THE INDUCTION EXPERIENCES OF BEGINNING ELEMENTARY TEACHERS IN THE NORTHWEST TERRITORIES

Abstract

This qualitative study involves five women elementary teachers who began their teaching careers in 2001in various communities across the Northwest Territories, Canada. Semi-structured interviews at three stages during the year provide a window into their personal, professional and cultural experiences as they built on their pre-service identities and worked toward developing individual teaching styles. Phase one reveals initial impressions of their schools, community cultures and teaching assignments. Phase two presents a dynamic process of adjustment to the demands of teaching. In phase three, the five teachers reflect on their learning journey through pre-service education, learning through practice, and professional development. Finally they describe the induction supports they received and the areas where they felt they needed more assistance. The experiences of the five teachers ,are paralleled by the researcher's induction experience in Baker Lake, Northwest Territories in 1969. In addition to adjusting to the role of teacher, the five participants in this study describe their introduction to cross-cultural communities and the lessons they learned from the ambiguities of conflicting world views and outcomes of post-colonialism played out in their classrooms and in their communities.