Even the best and the brightest of the new teachers struggle in their early years of teaching. No matter how intense or how extensive their pre-service training, many new teachers will find they are ill-prepared for the realities of the classroom. They will struggle with classroom management and meeting the content, as well as the social and emotional learning needs of each student.

An investment in teacher support, on an ongoing basis, is therefore one of the most useful gifts a teacher can receive over the span of their career. Teacher support results not only in retention and leadership development but also in student success.

However, in order to effectively do this, we must understand this generation’s teachers. Today’s new younger teaching force is more independent and self-reliant than previous generations. They have strong technical skills, are comfortable with technology, they are results focused, adaptable to change and like teamwork. They value collaboration, collective actions, training and skill development. Yet this notwithstanding, they still need proper induction in order to be effective in the classroom. A teacher induction program that includes mentoring fits the work style of new teachers by providing multiple ways to work with colleagues in accelerating student success.

High-quality teacher induction program in which a mentor is assigned to support new teachers and to develop their practice with weekly one-on-one meetings addresses this issue. Without this, teaching becomes an isolated profession, where feedback and coaching is not welcome. It must also be understood that Professional development of teachers should be a lifelong process that starts during teacher preparation programs and ends when a teacher retires.

Similarly, a strong induction program fosters a collaborative culture and teacher leadership. Being mentored during the first three years of their careers allows new teachers to value feedback and the opportunity to learn alongside their peers and more experienced colleagues. Some expert teachers are initially conflicted about leaving the classroom, but become drawn to the opportunity to impact the profession on a broader scale by becoming a mentor and teachers of teachers, a unique leadership role. Through mentoring, exemplary teachers reaffirm themselves as lifelong learners when they choose the path to teacher leadership and expand their reach and impact on student learning.

Most importantly, a comprehensive induction program ultimately benefits students the most. They have a direct impact on teacher effectiveness, teacher retention and teacher leadership, all of which have a direct impact on student success. Once a school or an institution has built up a high-quality induction program, the system propels new teachers to get better faster with the aid of mentors, induction coaches, principals and other leaders.

The bottom line is that every new teacher faces a crippling nightmare in the classroom without proper induction. It is like dropping a person in the middle-of-nowhere and asking them to find their way home. However, this can be avoided by a systematic induction process that instills confidence and efficiency in the teacher.

The writer is a Language Consultant