SUPPORTING NEW TEACHERS THROUGH CONSULTEE-CENTERED GROUP CONSULTATION

New teachers are often unprepared for the emotional, physical, social, and psychological demands of teaching. Traditional staff development models may not be well suited to meet the needs of these teachers. How ever, school psychologists and counselors are in an excellent position to facilitate the professional and problem-solving skills of new teac hers, using Caplan's consultee-centered group consultation model. In t his project, 5 beginning elementary school teachers participated in a biweekly consultation group for 8 months. We found that the new teache rs' emphasis on ''self as teacher'' was evident throughout the year an d that the consultation groups provided the teachers with a forum for engaging in meaningful professional dialogue with colleagues. The find ings presented include an example of the consultative problem-solving process, a content analysis of the problems presented, and the teacher s' impressions of the impact of the group. Finally, suggestions are pr ovided for school consultants.