Questions and answers

I began to collect data by distributing my surveys to former New Educators and to Instructional Coaches. So far I have collected data from half of the New Educators and Instructional Coaches I have surveyed. Here is a sampling of my data from New educators:

1. How was support given to you (New Educator) in the area of classroom management?

• Collaboration with colleagues
• Observations by IC and feedback
• Opportunities to observe other teachers
• Harry Wong book and tape
• CHAMPs
• Team members, specialists, administrators
• Mentor came to observe behaviors and offer suggestions
• Attended CHAMPs workshop
  

2. My next question to new educators "Were there areas of classroom management that you needed more support? If so, what areas needed more support?" yielded the following:

• 80% said no
• yes- regarding transition
• Routines and procedures

3. My third question, "Regarding classroom management, what support worked well?"

• Team members, more familiar with material
• CHAMPs
• Having own classroom (as opposed to being "on a cart")
  
• Ideas on redirecting students
• Talking, observing, feedback
• Putting check on child's desk to not interrupt class
• Finding a good program and following it well
  

4. My fourth question, "Regarding classroom management, what support did not work?"
New Educators responded:

• Administrators not realizing problem students had a pattern of misbehavior that persisted throughout the day with other teachers as well.
• Textbook pacing
• Having an older teacher come in to "check up" on my class. It undermined my authority.

5. What would have helped you to make your classroom management work better?

• Visiting other classes to see what strategies they use
• Having my own classroom
• Stricter policies to start the year
• Planning checklists regarding back to school and organization

6. What suggestions do you have to improve the induction process?

• More of a student teaching model - have mentor co-teach one day with NE
  
• Start classroom management training during planning week so NEs can have their routines and procedures down before the first day of school
• More observations of experienced teachers
• Classroom management course
• Better understanding of paperwork
• Modeling effective classroom management
• More modeling

As I look at these responses, I see a few patterns beginning to emerge. In question #1, NEs listed support from various staff members from ICs, to team leaders and administration, from workshops to observations of other teachers. It is interesting to note in Question # 2 that while 80% of NEs said they did not need more support in Classroom management, many had suggestions of how to improve the mentoring process in Questions #5 and #6. Perhaps this is an indication that NEs "don't know what they don't know." However, the suggestions the NEs made for #5 and 6 reveal an insight into where their own problems lay. In a positive light, these responses also indicate an awareness of their weaknesses and room for improvement.