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nti:admin-training:question-2

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Question 2

  • What do I need to know about WELS New Teacher Induction (NTI) and what are my responsibilities?

Introduction

The following is a list of major players in WELS New Teacher Induction - mentoring program and their titles:

  • WELS NTI Coordinator: Jon Schaefer schaefjm@mlc-wels.edu (507) 766-9674
  • WELS Commission on Lutheran Schools Director: Jim Rademan jim.rademan@wels.net (262) 224-1961
  • NTI Administrative Assistant: Lisa Fenske fenskelk@mlc-wels.edu (507) 354-8221
  • NTI Data & Learning Zone Coordinator: Michelle Yotter yotter.michelle@gmail.com
  • NTI Lead Trainer & Educational Consultant:  Kathie Horn klynnhorn@gmail.com
  • Building Administrator: Usually the principal or director of the building where the new teacher works. In some cases, it may be the pastor or an interim principal/director.
  • District Lead Mentors: These persons have years of mentoring experience and must complete a mentor & coaching credential. They will work directly with the mentors to provide support for mentoring practice and skills.
  • Mentor Teacher: This person must be accepted as an NTI mentor, complete NTI approved training, and will work directly with the new teacher to provide support and to help improve instructional skills as a Lutheran educator.
  • New Teacher: As you are no doubt already aware, WELS teachers who are in their first two years of teaching are mentored under this program.

You can also read an overview of everyone's responsibilities [PDF].

As the building administrator, you have a significant role to play in WELS New Teacher Induction. Your responsibilities include:

  • Participation in this one-time training
  • Responsible for supporting the work of the new teacher in your building and their mentor. This means providing them with the resources necessary for their success, including the time to work together. Please see the section below on “What can and should I do to support new teachers in my building?”
  • Communicating with the New Teacher Induction coordinator on program implementation and input on models of mentoring. We work with what we are able to while we are able to work. It is important to understand that once in a while a partnership just does not work and it’s no one’s fault. On the other hand, sometimes adjustments can be made to remedy a situation. District Lead Mentors, District School Coordinators, and NTI Coordinator will work with everyone involved to ensure that the new teacher receives the necessary support to continue to improve his/her teaching. Mentors and new teachers are also encouraged to communicate with the district lead mentors as needed.
  • You are responsible for meeting with the mentor and new teacher in two triad meetings (first and third quarter)

Collection of Documentation

All forms necessary for WELS New Teacher Induction are made available online at the Martin Luther College website at https://mlc-wels.edu/nti/. Please bookmark that page for future reference.

At the end of each semester you will need to verify that the mentor and mentee have completed all requirements via a Triad Assessment Tool. The tool is completed semi-annually to share relevant data and collaboratively celebrating progress along the continuum of teacher development. The Triad Assessment Tool synthesizes evidence of practice to recognize the best in teachers, to affirm past and present strengths, successes, assets and potentials, and to increase in value - growing and developing their God give talents.

  • October - Administrators of 1-year assignments finalize Fall Triad Assessment Tool
  • November - Administrators of permanently and multi-year assigned beginning teachers finalize Fall Triad Assessment Tool
  • January - Administrators of 1-year assignments finalize Spring Triad Assessment Tool
  • March - Administrators of permanently and multi-year assigned beginning teachers finalize Spring Triad Assessment Tool

Please review and look over the Triad Assessment Tool so you are familiar with them as they are used throughout the program. Reminders will be sent to coordinate when the tools are due.

One-on-One First-year Teacher/Mentor Conferencing Expectation

The heart of the mentoring program is the 20 hours or more (120 minutes a month for 10 months) of conferencing time for mentors and first-year teachers to meet and work together.  Please take a look at the Conference Log (link below) that will be used to guide and record what happens during those meetings.  NOTE:  Conferences of 40 min. to 60 min. are considered to be one hour.  Shorter meetings can be added together to make an hour and longer meetings can be counted as more than one hour if appropriate. Meetings are counted in minutes for effective tracking on interaction logs.

