coolcatteacher:

My first year teaching was pretty AWFUL. There were glimmers there of the hope and excitement that would be there, but I didn’t get it until my third year in. If I hadn’t had my Mom and sister giving me advice, I probably would have quit the first day — they saved me. This is why having mentors with seasoned, real advice (that teachers aren’t getting in education school) you just aren’t prepared. It is more challenging than ever to keep discipline and teach - with less support from parents and sometimes admin and many students not well disciplined at home, teachers need to be GOOD and keeping order. This article hits it on the head and is a great one.

It is vital that we begin to look at the behavioral and practical aspects of teaching.

“Tackling the teacher retention crisis and ensuring highly effective teaching are of the utmost importance if we want to improve student performance in our schools. High teacher turnover rates sap education of its talent and scar schools and students. What message is a revolving door of new teachers sending to our students about the value of staying in school, or even about their own value? Quality of teaching has been proven to have a substantial effect on the lives of students. For every year an inexperienced teacher is left alone to struggle at the front of the classroom, we are at risk of their students falling behind.

The good news is we have a solution. To address this crisis in education, we need to sharpen our focus on the fate of our newest educators. We need to ensure they don’t just survive in the classroom, but truly thrive. We need to make sure they are reaching all students and helping them achieve. Great teachers are made, not born.

Yes, yes, yes. This.