Mentoring New Special Education Teachers

A Guide for Mentors and Program Developers

How do you avoid the high cost of turnover and retain high-quality special education teachers in such a demanding field?

Surveys show that 98% of school districts are reporting shortages of special education teachers, and that nearly a quarter of a million new special education teachers will be needed over the next few years. Special education teachers are leaving the field at twice the rate of general education teachers. Why?

Special education teachers can quickly become overwhelmed by the myriad of responsibilities in their jobs-managing IEPs, alternative assessments, paraprofessionals, assistive technologies, complex legislation and paperwork, and the physical and emotional toll of such individualized instruction.

Mentoring New Special Education Teachers will help administrators and other educators develop and sustain effective mentoring programs specifically designed for special education teachers, providing practical, field-tested activities and resources for both the mentors and the mentees, including such critical elements as:

• Effectively identifying, recruiting, and selecting mentors
• Action planning
• Evaluating progress
• Addressing diminishing support
• Dealing with burnout and isolation
• Vignettes of real-life mentoring experiences
• Figures, tables, appendices, Web sites
• A ready-to-use two-day workshop for training mentors

Real-life vignettes and "What If" questions weave throughout the book, and trouble-shooting appendices direct you to additional Web sites and resources for further help. Mentoring New Special Education Teachers provides everything you need to effectively support and mentor your special education teachers, increase their job satisfaction, and keep your retention rates high!