond to what each of 30
students is doing, saying,
and meaning—individually
and collectively. With little time to
reflect before needing to act, teachers
must master a performance art and the
multitasker’s dream job. No matter the
preparation they have, you can see why
someone might not be able to perfect all
that in the first year.
Yet, as Sharon Feiman-Nemser tells
us in “Beyond Solo Teaching” (p. 10),
we know much more about preparing
and supporting new teachers than we
actually practice. In this issue, our
authors discuss three essentials for
helping beginners become competent
and effective professionals: sound preparation, yearlong mentoring, and a collaborative culture that fosters learning.
Be prepared. Currently teacher prepa-
ration programs might range from five
weeks to five years, but length of study
is neither the essential nor the only cri-
terion for a good program. As graduates
of many different kinds of training relate
(pp. 41, 46, 66, 70), good preparation
includes multiple chances to observe
good teachers teach; a sufficient time
to practice student-teaching under the
supervision of an expert educator, pref-
erably in the curriculum area or grade
level you will teach; and deep study of
content and pedagogy related to your
in-school student-teaching experience.
See Richard Ingersoll and colleagues’
research (p. 30) to gain insight into
why the “how of teaching”
plays such a big role in the
retention of science and
math teachers. And look
at “Preparing Teachers for
the Early Grades” (p. 36) to
learn what is missing from
some elementary teachers’
preparation programs.
who received two years of intensive
induction produced significantly higher
gains in student achievement than did
teachers in a control group, Feiman-Nemser tells us (p. 14). The best mentors
go beyond being a buddy who gives
emotional support to acting as a coach
who problem solves and fine-tunes
skills during the crucial moments of the
teacher’s first year (p. 54).
Transform the culture of teaching.
Inside and outside the school, the culture
of teaching needs to become more conducive to collaboration. Welcoming
newcomers into professional learning
communities is a step toward reducing
isolation. When schools offer everyone
the opportunity to grow and learn
from one another, novices and veterans
benefit.
The pervasive teacher bashing, bad
mouthing, and punitive threats directed
toward the profession today create a
climate of fear and competition and
divert educators away from sharing
research-based practices. Indeed, the
negative climate can create an “
antipro-fession,” as Linda Darling-Hammond
relates. “We know what we should be
doing with beginning teachers: using
professional teaching standards and
thoughtful support and evaluation
processes to give them the feedback
they need. . . . The core value of every
profession is that everyone in it has
the knowledge and skills needed to be
responsible and effective” (p. 21).
Beginners, mentors, experienced colleagues, education leaders, and politicians must do their part if we are ever
to rewrite the ending of Survivor stories.
Our goal should not be to throw people
off the island but to entice them to stay
and thrive.
—Marge Scherer
