ED X353.72A - Second Year of Mentor Support for the SBCEO Teacher Induction Program
Course Description
This course focuses on ensuring a strong, successful mentor-candidate relationship, supporting new teacher candidates currently enrolled in the Santa Barbara County Education Office Teacher Induction Program. Mentors participate in professional development in the area of coaching and new teacher support to facilitate growth opportunities within the relevance and resources available within the local contexts of the new teachers employment. Additionally, a broader scope of professional growth and proficiencies are supported in accordance with the California Standards for the Teaching Profession (CSTP). Mentors provide both immediate and long-term professional support and guidance through the role and engagement with the induction program.
Course Outline
Given the guidance and support, shared areas of study, and collaborative mentoring, candidates enter the profession as continuous, reflective learners who engage in collaborative inquiry about their teaching practices. As a result, these new educators are able to demonstrate individual growth and professional goal-setting based on the CSTP, thereby accelerating their effectiveness in the classroom.
In this course, mentors support new teachers as they focus on :
- Six interrelated domains of teaching practice, as described by the CSTP, in order to address the needs of an increasingly diverse P-12 student population.
- All applicable California Content Standards, as they pertain to the individual candidate’s teaching assignment and the overall collective educational community.
- The development and implementation of an Individualized Learning Plan (ILP), whereby induction candidates identify professional goals, resources, actions, and outcomes to be able to practice and refine effective and successful teaching practices.
- Ongoing opportunities to exercise reflective practices as means to professional growth and continual improvement.
Additionally, as practicing educators themselves, program mentors strengthen their own proficiencies in the CSTP while growing their skills as teacher leaders and professional coaches.
Learner Outcomes
What will students know and be able to do as a result of this course? What knowledge and skills will they develop and how will they use their learning from this course?
As a result of this course, students:
- Internalize an inquiry-based mindset for professional growth as it applies to new and experienced teachers.
- Support candidates in how to use educational research as a tool for improving their instructional practice.
- Continue to develop a repertoire of instructional strategies for maximizing student learning.
- Deepen an understanding of the vision of teaching in California, as well as professional roles and responsibilities according to the CSTP and the Continuum of Teaching Practice.
- As a result of this course, mentors will learn how to coach, consult, and collaborate with beginning teachers and help them reflect critically on instructional practices aligned to the California Standards for the Teaching Profession. Mentor teachers will gain extensive experience in facilitating an individualized learning plan involving action research that utilizes formative assessment data.
Prerequisites
- Possession of a Clear Credential and a minimum of three years of effective teaching experience
- Demonstrated commitment to professional learning, collaboration, and a positive attitude
- Ability, willingness, and flexibility to meet candidate needs for support
- Resourcefulness in meeting beginning teacher needs through support of inquiry and reflection
- Student-centered approach to professional practice
- Knowledge of the context and content area of the candidate’s teaching assignment
- A willingness to develop a coaching mindset through participation in mentor trainings
Notes
The Santa Barbara County Education Office Teacher Induction Program is a jointly sponsored program between the
Santa Barbara County Education Office its public school districts, as well as private and charter schools in Santa
Barbara County.
This course is offered in partnership with the Santa Barbara County Education Office (SBCEO). To enroll you must be part of the Santa Barbara County Teacher Induction Program. For any questions, please contact the Director, John Merritt. Phone: 805-964-4710, ext. 5248. Email: jmerritt@sbceo.org.