An Internet Location for Prospective Teachers

Go to the URL http://www.ed.gov/teacherquality/wantobe.html and you will open a screen headed "So You Want to Be a Teacher?" provided by the U.S. Department of Education.

Clickable hypertext headings on this page include:

• "Teacher Recruitment Clearinghouse," described as a "one-stop online resource for prospective teachers seeking jobs and for schools, districts, and states seeking qualified teachers."
• "What to Expect Your First Year of Teaching," described as a "compilation of frank discussions by award-winning first-year teachers."
• "Survival Guide for New Teachers," described as a "collection of reflections by award-winning first-year teachers." Information at the bottom of this page tells you how to obtain a free printed copy from the Department of Education. Sections in this document advise you on how to work with veteran teachers, parents, and principals. Here is an excerpt from the introductory message:

What Does "Sink or Swim" Mean?

To start with, first-year teachers are still liable to be assigned the most challenging courses-the ones with a heavy developmental emphasis and students who need additional expertise to teach. Moreover, many new teachers receive little more than a quick orientation on school policies and procedures before they start their jobs. And there is often no time in the day-or week, for that matter-allotted for sitting down with colleagues to discuss pedagogical methods, daily dilemmas like time and classroom management, and coping strategies....

Fortunately, some promising new initiatives are already under way. For example, 100 percent of the graduates of a program for first-year teachers from Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, Texas, have stayed on the job after five years of teaching. Meanwhile, a statewide retention rate is about 50 percent after five years, according to the university.

Texas's Induction Year Program is designed to provide support and instruction to first-year teachers while getting them started toward master's level professional development. The program focuses on practical issues such as classroom management, communication skills, and discipline. Also, faculty members regularly visit the classes of participants to evaluate the teacher's performance....

In addition to university teacher-preparation programs, school districts are doing more to make first-year teaching a success. Districts from Delaware to Columbus, Ohio, to Omaha, Nebraska, have instituted induction programs for new teachers that include mentoring, peer assistance, and other forms of guidance and support.

You will also find headings for links to "State Departments of Education" and an ERIC document titled "So You Want to Be a Teacher."

In addition to digesting the information and suggestions provided in these documents, you can discuss their meaning and implication with other prospective teachers or familiarize yourself with information on certification and assistance possibilities in your own or other states.

You can also back up to the parent page (http://www.ed.gov/teacherquality) to find abundant materials on many topics related to themes in this chapter, including teacher recruitment, teacher standards, and tests for new teachers.



In addition to the Department of Education's site, you can find information for prospective and first-year teachers at these web sites:

All About Teaching
This page from the Recruiting Teachers organization is designed for those who are considering teaching as a career. It includes teachers' personal responses to the question "Why I Teach," as well as a good overview of job conditions for teachers.

Becoming a Teacher
This page from ERIC, the Educational Resources Information Center is a concise collection of some of the most useful links for prospective teachers.

Mentoring New Teachers
This is a list of links to more information about mentoring programs for new teachers.

New-Teacher.com
Well-written, interesting, and useful, this Internet site provides material relevant for future as well as new teachers.

New Teacher Connection
This is a site offered by the professional organization Phi Delta Kappa to support new teachers. It includes new teachers' journal entries and the Good Idea Archive, tips for becoming your students' "teacher of the year."

Tips on Becoming a Teacher
This article on the ADPRIMA web site discusses several things to consider, and several other sites to visit, as you decide whether teaching is the career for you.