The Dane County New Teacher Project (DCNTP) also offers Mentor Professional Development Trainings. Please view their 2011-12 calendar for more information.
Register online for any of the following Mentor Professional Development Trainings
Instructional Mentoring (ED 642, 1 graduate credit)
This training focuses on the knowledge, skills, and understanding that are critical to those who work with beginning teachers. Participants learn how to create professional growth environments for new teachers grounded in the norms of continuous inquiry, ongoing assessment, and problem solving. The training is guided by the belief that learning to teach is a career-long, developmental process that involves a continous cycle of planning, teaching, and reflecting. The heart of the work is to respond to each new teacher's developmental and contextual needs and to promote the ongoing examination of classroom practice to enhance student learning.
Instructional Mentoring provides the foundation upon which all subsequent Mentor Professional Development Trainings are built, and it is a prerequisite for other trainings.
Next Offerings: August 13 & 14, 2012
Coaching & Observation Strategies (ED 643, 1 graduate credit)
This coaching training focuses on the collection of observation data in relation to the Wisconsin Teacher Standards and on the ways in which data can be shared with the beginning teacher to improve instructional practice and consequently student achievement. Emphasis is placed on the language and behavior of support to develop a trusting relationship between mentor/coach and beginning teacher.
Prerequisite: Instructional Mentoring
Next Offerings: TBD
Analyzing Student Work to Guide Instruction (ED 644, 1 or 2 graduate credits)
Mentors, according to PI 34, are to have input into formative assessment of initial educators. Mentors will learn how to work with initial educators as they examine student work and gather data. Mentors will be provided with a tool and strategies for helping beginning teacher identify student needs, plan for differentiated instruction, and ensure equitable learning outcomes. As a result of studying this information, new teachers learn to change their instruction through enhanced differentiation and keener lesson design.
Prerequisite: Instructional Mentoring
Next Offerings: TBD
Differentiating Instruction: Entry Points for Mentors **This course is not part of the Mentoring Certificate requirements
In this training, mentors will receive an overview of the essential components of differentiation, as well as strategies for student pre-assessment, flexible grouping, and tiered instruction. Participants will practice finding entry points that allow them to target their mentoring based on teacher readiness, thorough planning, observation, case studies, and analysis of student work.
Prerequisites: Instructional Mentoring, Coaching & Observation Strategies, and Analyzing Student Work to Guide Instruction
Next Offering: Feb. TBD
Coaching in Complex Situations (ED 648, 1 graduate credit)
This one-day advanced coaching training focuses on supporting the mentor's professional development to coach strategically and to find solutions to challenging situations.
Prerequisites: Instructional Mentoring and Coaching & Observation Strategies
Next Offering: March 15, 2012
Mentoring for Equity (ED 646, 1 graduate credit)
This training, written and designed with Enid Lee, focuses on a framework for teaching for equitable outcomes and for mentoring beginning teachers from an equity perspective within the context of Professional Teaching Standards. Inequities regarding race, language, and culture in the classroom and school-wide will be addressed in this session. This training is guided by the belief that we must uncover and address the inequities in pedagogy, content, and climate in order to teach all students successfully.
Prerequisite: Instructional Mentoring
Next Offering: TBD
Designing and Presenting Professional Development (ED 645, 1 graduate credit)
This training focuses on the importance of professional development in moving beginning teacher practice forward. While it is acknowledged that one-on-one support coupled with formative assessment is the cornerstone of effective induction programs, new teachers can benefit from being brought together in meaningful and responsive learning experiences. A significant component of this training is the understanding of the fundamental principles of adult learning theory and the strategies that support adult learning.
Next Offering: May 15 & 16, 2012