Mentoring New Teachers Mentoring New Teachers
How to design induction and mentoring that keeps new teachers and improves their teaching.
What this presentation covers
What this presentation covers
What this presentation covers
Who gets a mentor
Few new teachers have a mentor
Four in five novices work in schools with mentoring, but only one in four has one.
What mentored teachers report
Mentored novices are more satisfied
In TALIS 2024, mentored novices reported higher job satisfaction in 20 systems.
- Job satisfaction higher in 20 systems
- Lesson aims met more often in 14 systems
- The mentors more satisfied in about half
What induction changes
Induction helps teachers and their students
Most of 15 studies found gains in retention, teaching practice and test scores.
- Teachers stay commitment and retention
- Teaching improves classroom practice
- Students gain achievement scores
Matching by subject
Match mentors by subject
Novices with a same-subject mentor and shared planning time were less likely to leave.
- Same subject a mentor who teaches it too
- Shared planning regular time with colleagues
- Collaboration a team, not one helper
One support or several
Bundle several supports, not just a mentor
Beginners given several supports were less likely to move schools or quit.
- A mentor
- Group activities
- Extra resources
- A lighter workload
Time for mentoring
Protect time for novices and mentors
In Latvia and Costa Rica, novices teach 4.2 fewer hours a week.
What a large trial found
Judge results after three years
A trial of 1,009 new teachers found score gains only in year three.
- Sample 1,009 teachers, 418 schools
- Retention no effect in three years
- Achievement gains in year three
Evidence on coaching
Coaching changes teaching more than scores
Across 60 causal studies, coaching improved teaching more than student achievement.
- Instruction 0.49 SD0.49 SD
- Student achievement 0.18 SD0.18 SD
Growing the program
Expect smaller effects as you grow
Large programs showed only a fraction of the effects of small trials.
- Train every mentor, not only the first group
- Keep caseloads small
- Observe lessons, not only talk
- Review results each term
Sources
The research behind this presentation
- OECD (2025) Results from TALIS 2024: The state of teaching TALIS, OECD Publishing, Paris
- Ingersoll, R. M. & Strong, M. (2011) The impact of induction and mentoring programs for beginning teachers: A critical review of the research Review of Educational Research, 81(2), 201-233
- Smith, T. M. & Ingersoll, R. M. (2004) What are the effects of induction and mentoring on beginning teacher turnover? American Educational Research Journal, 41(3), 681-714
- Ingersoll, R. M. & Smith, T. M. (2004) Do teacher induction and mentoring matter? NASSP Bulletin, 88(638), 28-40
- Glazerman, S., Isenberg, E., Dolfin, S., Bleeker, M., Johnson, A., Grider, M. & Jacobus, M. (2010) Impacts of comprehensive teacher induction: Final results from a randomized controlled study (NCEE 2010-4027) U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance
- Kraft, M. A., Blazar, D. & Hogan, D. (2018) The effect of teacher coaching on instruction and achievement: A meta-analysis of the causal evidence Review of Educational Research, 88(4), 547-588
Give every new teacher real support
Match by subject, bundle supports, protect time and judge results over years.