The meetings will follow a protocol that will take the teachers through a cycle that includes: Reflection, Focus, Possibilities and Planning to be followed by Implementation during the time before the next meeting.  The teachers will also identify the professional competencies they are working on, using the WELS Teaching Standards of good Lutheran teaching which your WELS district is using for teacher supervision. The intention is that this protocol will allow teachers to make the best use of their time together and to make sure their meetings are productive in improving the competence of the new teacher.  Mentors will be trained in the use of this protocol during their mentor training.

You will not have access to see these completed Collaborative Assessment Logs, as will be explained in “The very important firewall” section below.

These one-on-one conferences are to be in addition to what you are already paying teachers to do.  For example, if your school provides PLC time or grade level meeting time, those hours would not count toward the one-on-one conference expectation since that time is what your school is already providing for all teachers.

You can download and view a blank Collaborative Assessment Log to see what will be filled out.

Requirements for Release Time for Mentors and Mentees

In registering to be part of WELS New Teacher Induction (NTI), Martin Luther College agreed to provide a total of two days of release time each semester for the mentor and one day per year for the new teacher to observe each other and/or another teacher. The college has agreed to pay for the substitutes for these required activities with WELS New Teacher Induction reimbursing substitute and mentor training & travel costs.

Mentors should observe mentees teaching 4 times per year, once a quarter. Please note that due to distance some or all observations might be conducted using video technology in which case needed technological equipment is provided.

  • First-year teachers are generally observed or record themselves teaching and discuss this with their mentors in September, October/November, January/February, and March/April.
  • First-year and second-year teachers should observe a typical school day each year of another teacher (possibly including the mentor).

Regional Mentor Seminars

WELS New Teacher Induction holds seminars for mentors/new teachers in the fall and spring in conjunction with teachers’ conferences as well as other times during the year. These seminars will be held regionally, so you will be expected to encourage mentors' and new teachers’ attendance at the seminar. Mentors will also participate in online training & forums throughout the year.

Substitute Coverage

We do understand the difficulty of taking teachers out of their classrooms to do this work. Initial mentor trainings will be offered in the summer and online. Outside of the mentor training, the maximum amount of substitute coverage you can expect for mentor observations is four days and for first-year teacher observations is one day of coverage for observations (four for the mentor, one for the new teacher). As stated earlier, the school can be reimbursed by WELS NTI for substitute costs.

When Partners Meet

Mentors will receive an honorarium and free training for meeting all of the requirements of the WELS NTI program and new teachers will have the opportunity to earn up to 40 clock hours for their participation. These are offered to compensate for the time outside of the school day that will be needed for either the mentoring activities themselves or to make up for the class planning and preparation time that was missed during the school day because of mentoring activities. 

Triad Meetings (New Teacher/Mentor/Administrator)

Early on, it will be important to meet with the mentor and the new teacher so you all have the chance to discuss, ask questions and make sure everyone has the same understanding of the goals and requirements of the work they will be doing in the program. It is important for both the mentor and the new teacher to feel your support for their work.  Time will be given at your district’s new teacher seminar to set up meetings and mentors will have a protocol to use for these meetings. One triad meeting should be arranged during the first quarter and another during the third quarter. You are responsible for calling these meetings together during the year and will have an opportunity to put them on the mentor and new teachers calendar at the District's New Teacher Seminar. The Triad Assessment Tool is an integral part of these meetings.

You will have a separate follow-up meeting at the year’s midpoint/end to touch base with each person.  For the administrator and mentor, these meets during the second and fourth quarter are to coordinate support. You will arrange these meetings too.  These mid-year/end-year meetings should be held with mentor-administrator and beginning teacher-administrator so you can discuss individual information and progress.

The Very Important "Firewall"

It's very important that you watch this to learn about how the firewall works in our program! It clarifies the mentor-administrator relationship!

Mentor Laurie and Professor Schaefer held a teleconference discussion about the roles and communication between mentor and administrator. Please click to watch this important video (8 min 21 sec).

If you have further questions about the firewall, please contact Professor Schaefer, schaefjm@mlc-wels.edu. If the video does not work for you, please contact the NTI office at (507) 354-8221 or nti@mlc-wels.edu.

nti/admin-training/question-2.1526667272.txt.gz · Last modified: 2018/07/30 17:36 (external edit)