Assess The Importance Of Induction In Education

The world of education today is ever changing. Throughout all of the mandates and political arguments over education, teachers are still expected to be effective. Teachers must shape the lives of each of their students and are increasingly held accountable for their efforts. With heavier mandates for teachers, their abilities may seem stifled as frustrations and tensions intensify. With these responsibilities, changes and mandates, a new teacher does not stand a chance to be successful without guidance and support. Therefore, a well strategically planned induction plan is vital to this process. As indicated by Kang & Berliner (2012), “comprehensive induction programs have been introduced to help beginning teachers cope with the intellectual

According to Portner (2005), “Successful induction programs are complex systems supported at all levels of the education process, from the state level, to district administrators and school principals, to individual colleagues in each school.” A new teacher induction program simply orientates new teachers to the rituals and routines of a school. It should be conducted prior to a new teacher entering the classroom. New teachers must be properly trained and supported in order to have a chance to succeed in the classroom. Research indicates that teachers leave the profession for a number of reasons; however, one of the main reasons is lack of proper training and support. According to Jones & Frank (2013), “Success for both beginning general and special education teachers depends on their ability to achieve multiple goals: they must (a) acquire instructional and classroom management skills, (b) become familiar with district curricula, and (c) adapt to the professional norms and procedures of their individual schools.” Teachers are often overwhelmed by the responsibilities that set in once they enter the classroom. It doesn’t matter what type of preparation program a teacher has matriculated through and how well prepared the teacher thinks he/she is for the job, if a support system is not in place, that teacher will more than likely fail.

Teaching is very difficult with all of the mandates that have been placed on teachers. Teachers learn while they are on the job. Therefore, it is extremely important that safety nets are in place to support new teachers along the way. A good induction program that is implemented and measured can have a major impact on new teachers staying in the field of education. A good induction program focuses on training and supporting the whole