12 known as triangulation. For the current study, member checking, a peer review panel, and a key informant were used to verify the data. Limitations It is significant to note that the researcher was also the superintendent in the District when the research was conducted. The teachers who had worked in the District the longest were more open in their responses. This limitation indicates that the information discovered in the current study may not consist of all variables due to some teachers’ willingness or hesitancy to provide detailed, unguarded feedback. Another limitation was that the current study participants were not allowed to review interview questions in advance. They may have been better prepared to give more detailed answers if they had viewed the questions in advance. Lastly, the current study involved teachers who began their teaching careers in the District and chose to continue working in the District. Future research could benefit from gathering the perceptions of those serving as mentor teachers who work with novice teachers. Recommendations It is recommended that the instructional support personnel available to novice teachers be expanded to the high school campus. The elementary and middle school campuses have reading and math coaches that assist novice teachers with lesson planning, problem-solving, and instructional practices. The high school campus could benefit from a staff member dedicated to working with teachers with lesson planning, using high-quality instructional materials, modeling, and academic coaching. Funding is limited in a rural school district, and an additional employee would be an added cost to the District. That said, the additional cost would likely assist in reducing teacher turnover and increase student academic success. It is recommended that mentors work together to target the novice teachers’ common questions. The mentoring team could divide the work, so they do not have to focus on all areas with novice teachers. Novice teachers could be grouped according to the areas where they need assistance from a mentor who specializes in that area. This Michelle Barrow, Ed.D. recommendation may not apply when mentoring novice teachers in all situations, but it could benefit the common areas needed. Additionally, novice teachers and mentor teachers need dedicated time to work together. Principals can assist in the development of the program by utilizing the master schedule to create specific times for mentors and novice teachers to work together to benefit all involved. A recommendation specifically for campus and district administrators is to observe at-will employees who already work in the school district. Find those employees who could potentially become teachers and encourage them to enroll in classes to work towards becoming a teacher. Those who are trained on the job where the campus administrator spends time developing their skillset are more likely to be dedicated to a campus or district that provided support to them in their career development. This practice could increase teacher retention. Conclusion The current study aimed to understand novice teachers’ perceptions of the support and instructional training available in their district and campus leaders’ perceptions of building a culture that encourages teachers to remain in the district. The results showed that novice teachers felt supported by their mentors and principals. Campus principals believe that to create a culture where teachers want to continue working, they have to provide an atmosphere that is welcoming, provide teachers with the resources they need, have clear communication, and be accessible to their staff. All teacher participants began in the District as novice teachers and have chosen to stay, empowering the district to continue to enhance the teacher mentoring program. Improving and expanding the current program could help novice teachers further develop their skills and help relieve factors that tend to stress them. Maintaining a high-quality staff is challenging in rural school districts and even more complicated in districts serving students in poverty, which is why mentoring programs to support novice teachers must remain a district’s top priority.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy ODc4ODgx