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• Background •

The New Teacher Center-Wisconsin (NTC-WI) and the Dane County New Teacher Project (DCNTP) offers a unique and exciting learning opportunity for those who support beginning teachers. Over the past two decades, the New Teacher Center has been a leader in the development and refinement of a high quality mentor curriculum, including this two-day professional development. NTC-WI has tailored New Teacher Center workshops to carefully reflect the Wisconsin Teacher Standards in mentor tools, strategies and principles.

• Content •

This two-day foundational professional development focuses on the knowledge, skills, and understanding critical for those who work with beginning teachers. It is a shift in philosophy from “buddy system mentoring” to instructional mentoring, to that of working with beginning teachers to move their classroom practice forward. The professional development is guided by the belief that learning to teach is a career-long developmental process that involves a continuous cycle of planning, teaching, and reflecting. At the heart of the work is the mentor’s ability to respond to each new teacher’s individual developmental and contextual needs and to promote the ongoing examination of classroom practice.

• Professional Development Topics •

Creating a Vision of Quality Teaching

Defining Mentoring Roles

Identifying New Teachers’ Needs

Understanding the Attitudinal Phases of New Teacher Development

Building an Effective Mentoring Relationship

Selecting Support Strategies

Establishing an Environment for Professional Growth

Developing the Language and Behavior of Support

Highlighting the Role of the Wisconsin Teacher Standards

• Intended Audience •

This professional development is particularly appropriate for mentor teachers, teacher leaders, instructional coaches, curriculum directors, and others who provide support for beginning teachers.

• Materials •

Instructional Mentoring Teacher Induction Module – includes professional development materials that support the processing of information; a conversation guide to help mentors to understanding the purpose, rationale and suggested use of the tool and other resources; samples of completed tools and protocols; blank copies of each tool and a DVD of conversations between a mentor and a beginning teacher while engaged in using the tool or protocol.

• Credit •

One credit is available through the Cardinal Stritch University-Milwaukee. Please visit their website at http://www.stritch.edu/mentoringcertificate for additional information.

For more information, please contact:

Sharon Nelson, Regional Director snelson@newteachercenter.org 608-849-2858

Monica Schommer, DCNTP Co-Chairperson monica_schommer@marshall.k12.wi.us 608-849-2493

Melissa Ohm, Project Manager mohm@newteachercenter.org 608-849-2270