Start: Supporting, training, and retaining teachers

The literature on teacher retention is abundant, yet the focus on new teachers themselves is limited. This research study provides a detailed description of what beginning teachers reported made them want to stay at one middle school with a 100% teacher retention rate over four consecutive years. This study employed qualitative methodology. Participants in this case study were all public school teachers who worked at a middle school in the southeastern United States. A case study research design was used to solicit feedback from beginning teachers about administrative efforts which made them want to stay at this school, during a time when many new teachers chose to leave the profession. The study employed semi- structured interviews with novice teachers, semi-structured interviews with mentor teachers, and journaling for new teachers. The results of this case study showed the administrative efforts at one middle school which led to a 100% teacher retention rate, as reported by beginning teachers themselves. The main findings of this study were: 1) beginning teachers reported that having an administrator who cares for you did impact their decision to stay at this school in particular; 2) new teachers reported feeling as though they had a voice that is heard by administration which had a positive impact on their retention; 3) novice teachers reported that being treated like a professional by administrators impacted their choosing to stay at this school. Implications and recommendations are provided in regard to the successful retention of beginning classroom teachers