Beginning Teachers' Perceptions of Mentors

Abstract

Aefter a year of implementation of a be ginning teacher support system, 108 new teachers were asked their reactions to the mentoring program. Huffman and Leak found that mentors could be effec tive in addressing the needs of new teachers, but to maximize their effective ness the mentors should teach the same content and work at the same grade level as the beginning teacher. Furthermore, the authors conclude that it is imperative to provide adequate conference time for mentors and beginning teachers if the induction participants are to achieve program objectives.