Teacher Academy Induction Learning Community: Guiding Teachers Through Their Zone of Proximal Development

Abstract

This is a preliminary analysis of The Academy for Teacher Excellence (ATE) induction support provided through the Teacher Academy Induction Learning Community (TAILC). In response to current US teacher attrition rates, ATE–TAILC’s primary objective is to retain teachers in the classroom and provide support to ensure they are fully prepared to meet the needs of culturally and linguistically diverse students. In this manuscript, we will share the TAILC component as a support structure for teacher candidates/interns during the apprenticeship period, which commences while obtaining certification requirements and continues during/through their first years of teaching. Data were collected vis à vis surveys, individual and group interviews, and induction mentors’ classroom observations. Qualitative methods were used to analyze the data. We describe and discuss effective services and professional development activities provided to 69 novice teachers. We concluded that effective teacher induction support assists novice teachers through their zone of proximal development in becoming members of a community of practice.

Keywords:

• teacher induction
• mentoring and coaching
• communities of practice
• teacher efficacy
• cultural efficaciousness

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank the Greater Texas Foundation for their support of the Teacher Academy Induction Learning Community.