An Evaluation of the University of Idaho Beginning Agriculture Teacher Induction Program

According to Schulman (1987), teaching may well be the most difficult of all professions to master. It is one of the few professions that expects the first-year teacher to immediately perform at the same level as his or her experienced colleagues. These expectations, however unfair. do have validity in the fact that the students of a first-year teacher deserve a quality education. Keeping thii in mind, how can these new teachers be helped so they can provide a good, solid education for their students while functioning in a new environment of school politics and social structure. In recent years, the answer to this complex question has been to provide some form of beginning teacher induction or assistance program. This assistance has ranged from informal friendships to very formal and s t ructured programs. No matter what type of program has been adopted, they have all been initiated for the reason that new teachers need help.