“It is a sign of strength to ask for help”

The National Pilot Project on Teacher Induction was established in 2002 and is a partnership initiative between the Department of Education and Science, the three Teachers Unions, St. Patrick’s College, University College Dublin and the schools participating in the project.
The project is presently in Phase 7. The primary aim of the NPPTI is to develop high quality proposals for an effective national programme of induction for newly qualified teachers (NQTs) in primary schools in Ireland.
The project is engaged in action research, examining and investigating a variety of approaches, with due regard to the range of professional needs of the NQTs. While a key objective of the project is a whole-school approach to the induction of NQTs, the support of a mentor within the school is central to the induction project.
Information on the role of the Mentor
Induction has been defined as “a specific phase in the life-time of a teacher, one that brings with it unique challenges, requirements and needs” (Britton, E. et al. 2003)*
The main objective of the induction programme is towards supporting the professional development of the NQTs by way of systematic support in their first year of teaching, thus laying the foundations for subsequent professional growth and development.
* Source: Britton, E. et al. 2003. Comprehensive Teacher Induction: Systems for Early Career Learning. Netherlands: Kluwer Academic Publishers.