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'First
Steps to Excellence'
Teacher Induction Program
The mission of the Memphis City Schools teacher induction program is to act as a catalyst for teachers to share their ideas and experiences, grow professionally, and improve the education of students throughout Memphis City Schools.
We believe:
- That a period of teacher induction is important for all new teachers,
- That new teachers benefit from opportunities to collaborate with veteran colleagues,
- That the needs of beginning teachers are different from those of veteran teachers,
- That the relationship between the new teacher and the mentor is key to the success of the induction program,
- That new teacher support and assistance must be tailored to the assessed needs of the individual teacher,
- That professional norms are established during the first few years of teaching,
- That teacher development is ongoing over a professional lifetime, and
- That veteran teachers improve their skills by working with new colleagues.
Program Components
Memphis City Schools is proud to offer a comprehensive induction program to support new educators. The “First Steps to Excellence” Induction Program is designed to expand their repertoire of effective classroom strategies, support their transition into the education profession and Memphis City Schools, and retain good teachers in the Memphis City Schools district.
The teacher induction staff in collaboration with district and school personnel provides three distinct support components for beginning educators to develop positive, successful classrooms for students.
Through active participation in the Memphis City Schools “First Steps to Excellence” Induction Program, beginning teachers will be prepared for the challenges that new teachers face.Component One—Orientation
Orientation is an important part of induction. Teachers new to the Memphis City Schools participate in a three-day orientation.
The focus for the first two days of orientation is to provide new teachers with a foundation of knowledge about the Memphis City Schools, steps for initial success in the classroom, and a welcome to Memphis City Schools and the profession. Teachers are introduced to key personnel in the district who provide instructional support and resources. The key orientation topic is planning for the first days of school.
The third day of orientation is built in for new teachers to visit their assigned school locations to work with school-level personnel and to become acquainted with the school culture.
New teachers receive resources which may include Wong’s The First Days of School, Paula Rutherford’s Why Didn’t I Learn That in College? , Marzano’s Handbook for Classroom Instruction That Works, and the “First Steps to Excellence” New Teacher Handbook.
Two additional orientation sessions are scheduled during the school year for teachers hired after July.Component Two—Mentoring
The mentoring component offers beginning teachers support, professional development, formative assessment, and sharing through a long-term partnership with an effective, experienced teacher. Mentors act as beginning teachers' leaders, "side-by-side teachers," coaches, facilitators, role models, and liaisons.
Each Memphis City school has a school mentor coordinator who assists the principal and district induction coordinators with ensuring maximum effectiveness of mentoring practices. Exemplary classroom teachers at the school site are selected by principals to guide new teachers either individually or in teams. In addition, school instructional facilitators and staff from the Department of Curriculum and Instruction contribute to the mentoring emphasis.
Mentors are supported in their efforts to assist new teachers and to be effective leaders through the two-day “Raising the Bar” mentor course.Component Three—Professional Development and Networking Opportunities
Professional development imparts new knowledge necessary for new teachers to build skills essential to becoming effective educators, and networking creates learning communities that further support new teachers.
Memphis City Schools offers new teachers several sources of professional development and networking opportunities. All teachers new to the system are invited to participate in a full day of training focused on introducing them to performance standards for good teaching and the Tennessee Framework for Evaluation and Professional Growth. In addition, the induction program supports peer observation opportunities for new teachers to visit the classrooms of exemplary teachers for Exchange Days.
The district induction coordinators host regular meetings of the “First Steps to Excellence” New Teacher Network throughout the school year to offer new teachers an opportunity to interact and to offer them professional development and resources tailored to the specific needs of new teachers. Network meetings are held at the Teaching and Learning Academy at 4:00.
The induction program utilizes technology to offer additional professional development to new teachers. The program web site contains resources for new teachers and their mentors, program information, and a newsletter for new teachers. The web site and many other resources can be accessed through the Teaching and Learning Academy homepage.
Finally, new teachers can take advantage of professional development and networking opportunities through the Teaching and Learning Academy and their school locations. The TLA offers courses on a variety of topics throughout the school year. A course catalogue is available online. Individual schools offer ongoing professional development to staff, often specifically for their new teachers.
