DRAFT PROPOSAL FOR NEW MAILING LIST

Subject: Student Teachers and First Year Teachers

I would like to start an email list for student teachers and first year teachers.

Ideological Background: The student teaching experience and the first years of teaching are crucial to keeping teachers in the classroom. These teachers need both the support and sounding board of others going through the same experience as well as support from teachers who have been in the classroom for several years. Often times the student teacher is the only one at that particular school and she/he is no longer in regular contact with their college classmates. This can be a very isolating experience. Individual schools and school districts provide a varying degree of support for their new teachers. These teachers need avenues of support for what can be a couple of very difficult years. 

Background: I am in my fourth year teaching and my wife has taught for seventeen years. We would be the primary moderators of the list. Last summer (1997) I developed a web site with ideas, etc. for teachers. Most of the email responses we have received have been from beginning teachers. My wife and I supported several teachers through regular email during the past school year. We would now like to take this a step further as facilitators of an email list.

Please let me know if you would be interested in sponsoring this list. 

Please email me at [log in to unmask] since I am not a subscriber to this listserv.

Thank you, David 

David Timmons, 4th Grade Teacher
St. James Elementary
D & W's Teacher's Resource Page http://digiscape.com/perspgs/1749
St. James Elementary http://members.xoom.com/sjschool
Gulf Coast K-9 http://members.xoom.com/GCK9