PERSONAL NEEDS OF JUNIOR TEACHERS

Abstract

Junior teachers at their induction phase often do not recognize or are unable to identify their personal needs and need for personal development. They usually focus their attention on their professional qualities closely connected with teacher's work. Junior teachers express their willingness to work at school and demonstrate an ability to cope with their new role. Here, however, personal qualities of junior teachers play a very important role. Currently there is a considerable decrease of young teachers' willingness to start their work in Slovak and Czech schools. If we expect high quality of novices and their effort to improve achievements in education, then, it is not enough to develop and improve only their professional qualities matching social needs and expectations. Junior teachers should also satisfy their personal needs and expectations. The paper analyzes the issues connected with novices' personal needs and expectations, the problems they have to face and cope with. Personal readiness of novices to work at school and phenomena influencing their personal development are analyzed too.