Teacher Induction: Veteran Teachers’ Perceptions Relating to Professional Longevity
Dr. Rouzier Dorcé Jr.

Abstract
With the retirement of the Baby Boomers and other social factors, today’s teacher corps is younger and less experienced; consequently, preparation and induction into the teaching profession becomes that much more important. Ingersoll (2012) declared teacher induction to be an education reform whose time has come. This sequential explanatory study, guided by the constructivist philosophical framework, was designed to explore veteran teachers’ perceptions of the relationship between teacher induction and professional longevity. Veteran teachers responded to a survey (N=24) and participated in face-to-face interviews (N=9). Results showed veteran teachers perceived no relationship between teacher induction and professional longevity and attributed longevity to a combination of extrinsic and intrinsic motivations. Many of the veteran teachers had a colleague who, by serving as a self-appointed mentor, made a difference in their induction and contributed to their professional longevity.

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