Teacher InductionAccountability Programs :

New teachers benefit from guided entry (teacher induction) into the education profession.  Good induction practices, including mentoring, will increase teacher effectiveness, improve student achievement and retain teachers in the profession.

Minnesota Department of Education provides services, training and other resources to support district and school implementation of comprehensive teacher induction programs.

New Teacher Center Training Calendar Minnesota Mentorship Workshops 2008-09
The New Teacher Center (NTC) at the University of California, Santa Cruz, in collaboration with the Minnesota Department of Education and Minnesota State University, Mankato, are providing professional development opportunities for educators who support beginning teachers. The wide menu of trainings will allow educational organizations to choose appropriate support for the growth of mentors, subject matter coaches, supervisors, cooperating teachers, principals and coordinators of teacher induction. The NTC mentorship workshops are open enrollment trainings using a curriculum that focuses on building the knowledge, skills and understandings critical for teacher mentors and program leaders in a range of program contexts. Participants can attend these trainings as a series or register independently for those sessions that best match their professional experience and contents needs. The trainings will be offered in two locations: Minnesota Department of Education (MDE), Roseville and Minnesota State University, Mankato (MSU).

1. Mentoring for Equity
Training provides an examination of a framework for mentoring beginning teachers regarding issues of race, language and culture within the context of the professional teacher standards.

October 21-22, 2008. MSU-Mankato, 8:00 a.m. registration, workshop 8:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. Cost is $350 per person or $300 per person for teams of three or more for the two-day session.

2. Setting Professional Goals
Clear professional goals are important guides for teachers as they focus their professional growth. This training will deepen mentors’ understanding of the role of formative assessment through establishing and assessing progress toward thoughtful and appropriately ambitious goals based on both student and professional teaching standards. Mentoring tools and strategies will be shared. (Foundations in Mentoring Training is a suggested pre-requisite).

November 18, 2008. MDE - Roseville (Conference Center B, Room 15) 8:00 a.m. registration, workshop 8:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. Cost is $215 per person or $190 per person for teams of three of more.

3. Coaching in Complex Situations
Mentors will learn strategies in addressing sensitive classroom issues with beginning teachers while maintaining a trusting relationship. Session activities include understanding of the human dynamics involved in coaching situations, diagnosing and identifying key issues using professional teaching standards, expanding one’s repertoire of coaching techniques and becoming familiar with a schema for selecting appropriate strategies.

November 19, 2008. MDE - Roseville (Conference Center B, Room 15) 8:00 a.m. registration, workshop 8:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. Cost is $175 person or $150 per person for teams of three or more for the day.

4. Designing and Presenting Professional Development *
The training will assist school leaders in developing meaningful and appropriate learning experiences for teachers. Session activities include understanding assumptions about adult learners, using a conceptual framework for designing staff development, building a repertoire of strategies and refining personal presentation skills. *This workshop is appropriate for anyone who delivers professional development to adult learners, including mentors or program leaders who work with beginning teachers.

January 13-14, 2009. MDE - Roseville (Conference Center B, Room 15) 8:00 a.m. registration, workshop 8:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. Cost is $350 per person or $300 per person for teams of three or more.

5. Mentoring for English Language Success
When working with beginning teachers, mentors are becoming agents of change. At this workshop, participants will develop knowledge, skills and tools that lead to English learner success.

February 10-11, 2009. MSU-Mankato, 8:00 a.m. registration, workshop 8:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. Cost is $350 per person or $300 per person for teams of three or more for the two day session.

Dates, location and registration information can be found on the MDE Website or by clicking on the workshop date.

Go to: http://education.state.mn.us/mde/index.htm
Click on: School Improvement (right navigation bar)
Click on: Training and Resources (right navigation bar)

If you have any questions regarding these trainings, please contact Terry Alvarado at (651) 582-8749 or terry.alvarado@state.mn.us.

Contact Deborah Luedtke for teacher induction information at deborah.luedtke@state.mn.us or 651.582.8440.

* Links to third-party sites are provided as a service to Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) Website visitors. See our disclaimer regarding these sites in our copyright information linked at the bottom of this page. Links will open in a new browser window.