Beginning Teacher Induction and Mentoring (BTIM) Program: Evaluation Report Appendix I
Additional assistance for beginning teachers with nontraditional preparation (e.g., classroom management),
Training to work with English language learners,
Realistic assignment of workloads for beginning teachers, and
Teacher schedules structured to provide common planning time and frequent face-to-face interaction among mentors and beginning teachers.
Mentor and coach training was provided to mentors in two, three-hour sessions by the regional education service center (ESC), followed by Texas Beginning Educator Support System (TxBESS) training that included information on the need for mentors and general practice for mentors, including roles and responsibilities of mentor teachers, characteristics of beginning teachers, suggested topics for first year dialogs and help/time lines, and coaching techniques (e.g., questioning and listening skills, building rapport, paraphrasing, non-verbal communication, peer observations). Campus principals were given information about the program and criteria for choosing mentors as part of the administrator training. Elementary and district facilitators as well as one assistant principal from the high school and junior high school were trained in TxBESS. Following the training sessions, the trainer met once a month with all new teachers on the campuses with specific agendas. These meetings covered
Scope and sequence for Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS),
Beginning of the year reports, forms, accountability and homework,
Review of Professional Development and Appraisal System (PDAS) observation criteria,
Review of District E initiatives and District E discipline management training,
Special education in the classroom,
Preparing for and attending Admission Review Dismissal (ARD) meetings,
Lesson planning for effective classrooms,
Book study on best practices,
Test taking strategies,
Review of program and planning for second year,
Book study on qualities for effective teaching, and
Parent conferencing/philosophical chairs and Socratic seminar.
Mentors received the agendas and were asked to discuss the information with beginning teachers after each meeting. Each mentor completed a minimum of one documented classroom observation of the beginning teacher with conference feedback; the beginning teacher conducted a documented observation of the mentor with conference feedback. All activities were documented on a monthly calendar and turned into the district central office at the end of each semester. All first year teachers received a minimum of three documented PDAS simulated observations and feedback by the trainer in addition to mentor observations.
I-68