It may seem counterintuitive to support novice teachers by asking them to take a university course while they are trying to cope with their first year in the classroom. Yet this approach has worked well for the Teacher Induction Program at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, which has an impressive track record in keeping novice teachers in the profession.
Photo by Mark Regan
"We want to keep novice teachers from feeling in over their heads, out on a limb, or ready to smash something," said Vickie Moon Merchant, who coordinates the program. "These teachers have decided they want this help—they're not told by the school district to come," she noted.
During the first semester, the novice teachers meet once a week at the university and are observed teaching once a week by their mentors, who are usually retired teachers. (The mentors are provided by the university, and they receive training in mentoring skills.) The course is worth six credit hours toward a master's degree.
At their weekly class meetings, the novice teachers talk about the concerns and successes they've had, Merchant said. Then the class discusses topics such as classroom management, effective teaching strategies, communication skills, and how to apply learning principles. When the mentors do their classroom observations, they tell the novice teachers "everything that's good," Merchant said, as well as giving them pointers and identifying areas for improvement.
"There are some class assignments, because this is a course," Merchant said, "but they're designed to take the pressure off, not to put more pressure on. I don't have the students go to the library and do research papers."
The novice teachers are required to come to class, of course. In addition, "they have to keep a journal, with a certain number of entries," Merchant said. "There are self-critiques of audio and videotapes. They normally write a letter home to parents—they give us a copy. They develop a documentation log on discipline, professional development that they attend, as well as their classroom rules. They have to develop a classroom management policy, and it needs to be age appropriate. They have to develop two learner-centered strategies and share them with the class. And they must demonstrate effective teaching behaviors."
One of the problems of first-year teachers is inadequate materials, Merchant said. "So therefore we give them time to make materials in the Teacher Resource Center, which is full of all kinds of activities, manipulatives, and resources, K through 12."
During the second semester (3 credit hours), the novice teachers meet for class every other week and are observed teaching twice. The class discusses topics such as multiple intelligences, learning centers, technology, and special populations. During this semester, the novice teachers observe three master teachers and fill out forms detailing their observations. They also create a professional portfolio.
The Teacher Induction Program has served 456 novice teachers since 1991, Merchant said, and it has achieved a retention rate above 90 percent. By contrast, 50 percent of U.S. teachers leave the profession during the first five years.
Besides good statistics, Merchant's program has garnered glowing testimonials. One principal told her, "When I observe first-year teachers, I can determine whether they're enrolled in the Teacher Induction Program." When Merchant asked her how she could tell, she replied: "Because they're working on academics, not fighting the kids."