Mentoring in AEIN Network

New Teacher Center Symposium on Induction
San Jose, CA

At the New Teacher Center Symposium Pre-Conference on February 4th, I attended an intensive session about NTC’s model of induction – a comprehensive system of professional development for educators. This model has served over 2500 first and second-year teachers in California. The NTC model includes many components:
program vision, quality mentoring, professional standards, classroom-based teacher learning, and institutional commitment and support. This model is based on the following beliefs:

• Teaching is a career-long developmental process.
• Teaching is a continuous cycle of teaching, assessment,
reflection, and re-teaching.
• Professional standards and a focus on student achievement
guide the improvement of practice.
• Teacher development occurs best in a collegial environment
where norms of leadership are valued.
• A teacher’s professional growth leads to improved student
achievement.

Although the NTC model of induction has many strong points, it was specifically designed for urban school districts. As AEIN Mentoring Coordinator, I see the need for adding to or tailoring the NTC model, in order to address the context and needs of new teachers in rural schools in Alaska. For example, remoteness, isolation, and limited availability of collegial support are factors that need to be addressed to better support the needs of new teachers in AEIN’s partner school districts in remote communities.
In addition, how do new teachers receive induction that includes training in cultural responsiveness? In partnership with our network schools, AEIN is co-developing effective induction strategies, particularly tailored to rural village sites. As we continue the process of building capacity within the network, AEIN is exploring how we can enhance and support the induction activities and practices the partner school districts already have in place.

As AEIN’s Mentoring Coordinator, I am a resource for you, and welcome your thoughts and concerns about induction and mentoring. Hats off to all the educators already involved in induction and mentoring activities in the AEIN network.
Your commitment to supporting new teachers is much appreciated!

Alice Hisamoto

Today many of us are sitting around the conference table at the AEIN offices
practicing blogging and learning new tools.

I have learned how to change the presentation of my site, and added a list of
AEIN blogs on the sidebar.

I also noticed that different presentations appear in different ways.
I encourage you to visit this site at AEIN-Alice.edublogs.org, read
the posts, feel free to post comments.

Thanks in advance.

Welcome everyone to the AEIN blog on mentoring.
You’re invited to join in on the conversation and blog along as we travel along the AEIN path.

Let’s learn from one another, and see how powerful co-creating and innovating can be.

Cheers to the AEIN motto:
building community, sharing wisdom, and nourishing learning.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Happy trails,

Alice