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Induction Plans for Beginning Teachers

Donna Meda

Grand Canyon University: EAD 536

September 8th, 2021

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Induction Plans for Beginning Teachers

Word Agenda

Topic Title

Beginning teachers can be successful when provided and guided through a proper

induction plan. The topic title of our induction presentation would be “SOAR” since our school’s

mascot is an eagle and it goes with our overall theme for other areas. The objective of the

induction plan is to start with the mentality of soaring through the school year as we all work

together towards success.

Facilitators

The facilitators of our “SOAR” meeting will be our vice principal, Mr. C, and myself as

the principal, Ms. M. It is important for school leaders to facilitate this meeting since it’s the one

that will introduce the new teachers to all important areas around the school.

Description of the Session

When entering the classroom where the meeting will take place, there will be decorations

with the colors of our school to promote school spirit. If possible, larger student desks with

comfortable chairs will be set up in a circle so that all teachers are facing each other and to the

center. If not, desks will be facing the front board individually. On the board, a PowerPoint will

be ready to be presented with the name of the topic of our meeting and the names of the

facilitators. On the left side of the top of desks, there will be a folder with our school’s logo on

the front that contains a welcome letter by the principal and vice principal, a copy of our school’s

vision and mission statements, a copy of the employee handbook, the induction plan packet, the
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master school calendar, information about the school’s curriculum, a sheet with important links,

their schedule, and a hard copy of the PowerPoint presentation with space for notes on each

slide. On the right side of desks, teachers will find a school shirt form that they will be able to fill

out and submit the order for free to promote school spirit and feel included right away. If I had

the sizes available, then I would provide the physical shirt which would be even more exciting

for teachers to receive.

The session will begin with another introduction of the facilitators, then allowing teachers

to participate in an ice breaker activity so teachers can get to know each other. Once teachers

have had the opportunity to learn about each other, the principal will move on to introducing the

school’s vision and mission statements. The principal will explain more about what those

statements mean to our school community when setting goals for our students. The vice principal

will move forward by going over the new teacher induction plan on the packet provided. He

would make sure teachers know the expectations, who is who from administration and the rest of

the staff, what’s needed in their classrooms, and any training that is a requirement throughout the

school year. In addition, the vice principal will let teachers know about the help they will be

provided with such as mentors, leadership team, staff meetings, PLCs, and the coaching cycle.

The principal will also cover information of the employee handbook briefly since there would be

another meeting specifically to go over the employee handbook. After going over everything in

the folder, teachers will be given the opportunity to ask questions they may have at this point.

The principal will finish the meeting by sharing that they are always welcomed into her or his

office to ask questions and for help if necessary.

Materials
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The materials that will be needed for the induction meeting is a folder with school’s

vision and mission statements, a copy of the employee handbook, the induction plan packet, the

master school calendar, a sheet with information about the school’s curriculum, a sheet with

important links, their class schedule, and a hard copy of the PowerPoint presentation with space

for notes on each slide. Other materials that could be necessary are a Chromebook for each

teacher and their teacher logins for the programs that they will use throughout the school year.

Time Allotted for the Session

3 hours and 45 minutes: Induction Meeting/Session for New Teachers

30 minutes: The meeting would start with a light breakfast for teachers. This will give them

time to talk and introduce themselves as they arrive.

30 minutes: The principal will start the induction meeting by introducing themselves and the

vision and mission statements of the school. (The vision and mission can be introduced before or

after the ice breaker below.)

30 minutes: Teachers will participate in an ice breaker activity to continue to know each

other officially.

1 hour and 30 minutes: The principals will go over the employee handbook, the induction

plan packet, and other forms with teachers.

30 minutes: Teachers will have the chance to log in to all school portals including curriculum

portals.

15 minutes: The principals will finish session and dismiss teachers.

