By Catherine S. Schwartz
and Anne S. Ticknor
East Carolina University

https://doi.org/10.46767/kfp.2016-0006

Abstract

Induction has been given much attention in recent years. Research indicates that a comprehensive program with multiple supports for new teachers including reasonable teaching loads and complete curriculum resources are most effective. However, this is not the reality for many beginning teachers.  In a study of a two-year, university-based, mathematics-specific induction program for elementary teachers, we found many first-year teachers were given teacher leadership responsibilities at their schools. These leadership experiences were confounded by school contexts in which curriculum resources were incomplete or competed with the BTs visions of “good” mathematics teaching. Qualitative data included interviews, surveys, written reflections, and researcher field notes from the first year of study. This article reports three first-year teachers’ experiences of significant leadership responsibilities. Findings call for ways to prepare BTs in undergraduate and induction programs for the non-instructional duties in teaching and to develop the agency needed to negotiate school-based contextual constraints.

Keywords

Elementary; Teacher Leadership; Mathematics; Induction; Agency; Vision

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References

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