This manuscript, divided into four sections, was prepared specifically to assist the beginning teacher. A transcript of a video tape entitled "Bridging the Gap" focuses on the expectations and anxieties of the beginning teacher and presents suggestions for success during the first year. A list of focus questions for discussion accompanies the transcript. The second section, "Some Suggestions for the Beginning Teacher", has ten recommendations for coping with and surviving in the teaching profession. A review of the research on success during the beginning years of teaching is presented in the third section. Findings are described so that they can be integrated into classroom practice. The fourth section, an annotated bibliography of 72 books, journal articles, and ERIC documents, is a blend of practical and theoretical perspectives on beginning teachers. (CJ)