What is an NTIP Team?
Who is in my NTIP Team?
Requesting Release Time
Release Time FAQs
Observation Resources

What is an NTIP Team?

For the 2019-2020 school year, WCDSB NTIP has leaned towards a more communal and collaborative model of support.

All NTIP teachers will be in NTIP Teams, based on the division/subject you teach. Each NTIP Team will have at least one mentor to provide support and guidance.

An NTIP Team’s 0purpose is to:

  • Discuss and reflect on shared problems of practice
  • Collaborate on goals and strategies when filling out your Strategy Form (keeping in mind that principals may also request changes)
  • Provide a trusting community of reflexive teachers who observe, listen to, and support one another

How and when do we meet?

NTIP Teams will meet at your designated NTIP Orientation date. This is a full day mandatory session where you will form your NTIP Team and meet your NTIP mentor. These will take place throughout October and November. The NTIP Consultant will contact you with your Orientation date.

Once Teams are formed and their goals are set, each member will be given 1 full day of release time, or 2 half days (pre-selected dates TBD), to meet with your Team. You can observe each other teach at multiple schools, reflect on goals and strategies so far, share best practices, and more.

NTIP Mentors may be eligible for some extra release time if needed to support their NTIP Teams members.

You may also invite other WCDSB staff to your release time to lead you in PD. If that person requires release time, please indicate this in the Requesting Release Time Form below.

team

Who is in my NTIP Team?

This doc is the master list of all NTIP Teams for 2019-20. These were created during the beginning of the year NTIP Orientation sessions. As people join NTIP throughout the year, they can join a Team or create a new Team.

If you have joined NTIP later in the school year, you are welcome to join a Team! If you are unsure of what to do here, please contact Matt for assistance.

When booking release time, you are encouraged to coordinate with your Team to find topic(s)/Leaning Goal(s) that would be of most benefit to you all. Additionally, coordinate in advance to find a time (form the pre-selected dates) that works best for everyone involved.

Additionally, you are welcome to contact people from other Teams for support.

Open Document

Open Document

Requesting Release Time

***Release time is currently unavailable due to the affects of the current job action***

Please open the doc for the simple step-by-step process.

Release time requests may be booked by NTIP teachers or mentors, and they must fall upon pre-approved dates.

Please do not book anything on SmartFind until Matt has given you email confirmation.

Be sure to check with your Team to see who may (or may not) want to take release time with you. No matter how you decide to take your release time, it should spark discussion, sharing, and reflection!

Release Time FAQs

Each Team member receives 1 full day (or 2 half days) of release time.

NNNNNope! You must choose from the pre-selected days given (check the website for more info).

First, do not enter release time into SmartFind until Matt has confirmed your requested release time. Second, please send the request a week in advance of the date. This will give Matt time to review and confirm the request, which should (ideally) only take a few days.

NNNNNope! This is where you have some flexibility. But there are some rules:

  • If only one person is taking release time, that’s okay, but it’s not to be on their own – it’s to observe another Team member, followed by a reflective debrief
  • Release time can be used to observe, co-plan, share, co-teach, reflect, be led in PD, etc.
  • Release time must take place in a WCDSB building – if you need space to work, talk to your admins, librarians, etc. to find space. If you need help, email Matt to help you find a room somewhere if needed.
  • You can invite other non-NTIP people for a half day (board office staff, colleagues with specializations, etc.), as long as it is to the benefit of your Team.
  • You must identify some Learning Goal(s) going into your release time in relation to what is on your Strategy Form. You will fill this in when requesting release time.

I will be adding Term 2 dates in the coming weeks. You do not have to use your release time in Term 1 if you do not want, or you can use half now and half in Term 2 … it’s up to you! You can also use it after you’ve done your TPAs, if there are still dates available at that time.

NOTE: Release times are contingent on having enough money in the NTIP budget and a sufficient amount of occasional teachers. As long as we have enough of both, Matt can continue to approve release time requests.


Open Folder

Observation Resources

Observing your mentor? Mentor observing you? Take a look at some resources to help guide your thinking, questions, and reflections.