Abstract
This chapter describes the first months of teaching. It introduces relevant literature about these early days and then discusses the first months from the perspective of three beginning teachers. It traces their experiences from the days when they first visit their new schools to the end of the first term of their appointment. The accounts of these experiences are synthesised into three stories, each highlighting a different theme. The themes concern their development of relationships with three key stakeholders in their new profession: students, staff and parents. The stories are analysed using a construct of praxis shock, or the confrontation that newcomers to the profession might encounter between the realities of the classroom and their beliefs and ideals. We suggest that resilience is one of the most important characteristics that new teachers can develop and argue for teacher education programmes to better support such development.
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Schuck, S., Aubusson, P., Buchanan, J., Russell, T. (2012). The First Months of Teaching. In: Beginning Teaching. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-3901-7_2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-3901-7_2
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