Whatever it takes: How beginning teachers learn to survive

Reports of high attrition rates among beginning teachers suggest that new practitioners need help to develop coping strategies, preferably while they are still teacher candidates under the supervision of experienced teachers. Defining teaching as an ill-defined problem, where beginners have a limited repertoire of problem-solving strategies, this paper suggests that the ability to satisfice – that is, develop temporary but sufficient solutions – enables teachers to survive the early years of practice. However, it appears that, paradoxically, satisficing is one of the skills that is developed with experience. As we demonstrate in this paper, veteran practitioners have learned how to cope and by mentoring, they can help newcomers deal with the complex problems of initial practice.