The Atlanta Journal Constitution – Maureen Downey
“A new federal study says a greater proportion of teachers in Georgia’s highest-poverty schools are first-year teachers, compared to the lowest-poverty schools. When my oldest child began school, I appreciated the energy of brand new teachers. However, as I had more kids and spent more time observing classrooms, I recognized novices lacked the classroom management skills of more experienced peers. A leading expert on teacher recruitment once told me he found new teachers too inexperienced and older teachers too jaded – he felt teachers were at their optimum in years seven to 11.”(more)