S.O.S. – Teacher Survival
By Violeta Garza

The Strategies of Success (S.O.S.) Teacher Mentoring program has prepared first-year teachers for 12 years, making the transition from student to teacher easier and less stressful. The program addresses alarming statistics: 30 percent of new teachers quit within three years, around 50 percent within five years.
“Research tells us that with mentoring and induction programs, teachers are more likely to stay in the teaching profession because they receive the needed assistance and guidance many first-year teachers do not get,” said Dr. Judith Maroney, coordinator of the S.O.S. program.

The two main components of S.O.S. include University employees that serve as mentors to beginning teachers and peer sharing support groups that are facilitated by mentors. These mentors help new teachers in and out of the classroom and are available on a daily basis when assistance is needed. Novice teachers share and discuss the experiences they have had during the week and learn from the experiences of others.

“The teachers come to peer sharing groups and are able to share their stresses and successes for the week which helps them learn from each other and realize they are not alone in experiencing problems in their classrooms,” Maroney said.

S.O.S. has a 94 percent retention rate with teachers participating in the program.