Supporting Novice Teachers Through Mentoring and Induction in the United States

Abstract

The study focuses on the U.S. system of novice teacher support. The study highlights the evolution of mentoring from a traditional, isolated, hierarchical one-to-one relationship to multiple interactions which comprise a collaborative developmental network. The findings suggest that mentoring and induction support in the United States are continually progressing to conform to the dynamic trends in education and organizational management, which is evident in the diversification of their forms and types. American educators and policymakers extensively use new forms of mentoring, such as online mentoring, group mentoring, reciprocal mentoring, needs-driven mentoring etc. The analysis of induction and mentoring programs, district professional development plans and other documentation, carried out in the process of research, reveals their core components, goals and the peculiarities of their design and implementation. Special attention is given to mentor training, selection and matching. Novice teacher support is viewed as an effective instrument which allows school districts to reduce teacher turnover, improve student achievement by providing students with quality instruction and promote collaboration within teaching staff and administration.