Don’t let me forget the teacher I wanted to become

Abstract

This article reports findings from a study of 14 beginning teachers in their first year of teaching in primary schools. By the end of the first year, half were reconsidering their long-term commitment to teaching. The study found they were considering leaving because they were struggling to be the teachers they had envisaged being. One reason for this was the lack of alignment between the supports offered to them, and their own visions of good teaching. The consequences of misaligned supports for beginning teachers are discussed, along with suggestions for the ways in which mentoring and induction programs can better support beginning teachers to be the teachers they wish to be.

Keywords:

• mentoring
• induction
• early career support
• beginning teachers