Mentor Orientation
NTIP Mentor Responsibilities
Orientation Dates
Mentor Application
Mentor 101 Online
Observation Resources
Mentor PD Resources
Timelines and Guides

NTIP Mentor Responsibilities

Mentoring relationships honour the strengths and attributes of both new and experienced educators. One of the most powerful things mentors can do is help their colleagues hold up a mirror to their practice and in this mirror see all their strengths and attributes, not just the flaws and challenges of what isn’t working. Through this deprivatization of practice, the quiet victories and moments of beauty that teaching provides can be surfaced, elevated and celebrated. This is authentic learner-driven collaborative professionalism.

The acrostic below outlines the fundamental aspects essential to any mentoring relationship. For the success of any relationship it is essential for all parties to have voluntarily chosen to engage in mentorship.

What do I need to do?

You will be supporting an NTIP Team of beginning teachers (who will be in the same division as you, or in a division you are very familiar with) throughout the year. Support can vary depending on the Team’s needs and goals. You will help the Team formulate goals and strategies for the year, based on problems of practice they uncover at our Orientation session.

You are not the only point of support for NTIP teachers. The purpose of the Team is to encourage teachers to support one another. Principals will also be asked to encourage in-school mentoring for more day-to-day assistance. You are there to help with “bigger picture” and long-range items, like tech implementation, classroom management strategies, unit organization, etc.

Time Commitment/Release Time

This can vary depending on the needs of your Team. Take advantage of technology when you can to avoid having to always meet in person after hours if that is difficult to do (i.e. using Google Meet for quick online group video chat, or a simple email/WhatsApp group chat to check in or share periodically).

Here’s a basic timeline of mandatory meetings and options for release time with your Team:

• 1 half day (in Oct or early Nov) to meet your Team, decide on areas you want to focus on, begin creating goals and strategies for the year
• 1 full day of release time to be taken by you and your Team between Dec and April. I will pre-book dates and your Team can select which day (or 2 half days) work best. You can meet at one of your schools, or travel between school if needed. Release time must take place within a WCDSB building.
• Further release times may be available to you to observe the beginning teachers in your Team (this is dependent upon budget and occasional teacher demand). If invited by member of your Team, this is a great opportunity for you to observe, team-teach, etc., then reflect on the learning that took place.

To book release time, please go to the NTIP Teams page.

Orientation Dates

All NTIP teachers will be attending a mandatory, full day Orientation session. Mentors will join us in the afternoon (12:30pm) where we will go over NTIP Teams, discuss problems of practice, form our Teams, start our Strategy Forms, etc.

It will take place at Resurrection Secondary School in Kitchener, from 9am-3:30pm.

If you have a laptop/chromebook you can bring, please do. Or at the very least, something to take notes with.

Please check the list below to find the date you will be attending.

Mon Oct 7 – Primary and all Elementary French Teachers (incl. immersion/intensive)

Wed Oct 9 – Kindergarten and Primary Planning Time Teachers

Tues Oct 15 – Secondary Teachers in all Sciences, Math, Phys Ed, Tech, and Business

Wed Oct 16 – Secondary Teachers in Religion, English, French, ESL, History, Geography, and Spec Ed

Wed Oct 30 – Junior Teachers

Wed Nov 6 – Itinerant Teachers & Elementary Spec Ed *****Meet at Conference Room in Resurrection School Library*****

Tues Nov 12 – Intermediate Teachers *****Meet in room 112 of Our Lady of Fatima Elementary School*****

Observation Resources

Click here for resources to support you in your observations and debriefing with beginning teachers.

A few helpful tips:

• Focus conversations on student achievement – were students engaged? How do you know? What could we try differently next time?
• Collaborate – create lessons/units together, see them through, and ALWAYS debrief
• Reflect, reflect, reflect – hold mirrors up to our practices and ideas

Mentor PD Resources

Click here to take a deeper dive into mentoring beginning teachers.

A few items of note:

• How to assist NTIP teachers in completing their Strategy Form
• What “stances” or roles to take based on your beginning teachers’ experiences
• Assistance in question phrasing and goal setting

Timelines and Guides

Click here to access suggested timelines for NTIP Mentors and Ministry resources.

A few items of note:

• NTIP Induction Elements Manual
• Templates for observations