While first-year teachers may find a new book by an NIU English professor helpful, there is one group of individuals which may not agree with the findings – the Bush administration’s Department of Education.

Larry Johannessen’s new book, “Supporting Beginning English Teachers: Research and Implications for Teacher Induction,” deals with teachers during their first three years of teaching, a critical period that often breaks new educators and forces some to quit.

“Everything we found when writing this book contradicts what the Bush administration says what we should be doing about the teacher shortage,” said Johannessen, an associate professor of English.

“Instead of losing teachers, we need to find ways to keep them,” Johannessen said.

Over the course of three years, Johannessen, Dominican University education professor Bernard Ricca and Elmhurst public school district Assistant Superintendent Thomas McCann wrote the book which came about on accident.

“The book came about when we were working on a different book,” Johannessen said. “It almost didn’t even happen.”

The main focus of the book is on new teachers and what they can expect when they step into the classroom for the first time. From lesson plans to grading homework and extracurricular activities, new teachers tend to assume that teaching will be easier than they expected.

However, most new teachers tend to learn the hard way.

“Before they start teaching, new teachers think they aren’t going to have a problem handling the workload,” Johannessen said. “It turns out to be more difficult than they thought it was going to be.”

While this is Johannessen’s fifth book, it’s the one he’s most excited about and has the highest hopes for. He’s already received numerous phone calls and e-mails praising the book from soon-to-be teachers.

“In terms of impact, this has more potential than my other books,” Johannessen said.

Johannessen also noted that working with mentoring programs would help teachers control the levels of stress and the workload presented to them.

“If schools and universities work together, we can come up with some good ways to help teachers through their first couple of years teaching,” Johannessen said.