Meet the Teachers
by Camille Hedrick, Potomac Falls High School
Original text © 2004 Camille Hedrick
Conclusions
Schools are socially organized communities. As such, they rely on “norms, purposes, values, professional socialization, collegiality, and natural interdependence.” (Sergiovanni, 1994, p.4) Cultural norms drive schools and school improvement occurs only through school culture (Sergiovanni, 2001). School culture has a powerful influence on teachers, especially beginning teachers. Adapting Bronfenbrenner’s theory, the beginning teacher is nested in the center of a culture formed by and consisting of relationships between the beginning teacher, her students, her mentor, other colleagues, and administrators. Sergiovanni (1999) states that “…teachers are influenced by norms, group mores, patterns of beliefs, values, the socialization process, and socially-constructed reality.” (p.83) Bronfenbrenner (1979) informs us that how humans develop is strongly influenced by exposure to and interactions with their environment.
This study adds to the work of Sergiovanni and Bronfenbrenner. New teachers, in this case career-switchers, respond positively to cultures where they are supported in their first critical years by mentors and administrators.
