Mentors

Observation of New Teachers

Feedback forms:

Here is a free template to utilize structured observation feedback, using the California Standards for the Teaching Profession. Here is a PDF borrowed from the Commission on Teacher Credentialing that breaks down each of the professional standards. In California these professional standards are also used by administrators when they do teacher classroom observations. Our new teacher induction program also uses these standards. By having consistency in our support and feedback with new teachers it allows them to learn those standards more easily because they are repeated in all of their professional development work.

Communication with New Teachers

Suggestions:

1. Glows: Start with what is going well. Share with the new teacher 3-5 specific examples that have been observed in the classroom. These are your positive and glowing remarks for your new teacher.
2. Grows: Then ask your new teacher to choose one of those examples, as a place to try a “new next step”. This gives the new teacher choice as to where they will take the next step, or grow. This also gives your new teacher focus on developing in one area, instead of becoming overwhelmed with all of the areas.
3. Record this process to help the teacher to see a “glows and grows” opportunity. With your help, they are able to identify an area that is going well and now have the confidence to “grow” with one new change, adjustment or step. As a mentor, sometimes we observe many areas of needed development, so this documentation is great for both you and the new teacher to refer to as one focused opportunity to grow at a time. You will then be able to return to this documentation with your new teacher and find new areas to grow from.

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