This editorial discusses the issues and experiences of beginning teachers. The experience of reality shock for beginning teachers can be profound, influencing feelings of belonging to the profession, capacity to teach effectively, and levels of teacher retention. This editorial of Asia-Pacific Journal of Teacher Education (A-PJTE) brings together a themed collection of articles focussed on the experience of entering the field of teaching or teacher education for the first time. The range of emotional responses beginning teachers have in response to their early experiences in classrooms comes through clearly in this collection of papers, in particular the effect that access to appropriate support and mentoring for adjusting to life as a teacher has on the confidence of a beginning teacher. With research reported from Hong Kong, New Zealand, South Africa, and Australia, the Asia-Pacific Journal of Teacher Education provides insight into what it is like to be a beginning teacher, and reminds readers that learning to belong and contribute to a profession can be a difficult journey.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/1359866X.2014.969415