Playing it safe as a novice teacher - Implications for programs for new teachers

Prompted by the continuing attrition rate of novice teachers, this study ex amines Ist-year teachers' needs in the context of a university-regional par tnership sponsored support program for novice teachers, the Novice Teacher Support Project (NTSP). Using the concept of reality shock as occurring in the interaction of person and environment, the authors examined novice teac hers' expressed needs and how those needs are met. Throughout all the findi ngs, the novice teachers expressed a need for safety, a mix of support and challenge that was best provided by a combination of both internal resource s from the district and external resources such as the NTSP The authors sug gest conceptualizing support as an interactive process that includes person , school context, support context, and personal relationships. This can hel p support the creation of the type of emotionally and professionally safe e nvironments new teachers need to develop their professional lives.