Tapping the Potential - Alliance for Excellent Education

TA P P I N G T H E P O T E N T I A L : R E TA I N I N G A N D D E V E L O P I N G H I G H - Q U A L I T Y N E W T E A C H E R STypically, mentors spend time with their beginning teachers exploring teaching strategiesthat address diversity in students and their learning styles, identifying effective teachingstrategies that conform to state standards, and reflecting on the progress of the newteacher’s students. Local school districts must release beginning teachers on at least eightoccasions to observe or be observed by their mentors or support team members.Accomplished teachers appointed as mentors must enroll in a mentoring course atone of the regional educational service centers. The course provides teachers withstrategies and real-life situational discussions to develop their coaching skills. As a positivebyproduct, the mentoring course creates a network of peers for mentors to supportone another during their work with new teachers. Mentor training also includesan overview of the portfolio assessment process and strategies to assist teachers indemonstrating their mastery of Connecticut’s teaching standards.Common Planning Time and CollaborationNew teachers are expected to make thirty hours of significant contact during theschool year with their mentor, support team, other teachers in their content area, theprincipal, and/or the district facilitator. During this time, new teachers work with othercolleagues to examine multiple sources of data about teaching, including lesson plans,student work, use of assessments, and teacher reflection about teaching and learning.Ongoing Professional DevelopmentNew teachers participate in state-sponsored training activities such as content-specificbeginning teacher seminars, online professional development resources, and portfolioassessment conferences. Professional development seminars allow beginning teachers todeepen their understanding of state standards and portfolio requirements throughstructured collaborations with peers and seminar leaders.State guidelines for teacher evaluation and professional development require districtsto develop Teacher Induction Support plans for integrating local policies withstate guidelines for mentorship. In addition, most districts also provide district-basedworkshops on classroom management and the teaching of literacy. Many districts feelthat new teachers have inadequate preservice preparation in literacy strategies, especiallyfor secondary teachers, who are not typically well trained to teach literacyacross the curriculum.External NetworkThe BEST Program has used “E-BEST communications” as a means to create astatewide network of beginning teachers by content area. Project leaders and teachers-in-residenceuse this listserv to regularly communicate with beginning teachersabout teaching resources, professional development, and critical issues around theBEST portfolio. In addition, beginning teacher seminars are offered regionally severaltimes a year to provide teachers opportunities to meet and learn from other teachersacross the state.Assessment and EvaluationIn order to receive the next level of certification, beginning teachers must demonstratemastery of essential teaching skills. BEST teachers are assessed through a content-specificteaching portfolio submitted during the second year of teaching, in whichbeginning teachers document a unit of instruction or a series of lessons that illustrate31