Rationale
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Our SOAR Induction Meeting Session is for new teachers to feel welcomed to our

school, informed, and ready to start the school year successfully. Preparing a classroom with

decorations and giving teachers their first teacher shirt is to promote school spirit and celebrate

that they’ve become part of our school community. Providing new teachers with an induction

plan packet and other important handbooks is essential for a successful school year with

guidance from the start. All six teachers must feel happy, excited, and comfortable because they

are supported by the entire team. By having all six new teachers together in the induction

meeting, we are letting them collaborate with one another as they start learning about the

different procedures and policies. This sets the tone for a collaborative culture, as well. The

purpose for the meeting is for teachers to feel confident about themselves as teachers and know

the expectations of the school for the well-being of all students. Teachers must be communicated

about the goals for student learning as they go over the different school policies and must be

encouraged and coached to promote continuous improvement. New teachers should be aware of

the help that’s available for them, so it is important to set aside some time to go over who is who

from the staff. Another part of the purpose would be to start building positive relationships with

all teachers during this induction meeting.

Mentoring Plan

Purpose

The mentoring program is for new teachers to have one-on-one support from an

experienced teacher. The experienced teacher who will have the role of a mentor will be

knowledgeable on the expectations of the school and the school’s vision and mission. They will

be available to answer questions, help with the planning of lessons, help provide resources, and

provide support in all areas. They will help new teachers settle in their classrooms, attend with
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new teachers, help new teachers understand training sessions, discuss classroom management,

encourage and motivate new teachers, coach using the coaching cycle, and empower their new

teacher. The mentoring program is to help new teachers feel confident and successful as they

begin their journey with this new school.

Criteria

A mentor must be a veteran teacher or a teacher who has been working for our school for

at least three years. The veteran teacher must also be a highly qualified and highly effective rated

teacher. This veteran teacher must be available to always help their mentee. They must be easy to

work with and building relationships with other members must be something they are good at

and enjoy. They must be available to attend training with their mentee and for their mentee, so

they can work together when learning and improving. The mentor can be there to clarify the

information and advocate for their mentor. The mentor must help their mentee succeed

throughout their responsibilities as a new teacher.

Timeline

The mentoring program will be planned to happen throughout the school year or as soon

as the new teacher starts working for the school. The SOAR Induction Meeting Session will be

scheduled two weeks prior to the beginning of the school year. Expectations and handbooks with

policies and procedures will be shared with all new teachers during that meeting. That same

week, the principal will help the mentor plan the schedule of the coaching cycle and other duties.

The mentor and the mentee will receive the induction program packet and will go over it at the

beginning of the school year about one week before the students start with their classes. The

mentor will help the new teacher set up their classrooms with the necessary materials. Right after
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the classroom has been set up, veteran teacher and new teacher will go over the different portals

and programs online to teach them on how to take attendance, to view the names of students and

parents with their contact information, and how to submit lesson plans. During that same week,

both will look at the curriculum. It really depends on the mentor and mentee’s availability

throughout the week or month to meet and discuss how everything is going including going over

the curriculum, special event planning such as holidays programs, but hopefully teachers will

have enough time to meet at least once or twice a week if not more. If that’s not possible, the

principal will set a specific time for them to meet, such as once a month.

As part of the induction plan, the new teacher must be observed three times in the school

year by their mentor. One observation will be right after the first quarter ends which usually

happens in October. The second observation will take place right after coming back from winter

break, and the third observation will be towards the end of the school year in April. Each

observation will be part of the coaching cycle so the mentor will be scheduling pre-observation

conferences and post-observation conferences around the observations with the mentee. For

example, the first one in October, the pre-observation conference will be scheduled for the

second week of October. The observation will be on the third week along with the post-

observation conference. This will allow them some time to look over improvements and set new

goals before formal observations with principals. Mentor and mentee will meet right after testing

to analyze and discuss student assessment data which usually happens in August, December, and

May. In September and February, mentor will help mentee prepare for parent-teacher

conferences. In April, they both will meet to prepare for state testing which is the AZMerit and

to plan accordingly with parents, as well. Before the school year ends and teachers go off to

summer break, mentor and mentee will get together to reflect on the school year and plan briefly
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for the following school year. During this time too, the mentor teacher will decide if they’d like

to be a mentor again the following school year for another new teacher.

