Project Description: Learning Innovations (LI) at WestEd, in partnership with the New Hampshire Seacoast Professional Development Center (NH SPDC) and the Southwestern New Hampshire Educational Support Center (SWNHESC), designed and provided a three-year induction with mentoring model to prepare mentors and lead mentors to support new teachers in high need schools in the southeast and southwest regions of New Hampshire.
The primary focus of this initiative was to enhance the capacity of participating districts to continue to effectively prepare and support mentors as they coach new teachers during the induction phase of their careers. Mentoring New Teachers Through Collaborative Coaching: Linking Teacher and Student Learning (2007) by Kathy Dunne and Susan Villani provided core content and resources in the initial and ongoing preparation of mentors and lead mentors.
Using LI's lead mentor model, LI staff prepared mentor teachers, lead mentors and administrators, and project coordinators in a differentiated approach. During the first year, LI staff trained the first cohort of mentors during a one-week summer institute and four follow-up professional development sessions. From this first cohort of mentors, lead mentors were selected. Lead mentors were then trained in year two to enhance their skills as professional developers and facilitators. A second cohort of mentors was trained in year two where lead mentors worked alongside LI staff to provide training for the second group of mentors. During year three, LI staff prepared lead mentors to design and provide training for a third group of mentors.
The result of this project is a sustainable model for the induction and mentoring of new teachers.
WestEd staff involved with this project:
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