Happy Friday!  

We are reinventing our blog (formerly the MVUSD Induction Junction) as a monthly email blast to keep you better informed about program events now that mentoring support has expanded well beyond the induction world.  

 

Classroom Observations 

One of the most powerful professional learning experiences is observation. Our induction candidates are required to BOTH observe other accomplished colleagues AND be observed by their mentor to receive formative feedback as part of their credentialing requirements. Observations of colleagues take place once in the fall and again in the spring, and we encourage them to do this with their mentors so that they can debrief on the observed strategies and classroom environments. Mentors also observe their candidates in person in the fall and spring, as well as through video, providing formative feedback to support mini-inquiries and Individual Learning Plans. Our induction program provides the release time for these classroom observations (candidates and their mentors receive 2 release days per year under LCAP Induction), and while we know it can be a challenge to be away from the classroom, the power of observation and formative feedback makes it worth the investment. While the observations are only required for induction candidates, we also make it an option for interns and non-induction new hires. 

 

Teaching Channel 

In support of our candidate coaching efforts, our induction program now has its own Teaching Channel platform for video-based coaching. While the Teaching Channel has long been used as a great resource for professional learning, our private space can be used for candidates and mentors to upload, view and annotate videos of their own classroom observations—all with complete privacy. This provides mentors an opportunity to make additional virtual observations of their candidates without having to take more release time, and then provide timely, formative feedback online. We recently provided a training for candidates and mentors where they learned how to use the system and created a private collaborative area where they could work within the platform. We hope this becomes a tool that more teachers have the opportunity to access to advance teaching and learning in their classrooms—we will keep you posted! 

 

Workshop Opportunities 

We have the following trainings coming up over the next month: 

Culturally Responsive Pedagogy Part 1, 10/24/19, 4-6pm 

OneNote Class Notebook , Part 3 Training , 10/29/19 , 4-6pm  

Math Discourse  (SMP #3&6) , 11/5/19 , 4-6pm  

Introduction to Mindfulness , 11/7/19 , 4-6pm  

Difficult Conversations, Webinar , 11/13/19  

 

We also have several online trainings that can be taken at any time. To register for these or any training opportunities, teachers can access or Professional Learning Hub HERE. 

 

Support Stats 

As you may have noticed, our program has grown! Here are the numbers: 

Year 1 Induction Candidates: 33 

Year 2 Induction Candidates: 27 

Non-Induction New Hire Candidates: 46 

Intern Candidates (Including STSP & PIP): 16 

TPSL (Long-Term Subs): 5 

Teacher Support Network (TSN) aka: Voluntary PAR: 5

Mentors: 71

 

 

Thank you for your support—enjoy the weekend!