Lessons Learned: New Teachers Talk About Their Jobs, Challenges, and Long-Range Plans (Part III: Teaching in Changing Times)

This is the third report in a series entitled Lessons Learned: New Teachers Talk About Their Jobs, Challenges, and Long-Range Plans, published by the National Comprehensive Center for Teacher Quality and Public Agenda. Based on information gathered through interviews with first-year teachers across the country, the report examines teachers' views on training, recruitment, professional development, and retention. One very interesting finding was that the majority of teachers interviewed reported feeling inadequately prepared for the diversity they encountered in their classrooms, and oddly enough, this view was most prevalent among teachers who were beginning their careers in more affluent schools. This report is a must-read for anyone interested in improving the preparation and initial experience of new teachers.