The mirror you see here is a metaphor for the 60 board visits the Teaching Policy and Standards Branch and the Regional Offices have conducted over the past 4 years. Each visit is a chance for new teachers and mentors to share how they think NTIP can be even more effectively implemented. It reflects the strengths of the current program but also the voices of new and experienced educators as they seek to personalize and construct an authentic and meaningful NTIP that enhances learning and growth for all.

Build a Mentoring Web

At almost every board visit we heard the idea of building a mentoring web. The idea that beginning teachers could access multiple models of mentorship both within and beyond their school. The more strands in the mentoring web, the stronger and more resilient the web is and the more learning there is for the beginning teacher.

Mentor our Mentors

We know that mentorship is critical to the success of the New Teacher Induction Program. So the question becomes, who mentors our mentors? During our board visits, mentors expressed a desire to continue to learn, to refine their craft in order to become even more effective in the support they provide beginning teachers. And of course what we also heard is how reciprocal the mentoring relationship is and that mentoring itself is an act of learning.

More Joint Release Days to Support Collaboration

Every board we visited in some form offers joint release days to support collaboration. These days are highly valued and our beginning teachers and mentors are simply saying more please. Additionally, beginning teachers would like the flexibility to use these days with multiple mentors.

Provide Choice from an Authentic Learning Menu

Providing choice from an authentic learning menu acknowledges the vast array of prior experiences many NTIP teachers bring and also allows for differentiation of support based on authentic learning needs.