New Aboriginal Teachers' Experiences: An Undiscovered Landscape

Abstract

Although teacher preparation, induction, and new teachers' beliefs in mainstreameducation have been the subject of much scholarly investigation, little of this researchhas focused on Aboriginal educators. The preparation and induction of Aboriginaleducators is critical to educational achievement among Aboriginal peoples in Canada.Aboriginal children deserve exemplary and skilled teachers who are responsive totheir individual learning needs and sensitive to the cultural communities to whichthey belong. However, few initiatives address new teachers' experiences that aretargeted at the challenges of being a novice Aboriginal educator. Inadequate attentionhas been given to Aboriginal teachers' perspectives on the educational landscape.