ABSTRACT
In the next decade and beyond, the needs of the changing corps of teachers already in the profession and those who join the ranks will demand that school systems elevate mentoring to new levels. To this point, Carver and Feiman-Nemser (2009) share: “To support the kind of teaching demanded by today’s accountability reforms, beginning teachers will need mentors who understand school and district priorities and who are skilled at helping them learn in and from practice” (p. 3). The literature on mentoring and induction abounds with descriptions of program designs, defi nitions, mentoring roles, and the apparently positive results of research conducted in school systems that incorporate induction and mentoring as part of the school-wide professional development program. The benefi ts of cohesive mentoring and induction programs will be elusive until school systems build supportive environments that encourage learning while creating an ethos of care and concern for all their members. Ingersoll and Strong (2011) clarify, “there is a necessary role for schools in providing an environment where novices are able to learn the craft and survive and succeed as teachers” (p. 203).
