Finders and Keepers: Helping New Teachers Survive and Thrive in Our Schools.

FINDERS AND KEEPERS: Helping New Teachers Survive and Thrive in Our Schools. Susan Moore Johnson, The Project on the Next Generation of Teachers (Sarah E. Birkeland, Morgaen L. Donaldson, Susan M. Kardos, David Kauffman, Edward Liu, and Heather G. Peske). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2004. 314 pp. $24.95. Finders and Keepers: Helping New Teachers Survive and Thrive in Our Schools should be required reading for school personnel who hire new teachers, organize mentor programs, or serve as mentors for new teachers. This book is based on a longitudinal study of 50 new teachers who were interviewed during their first four years of teaching, and offers an in-depth look at a random sample of 10 cases, including traditionally prepared and alternatively certified teachers in both urban and suburban settings.

The "next generation" of teachers is very different from the retiring generation of teachers. Those teachers who are now retiring typically entered the classroom in the 1970s and saw teaching as a lifelong career. Many in the current generation enter the profession thinking of it only as a short-term commitment; they are characterized as "contributors." Other new teachers are "explorers," and chose teaching from among several career options. Some want to begin in the classroom, but expect to have responsibilities outside the classroom, or, after a few years, plan to move into administration or counseling.

Schools that successfully retained their teachers are those that offer comprehensive support. These schools have active and responsive administrators who assign new teachers an appropriate set of courses and are the school's instructional leaders. The school has an organized curriculum and school-wide expectations for positive student behavior. Adequate supplies and equipment are available. The professional culture has moved from isolation to an integrated culture of experienced colleagues who work and plan together, offering new teachers support and feedback.

School must think of being "finders and keepers" as a long-term investment; according to Sanders and Rivera (1998), the teacher is the single most important factor in student achievement. The investment involves the commitment of mentors' time and support, the dedication of ongoing budget resources, full involvement of school and teacher leaders, and the willing participation of induction-year teachers. Reviewed by Jean Kueker, Professor, Our Lady of the Lake University, San Antonio, TX