STUDYING THE EFFECTIVE USE OF MENTOR SUPPORTS FOR BEGINNING TEACHERS IN A RURAL MIDDLE SCHOOL

Abstract

Recruiting and retaining high quality teachers is vital to the success of public education (Darling-Hammond, 2003). In a small, rural North Carolina school district, it is consistently difficult to accomplish this important task. As a result, many school leaders resort to hiring teachers who do not have their teaching license and who did not complete a formal educator or teacher preparation program at a university. Such beginning teachers may be drastically unprepared to enter the profession. The aim of this study was to engage the school leaders and educators in a small, rural school district develop a common understanding and plan for supporting beginning teachers with the short-term goal of increasing teacher retention and a long-term goal of increasing student achievement. This study intends to provide insight on the following areas related to beginning teacher induction in rural school districts: preservice preparation changes, common challenges for beginning teachers, supports for beginning teachers and an idea of teacher support founded on the ideas of focus, collaboration and reflection. This study also was designed to develop the leadership capacity of the building principal, who was also the researcher. The researcher implemented the study and will share the knowledge gained, as it was, and it still being used, to improve the current beginning teacher induction program at this rural middle school.