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In this review of literature, the author identifies ways that mentoring can improve retention of new teachers who will subsequently be able to contribute to the transformation necessary for effectively increasing student achievement. Three areas are addressed using historical and current sources, including experts in the study of mentoring: (a) reasons that new teachers leave the profession and to what extent a mentoring program can address those concerns; (b) how to bridge the needs of new teachers with the attributes of an effective mentoring program; and (c) the positive effects of a strong, teacher-mentoring program. The author argues for the transformational effect of mentoring as a necessary part in changing the system of education in the United States.
The dream of making a difference in the life of a child is alluring. For all the right reasons, preservice teachers begin a voyage to change lives and contribute to the advancement of society by educating its youth. With optimism and a fresh perspective, new teachers accept their first jobs and immerse themselves, ready to fix the broken system of education described by the media. Unfortunately, within the first few years, the enthusiasm begins to dwindle. The stressors of teaching become intolerable, and many new teachers abandon the field, feeling misguided and defeated. Research suggests it takes 3 to 7 years for a beginning teacher to become experienced enough to be considered highly qualified (Long, 2010). Sadly, more than one-third of teachers leave the profession within the first 5 years (Shaw & Newton, 2014). According to Hughes (2012), experienced teachers are better teachers, able to produce higher rates of student achievement. If that is the case, how will schools grow experienced teachers when so many abandon the field within the first few years? The answer is to provide the support they need to encourage them to stay.
To understand the magnitude of teacher attrition, a dollar amount must be assigned to the loss. The cost of replacing a teacher is staggering. The National Commission on Teaching and America's Future reported an average national cost of more than $8000 to replace a teacher (NCTAF, 2007). The yearly costs of recruiting, hiring, and training new teachers nationally in 2012 was $2.2 billion per year in the United States...