Building Community to Build the Profession

This chapter describes a responsive, community-oriented approach to induction that prioritizes building teacher-to-teacher community, teacher autonomy vis-á-vis professional learning, and local community connection. This induction and retention program was designed to specifically address the needs and desires of early career teachers who recently graduated from our program. Using vignettes and program data, we seek to humanize the challenges of becoming a new teacher and highlight the impact of one effective retention program. We suggest that connections to one's teacher identity, to other educators, and to the community serve as a protective hub to help new teachers persist in the face of the challenges and isolation during their first few years in the field. While focused on the impact of our induction program, this chapter is motivated by the broader question: What helps new teachers, especially new Teachers of Color, to not just survive, but thrive in the profession?