Mentoring vs. Induction Programs

How does a mentoring program differ from an induction program? Induction programs are professional experiences for beginning teachers that provide systematic and sustained assistance to ease the transition into teaching (Kauchak & Eggen, 2005, p. 500). For example, an induction program assists new teachers with teacher workshops that cater to first year teachers to help them to be better successful in their new classrooms. Mentoring programs are experienced teachers who provide guidance and support for beginning teachers (Kauchak & Eggen, 2005, p. 500).The difference between mentoring and induction programs is mentoring programs is done by a single person (an experienced teacher) who help guide you in succeeding inside your classroom, and an induction program is a program that contains workshops and provides first year teachers crucial information to be able to be successful in their new classrooms. Are mentoring and induction programs equally effective? I do not believe that mentori ng and induction programs are equally effective. I believe that mentoring programs are least effective than induction programs.Mentoring programs only offer you a mentor to help you settle into your new classroom for the first year, while induction programs offer you so much more such as: * Special attention is given to teachers in the beginning years of their career to help to link their performance to state and district standards (Kauchak & Eggen, 2005, p. 500). * Mentors for beginning teachers are compensated for their work and are given opportunities for their own professional growth through classes that help them become affective mentors (Kauchak & Eggen, 2005, p. 00). * Teachers receive assistance and support with everyday problems and are encouraged to develop a reflective professional attitude (Kauchak & Eggen, 2005, p. 500). * Universities and schools collaborate to create clinical learning environments for beginning teachers. These relationships provide professional develo pment for both k-12 teachers and university faculty (Kauchak & Eggen, 2005, p. 500). This makes induction programs more effective than mentoring programs because it offers so much more than a mentoring program does.Mentoring programs provide you only a teaching professional to guide you through the first year, while an induction program provides with workshops and programs that better help you to develop as a professional through your first year. What kind of support is available for new teachers that participate in these types of programs? The kind of support that is available for new teachers that participate in the mentoring and induction programs is that of professional development.Induction programs offer professional development by setting up workshops for new teachers that can help them through their first year of teaching. Mentoring programs offer professional development by giving them a mentor that can guide them in helping them to become successful by their own personal e xperiences. Based on your research, what do these programs lack and what kinds of additional features would improve these programs? Based on my research, I think that the programs would be more beneficial if the two programs would work together.I think that if a new teacher used both the mentoring and the induction programs that they could be more successful. By using one program I do not believe that you could learn all that you needed to learn in just one of these programs. Yes, the induction program is good for profession development by offering workshops to better a first year teacher, but having a mentor along the side of you to support you would be even better. I think this would also better help teachers to stay in this profession instead of changing professions because they