New Teacher Induction Model Presented by: Jamie Smith March 5, 2012

Administrator There will be one administrator who structures and coordinates the entire induction process on the campus. The process will not just be a one year induction, but a continuum of professional development through systematic training over a period of two or three years. The coordinator will hold informal 10-20 minute informal meetings biweekly to check in with new teachers. The administrator will rigorously monitor the program by overseeing, coordinating, setting policies, and providing goals to ensure effective teacher performance.

First Year: Mentoring This is an important part of the induction process back at a campus level. This will be done throughout the first year of teaching. Mentors must be aligned to the district’s vision, mission, and structure. Mentors must be trained to the mission and goals of the district. Mentor teachers would be required to attend 40 hours of training initially in peer coaching skills. Monthly trainings would be available for training on topics such as presenting effective professional development, coaching on instructional strategies, and analyzing assessment data. Mentor teachers would be compensated for their investment in helping the new teachers. They would be available for simple help with procedural questions, classroom management, and instructional skills.

TRIBES Implementation This program creates professional learning communities within the staff and then branches out to involve the students. As a staff this program will help teachers reflect on their own teaching practices. It will build high-quality interpersonal relationships founded on trust and respect among staff members, which will help with collaborative learning among staff. This is program that will continue lifelong learning and collaboration among staff. There would be professional development days devoted to TRIBES and addresses effective instructional strategies, cooperative learning, multiple intelligences, etc. Have a staff member become a Trainer of Trainers to help the staff implement this process which ultimately becomes a school wide culture. Have days/times that are scheduled for teachers (new or veteran) to do classroom peer visits.

Second Year: Content Area Portfolio This would be designed to assess the teacher’s pedagogical knowledge and skills. Entries in the portfolio would include: A description of their teaching context A set of lesson plans Two videotapes of instruction during a unit Samples of student work Teacher commentaries (from mentor teachers, fellow team teachers, and TRIBES members) on their planning/TRIBES cooperation, instruction, and assessment of student progress. The induction program coordinator and the mentor teacher teams will review the portfolio and videos. A teacher not meeting the predetermined passing score will be given another year (with a growth plan), to attempt to meet the standards. If at the end of the third year the teacher is still not successfully meeting the growth plan standards, they will be let go.