Leadership & Professional Growth (PD+)
Develop leadership, coaching, collaboration, and professional learning skills that help educators strengthen their practice and positively influence schools and communities.
Course Catalog
Mentoring a New Teacher (PD+)
This graduate-level course prepares K–12 educators and school leaders to mentor and coach new and developing teachers through structured, reflective, and context-responsive support aligned to key mentoring competencies. Participants analyze adult learning principles and their application to mentoring new teachers, evaluate research-based classroom management strategies, and examine the developmental needs of novice educators. The course emphasizes principles of effective mentoring and instructional coaching, strategies for building trust and professional relationships, and approaches for promoting reflection, goal setting, and continuous improvement. Participants also explore common challenges related to classroom environment, instructional practice, professional confidence, and teacher retention, with attention to how mentors and school leaders can provide support that is both practical and responsive to individual needs. Through applied assessments, activities, and assignments, participants engage in authentic tasks that mirror real-world mentoring responsibilities. These include creating a one-week instructional plan using evidence-based strategies, designing a technology coaching session with a classroom integration plan, and developing organizational tools such as checklists or calendar templates to support new teachers. Participants also develop mentoring support plans based on sample IEP or Section 504 documentation, role-play professional workplace scenarios and reflect on behaviors using a rubric, and conduct mock post-observation conferences using structured feedback protocols. Additional coursework may include mentoring plans, observation and feedback tools, reflective coaching protocols, and action plans. Participants receive guidance and feedback throughout the learning process as they refine these artifacts and strengthen their ability to provide targeted, evidence-based support that improves teaching practice, promotes positive learning environments, and contributes to educator growth and student success.