Induction Activities

More about the induction activities, three additional ones that would be added to the list

of tasks that the mentor and mentee must have down during the school year are monthly

professional development sessions online or during PLCs, create unit plans together once a

month or at the beginning of each unit in the curriculum, and go over strategies using

technology. When meeting once a month, mentor and mentee will meet to watch professional

development sessions online or during PLCs about classroom management, grading, and other

areas which will set high expectations for both the mentor and mentee. “The professional

learning community (PLC) has been shown to nurture a dynamic and positive school culture,

where teachers are encouraged to enhance their professional skills and knowledge” (Khan,

Razak, & Kenayathulla, 2021). Meeting to create unit plans, or collaborative lesson planning,

will also nurture a culture of collaboration within the grade-level team to make the teaching

experience better. “Collaborative lesson planning refers to the joint efforts of teachers to plan

their lessons in scheduled meetings. Based on their reflections, examination and discussion,

teachers design lessons and activities to continually improve the teaching and learning process.

This model ensures sustainable improvement in teaching” (Newell, 2012). New teachers,

especially those who recently graduated from university or college will most likely have ideas on

new programs online or strategies used with technology that the veteran mentor teacher might

not know about. This would be a great opportunity for the mentor and mentee to learn together

about strategies involving technology that will help students succeed in the future. “Technology

provides students with easy-to-access information, accelerated learning, and fun opportunities to
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practice what they learn. It enables students to explore new subjects and deepen their

understanding of difficult concepts, particularly in STEM. Through the use of technology inside

and outside the classroom, students can gain 21st-century technical skills necessary for future

occupations” (School of Education, 2020).

Professional Development Topics

Throughout the school year, the mentor teacher will guide the mentee teacher through

professional development sessions. A few professional development topics that the mentee must

participate in are classroom management, grading, assessment, setting goals, parent

communication, lesson planning, technology, hands-on activities, STEM education,

differentiation, special education, etc. These topics will ensure the teacher is focused when

supporting quality instruction and student learning. Attending these sessions online or during

PLCs will ensure the mentee will learn different strategies to perform in the classroom with their

students and help them succeed throughout the school year.

Budgetary Implications

Some mentors will perform the responsibilities and role of a mentor without asking for

anything in return. However, paying a teacher extra for extra duties shows a way to appreciate

their commitment and hard work. It shows they are dedicated school leaders. The school must

have funds available to support these teachers with a stipend. If not, the stipend could be

allocated from the title 1 funds, but the mentor teachers must be paid for their extra duties with

the new teachers.

Servant Leadership
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My role as the principal is to support all my teacher mentors and mentees. I would not

leave my mentor alone supporting our new teachers. All teachers need guidance and feedback, so

I’m planning on doing just that to support all stakeholders in our school community and district

as we work with mentors and mentees. As a servant leader, I plan to have an open-door policy

which means mentors and new teachers can come to my office to discuss concerns or celebrate

accomplishments. I’d make sure I used this time to build positive relationships with my mentors

and new teachers. I would work hard to give my mentor the stipend they deserve and my mentee,

the guidance they deserve. I would also ensure mentors have enough resources and ideas to share

with our new teachers. I’d provide the professional development opportunities necessary for new

teachers to take and learn from. The schedule is something important to look at, so I’d make sure

to help plan the schedule with these teachers and fill it with useful and helpful activities for them

to succeed. The more successful the program is for both mentors and mentees, the easier it will

be for all teachers to collaborate with one another. Furthermore, my role as the principal and as a

servant leader will allow me to empower my mentors to guide their mentees in every way that I

can with the school’s vision and mission in mind, so we can meet the goals as a school for our

students and our school community.

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References:

KHAN, M. H., RAZAK, A. Z. A., & KENAYATHULLA, H. B. (2021). Professional Learning

Community, Trust, and Teacher Professional Development in Malaysian Secondary

Schools. Malaysian Journal of Education (0126-6020), 46(1), 25–37. https://doi-

org.lopes.idm.oclc.org/10.17576/JPEN-2021-46.01-03

Newell, Andy. (2012). Collaborative Lesson Planning. Teacher Development Trust. Retrieved

from https://tdtrust.org/2012/10/24/collaborative-lesson-planning/

School of Education Online Programs. (2020). How Important Is Technology in Education?

Benefits, Challenges, and Impact of Students. School of Education Online Programs.

Retrieved from https://soeonline.american.edu/blog/technology-in-education