Teachers' Experiences of Induction: A Narrative Retrospective Inquiry

It is well established that beginning teachers need support to bridge the gap from college teacher preparation to the classroom setting (Fletcher & Strong, 2009; Wong, 2003). In fact, lack of support in this transition has been identified as a leading factor that causes beginning teachers to leave the profession at high rates early in their careers (Andrews, Gilbert & Martin, 2006). Research suggests that coaching is an effective way to support beginning teacher’s learning (Ingersoll & Strong, 2011). The purpose of this qualitative research is to tell the lived experiences of nine teachers who took part of in a statewide induction coaching program. Using narrative inquiry methodology with semi-structured interviews, the study sought to gain the individual stories of past beginning teachers who worked with an induction coach, identify common themes across beginning teachers’ narratives, and to understand what their retrospective stories tell us about working with their induction coach. Four main implications of the findings include the needs of beginning teachers in the field, phases of coaching in reaction to the needs of beginning teachers, qualities of an induction coach, and the need for coaches to mediate the identities of the beginning teacher.