Classroom experiences of first year alternatively certified teachers: An interpretive case study

To understand the experiences alternatively certified teachers have in the classroom, first-year American Board for Certification of Teacher Excellence (ABCTE) teachers share their experience of their first few months in the classroom. The purpose of this interpretive case study was to examine the first-year teaching experiences of six alternatively certified teachers in content areas that include English, math, and science in grades 6-12 and included teachers from five schools in southern Idaho. A naturalistic, interpretive, case study approach was used.;The participants' describe their relationships with individuals who encouraged, guided, and mentored them as first-year teachers. Participants describe their path to teaching through ABCTE, passion for their subject matter; desire to work with students, and love of teaching. Theme Development: A Process of Analysis (expanding on Merriam, 1998) developed by Williams (2004) guided data analysis through general sorting, reflective sorting, and conceptualization and re-conceptualization. Through data analysis, three themes emerged, I) The Journey of the ABCTE certifier is built on Relationships, 2) Passion for Teaching, Learning, and Content, and 3) Classroom Experiences, Practices, and Strategies. These themes reveal various levels of classroom experience and a gap between ABCTE teacher preparation and the first-year alternatively certified teachers' implementation of planning, classroom management, and instructional strategies in the classroom.;The findings imply that mentorship is a powerful aspect of professional development for alternatively certified teachers. Mentor relationships (official and unofficial) were shown to help the new teacher develop a foundation of good planning and delivery in the classroom. Additionally, the findings imply that administrators must be more aware of the needs for the long-term induction and mentorship of new alternatively certified teachers whom they employ.;Preparing and keeping high quality teachers in the classroom is essential for achieving high standards in education, and alternatively certified teachers are an increasing segment of the teaching force. This study contributes to an understanding of best practices for preparing and retaining alternatively certified teachers in the profession through an investigation of their lived experiences during the first few months of their teaching career.