New Teacher Orientation
Elementary Mentor Teacher Guide 2015
I.
Welcome
a. Share about you
i. What is your role in the district?
ii. Will you be an ongoing resource for the new teacher (mentor or SAC member)?
iii. If so, what is the best way for the new teacher to contact you for help- email, phone call, drop
by your classroom, shared lunch time?
b. Learn about the new teacher(s)
i. What were they most recently doing? College? Another job?
ii. Are they from this area, have they recently moved, or will they be commuting to work?
iii. What are their personal hobbies? Does anyone else on the staff share those hobbies?
II.
Culture
a. Acronyms- any additional ones to add for your grade levels?
b. Professional Development, part 1
i. Four all-district curriculum days
ii. Articulation Day
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III.
Instruction- general
a. Guest Teachers
i. How to prepare for one
ii. Who do you recommend?
iii. Do you have sample guest teacher plans that you could share with the new teacher?
IV.
Instruction- Marzano
a. Walk-throughs
b. Building-specific strategies for motivating/engaging students
c. Design Questions recently studied by the building
V.
Instruction- Habits of Mind
a. Does the building have a manner in which they’ve formalized the teaching of Habits of Mind such as a
focus habit of the month or specific grades taking responsibility for certain habits?
b. Are there positive behavior incentive programs in place for recognizing students who demonstrate great
examples of habits of mind?
c. Are there typical ways in which the building or department evaluates and reports on habits of mind such
as student self-assessments or rubrics?
VI.
Instruction- Cultures of Thinking
a. Who are the lead teachers in this learning?
b. What work has already been done?
c. Are certain routines expected in all classrooms?
d. If your school has already begun to study the 8 cultural forces, which forces are the focus this year?
VII.
Instruction- Foundational Texts
a.
Which professional texts do you recommend the new teacher start with immediately?
b. Are there additional texts being studied by your school staff or grade level?
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VIII.
Curriculum
a. Subject Area Curriculum (SAC) committees
i. Who are the representatives for the building in each of the content areas?
ii. How are these representatives sharing out information?
b. Curriculum Guides (binders)
i. Format and Content
ii. Scope and Sequence (I-Maps)
iii. Look at maps for the new teacher’s grade/course(s)
iv. Resources
c. Curriculum Texts and Materials
i. Location of texts and materials for new teacher
ii. Review and highlight texts and materials used for grade/course
iii. Supplemental Materials Approval Form (Building Level)
iv. Video Approval Form
v. Equipment storage and/or check-out
vi. What materials/equipment is shared among teachers?
vii. Where/How is it stored?
viii. What is the procedure for replenishing consumables?
ix. Purchase Orders (keep track of what you need for next year)
d. Classroom Budgets
i. How to order additional materials
ii. What process is used in your building?
iii. What types of things are typically purchased?
iv. Are additional funds available from other sources for each teacher, such as from PTO?
e. Curriculum Night (see handout)
i. When?
ii. How to prepare for
iii. Expectations for your school
f.
Content Expectations (GLCE & HSCE) and Common Core State Standards (CCSS)
i. Where is your grade/course in the CCSS alignment process (Math and ELA)?
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IX.
Technology
a. Technology/Software- what is subject specific or grade specific?
b. Chromebook Carts
ii. How to sign up for carts
iii. What should and shouldn’t they be used for?
c. Technology specific to your buildings- document cameras, SMART boards, Promethean boards, etc.
d. Who are the building’s technology liaisons?
e. Requesting help from the Technology Department
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X.
Assessment
a. Evaluating our students and our instruction- Classroom assessments
i. Within your grade, do teachers at your building give common classroom assessments?
ii. How often are classroom assessments like quizzes or tests typically given?
b. Evaluating our students, our instruction and our programs- District Assessments
i. Assessment Calendar – how to use
ii. How to get copies of the exam(s)
iii. Pearson Inform
iv. Review and Assessment Guidelines
v. District data collection procedures
vi. What to do with old teacher/student copies
c. Evaluating our students, instruction, programs and schools- State Assessments
i. Review- what is typically done in your building or department? What elements should be
consistent for this year and what will be changing?
ii. Are there any building level initiatives or department initiatives to prepare for the state
assessments?
iii. Is the new teacher going to be teaching typing skills (grades 3-5)?
d. Evaluating our programs and system- School Improvement
i. North Central Accreditation (NCA)/AdvancED process at your building
1. Do you have an External Review visit this year?
2. If so, when is it occurring?
ii. Articulation Day
iii. School Improvement Plan – what is the role of teachers in your building regarding this?
XI.
Grading and Reporting
a. Report cards
b. Report card comments; scoring Habits of Mind
c. Specific building expectations
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XII.
Other
a. Special Populations of Students
i. Differentiated Instruction
ii. Accommodations for Special Education Students
1. When do special education staff in the school push-in to co-teach instruction?
2. What does this look like?
iii. Accommodations for English Learners (ELs)
1. Contact teachers:
a. Andrea Archer (ESL teacher) archera@slcs.us
b. Marie Arao-Hansen (ESL teacher) arao-hansenm@slcs.us
c. Dayna Britton (ESL Coordinator) brittond@slcs.us
2. Parent liaison:
a. Andrea O’Keefe okeefea@slcs.us
iv. Share insights for differentiating instruction with low progress students
b. Current Building Initiatives/Focuses (e.g. Ruby Payne, Horacio Sanchez, Eric Jensen, etc.)
c. CHEERS and PTO
i. Are there specific ways in which these support groups help school or grade?
d. Parent Communication
i. Do teachers in the school typically send home classroom newsletters or emails?
ii. Do teachers in the school use websites, Facebook or Twitter?
iii. When do you typically call a parent and how do you log your calls?
iv. Parent-Teacher Conferences
1. When- date and time?
2. How to prepare for this event
3. What to do during the event
e. Professional Development, part 2
i. New Teacher Workshops (after school)
ii. Building opportunities
iii. Conferences and Workshops (MSTA, MCTM, etc)
iv. Oakland Schools
v. Location and contents of Professional Library
f.
Helpful Hints- Other insights that will assist in the delivery of the curriculum
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