Mentoring Newsletter
A guide to working with mentees at your school site
January 2023:
I hope your break was full of well-deserved relaxation and rejuvenation. As far as working with new teachers, they are entering the phase where attitudes toward teaching start really looking up. Encourage and celebrate this attitude shift. Here's to a good 2023 for all of us!
We have a new round of hires coming on board within the next few weeks. Please refer to the areas of focus for these new teachers in this school year's first newsletter. You can access all newsletters by clicking the induction page link at the bottom of this newsletter. Teachers hired after the tentative date of Jan. 16 are considered short-term. Those teachers hired on or before Jan. 16 will go through the full evaluation requirements and can qualify for pay for performance. The definitive date will be determined within the next few days by BPS Labor Relations, so please monitor your email for that update.
Lead mentors, we will be going over MTSS updates with Shelly Dickinson during our Jan. 11 Lead Mentor Chat. More information and the link will be sent to via email.
Please choose a few areas to focus on from the list below:
1. Personal: Write your mentee a “welcome back” note and put it on their desk or in their mailbox. If you have a bit of time, try to meet with them within the next few days to debrief the first semester and set goals for a successful second semester.
2. Professional: Discuss how the mentoring process is working. Make plans for the mentoring relationship for the second semester.
3. Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment: Focus on planning practices. Assist the new teachers in analyzing semester exams and other summative assessment data in order to design and select scaffolding strategies the third quarter.
4. Organizational Systems: The beginning of the second semester is the perfect time to evaluate classroom arrangements, adequacy of resources, success of procedures, use of time, efficiency of routines, and effectiveness of responses to unmet expectations. Help your mentee reflect on these areas.
5. Students: Assist new teachers in developing systems for monitoring progress and being aware of students who may be in danger of failing. Help them set up intervention plans including proactive support systems.
6. Colleagues: Update the principal or other administrators on how things are going with your mentee and the mentoring process. Additionally, ensure that your mentees engage in any opportunities to review student work in departmental, team, or grade level groups.
7. School Systems: Discuss with your mentee that after the winter break, routines and procedures will need to be reviewed and practiced again – almost like the first day of school.
8. Parents and Community: For new teachers teaching semester courses, revisit the August and September calendars for reminders of communication systems that need to be implemented with the parents of the second semester students.
*Special Educators: Support your mentee in reviewing semester grades and other classroom achievement data. Also, review with your new teacher the IEP dates for the second semester.
As always, thank you so much for all you do. You are the Heart of Brevard! 💚
Bridget Reed
reed.bridget@brevardschools.org
Breakdown and suggestions taken from Paula Rutherford's Just Ask Publications
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Registration opens January 9th!
Course# 16457; Section# 414345
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⭐⭐⭐Mentor/Mentee Spotlight ⭐⭐⭐
Palm Bay Magnet High School
Mentors and mentees taking part in the Educators Thriving program in December and getting ready for a well-deserved break.
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✔️From the Office of Certification:
Reminder: It is that time of year for those educators who hold a FL DOE five-year Professional Certificate that will expire on June 30, 2023, to renew their certificate! Our District deadline is April 3, 2023, which will align with the reappointment process. Your school/department secretary has received the directions and you may obtain the required Payroll and District Security forms from them. You must have a total of 120 in-service points including 20 in SWD (teaching Students with Disabilities) earned and/or banked during your validity period. If you need additional in-service points, please email Itzel Copley in our Professional Development and Learning office for options available to you. If you need further information, please email Sharon Doucett-Doran.
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🢂Clinical Educator Training (CET) Registration - Second Semester 2023
Please share with teachers you know who are looking for leadership opportunities and will be strong mentors! There will be a new easy online application and all information will be in the January 9th leadership team packet. Here are the dates:
Tuesday, February 28 - 5–7 p.m. virtually
Wednesday, March 29 - 5–7 p.m. virtually
Monday, April 10 - 8:30– 3 p.m. (Training Rooms 3 & 4)
For questions, please contact Linda Buffum at buffum.linda@brevardschools.org or at 321-633-1000 Ext 11262.
⭐Teacher Training Opportunities⭐
Engagement Strategies
January 11th
Time: 8:30-3:30
Location: ESF training rooms 5/6
Course #15694 Section #412816
OR
January 31st
Time: 8:30-3:30
Location: Clearlake Education Center (1225 Clearlake Road Cocoa 32922)
Course #15694 Section #414369
Learning Cycle & Differentiation
Feb. 9th, 8:30 - 3:30 pm
Course #18386 Section #414209
Viera Elementary School
New Teacher Academy (new teachers AND those new to Brevard that have not yet attended)
Feb. 20th, 8:00 - 3:30 pm
Course #16443 Section #414231
Adult Education Center at Clearlake
If you have any questions on the listed courses posted above, please contact Tracy Seibert at ext. 11237 or seibert.tracy@brevardschools.org
CHAMPS -Classroom Management, Elementary
1/23 – 1/24, 8:30 - 3:30 pm
Course #17859 Section #414138
ESF, Rooms 3 & 4
DISC/CHAMPS -Classroom Management, Secondary
1/25 – 1/26, 8:30–3:30 pm
Course #17859 Section # 414139
ESF, Rooms 3 & 4
If you have any questions on CHAMPS, please contact Lisa Stanley at ext. 11243 or stanley.lisa@brevardschools.org
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☀Second Semester Calendar Changes - please share with your new teacher☀
• Second semester will then begin 1/12/23
• The February 20, 2023 Professional Development Day will now be a normal school day for students and teachers. The April 24, 2023 teacher/student holiday will also be converted to a normal school day. These changes ensure enough instructional minutes for second semester for our secondary schools.
• ET will be making these changes on AS400 to accurately reflect school calendars and schedules
• Some grade reporting dates have changed. Secondary teachers have until 1/13/23 at 5:00 pm to input grades. Secondary report cards published on Focus on 1/17/23. Elementary teacher grade reporting deadlines are set by the school between 1/13/23 - 1/18/23. Window closes at 2:00 pm on 1/18/23. Elementary report cards will be published on Focus on 1/19/23
• Days of Service calendars will also be updated for employee classifications that are impacted by the change of 2/20/23 and 4/24/23 being normal school days for students and staff.