Mentoring and Induction

Mentoring and Induction

The program guides novice teachers as they develop their own teaching style through an induction program that includes orientation, mentoring, support activities, staff development, and observation of models of best practices. These components are designed to support the novice educator’s professional growth and student success

New teachers are carefully partnered with a mentor educator. An effective mentor is a role model for other educators with a strong commitment to the profession and lifelong learning. Click here to view our presentation on "The Benefits of Teacher Mentoring."

For Mentors and Administrators, we offer trainings based upon research from a variety of sources: The New Teacher Center at the University of California at Santa Cruz, Barry Sweeney's Best Practices for Teacher Induction, and Cognitive Coaching (based upon the work of Art Costa and Robert Garmston). For Proteges, six trainings each year are offered which review the Best Practices of teaching and learning.

Mentors

The mentoring aspect of educator induction is very important. Please refer to 'The Qualities of a Mentor' to see if mentoring is for you. To read about the criteria for becoming a mentor, please refer to your district’s/agency’s mentoring plan (Bloomfield Schools, Farmington Municipal Schools). Before being partnered with a protégé (beginning teacher), mentors must complete the 'Mentor Application' which includes the 'Self-Survey' and the 'Tasks of a Mentor'.

Data is important to guide this grant. At the beginning of the school year please complete the 'Mentor and Protégé Partnership Information Sheet' (This needs to be submitted by both the Mentor and Protégé). The time for and type of contact you have with your protégé is an important piece of data, so we ask that mentors keep a 'Mentoring Log'. A 'Mentor Teacher Survey' is another tool we use to collect data at the end of your mentoring year.

Protégé Educators’ Induction

Transition to Teachings provides support for each district’s/agency’s orientation for beginning educators prior to the start of the school year. One of the first things a new teacher will be asked to do is to complete a 'Protégé Needs Assessment'. Data from these assessments will determine the topics for trainings throughout the year. Equally important is the 'Mentor and Protégé Partnership Information Sheet' and the 'Protégé Survey' both of which need to be completed prior to the beginning of the school year orientation for new teachers.

Eighteen hours of training will be provided throughout the year. These trainings will be provided in various forms and at various sites. As stated earlier, topics for these trainings will be determined by the 'Protégé Needs Assessment'. These assessments will be taken several times throughout the school year so that trainings can be adjusted to meet the current needs of the protégés.

Needs assessments provide critical data for the grant.

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