ABSTRACT
Many new teachers, especially those working in urban areas, do not survive the Survival stage. However, teacher retention is not just a problem of cities, although it is more acute there. The so-called teacher shortage is an enormous national problem. We now know that this problem actually has more to do with retention than recruitment of sufficient numbers of new teachers. With a few exceptions in certain subject areas, enough teachers gain their certification each year to replace those who retire or leave the profession. The problem is that many new teachers choose to leave after their first few years of teaching. This book attempts to present, honestly and forthrightly, the issues that challenge new teachers and sometimes move them out of the profession before they have worked out strategies for coping with these issues. In short, this book is directed at keeping you in the profession, so that you evolve through the growth stages of Consolidation, and Renewal into Maturity as an expert and experienced teacher.
