How a New Teacher Support Group Promotes Peer Leadership and Informs Early Childhood Teacher Preparation

• In Event: Roundtable Session 54
  In Roundtable Session: Induction, Mentorship, and Support of Novice Teachers: The Role of Mentors and Mentees

Abstract

The Early Childhood Professional Mentoring Group (ECPMG) was created in response to our graduates’ expressed concerns regarding a lack of support as they entered the field of Inclusive Early Childhood Education. Building on their existing relationships with each other, and with us as their former instructors, the group fostered a community for engaging in reciprocal peer support and group problem-solving, and helped new teachers develop skills as educators, professionals, and reflective change agents. The ECPMG demonstrated the power of peer mentoring as an alternative to district-based induction and provided inspiration for teacher educators and educational researchers to recognize and articulate more relevant connections between preparation and practice, reclaiming the role of educators in today’s complex educational landscape.

Authors

• Susan L. Recchia, Teachers College, Columbia University

• Victoria I. Puig, Montclair State University