Teacher turnover continues to plague the US, particularly in urban school districts where up to 60% of new educators leave within the first few years of their careers. Often, White, newly-hired teachers arrive in urban school districts with significant gaps in their learning. Many of the lessons learned in undergraduate classrooms and programs do not always translate to real-world environments. Effective teacher preparation is a critical factor to ensure that teachers are prepared and retained in the profession. This body of work explores transformative experiences of educators who thrived in unexpected arenas and grew despite harsh conditions. The importance of dissemination of research results as an integral part of the research process is well established. It follows that one of the purposes of the dissertation is to serve as a vehicle to carry the results of independent investigation undertaken by the graduate student. This manuscript will employ autoethnography, mixed-methods, narrative analysis and photo elicitation research in three separate but related journal-style articles concluding with a chapter proposing a research-based teacher induction program and professional learning cycle for urban school systems.
