Upon certification, NKSP scholars will be assigned a BU faculty mentor, a mentor (teacher) at the JCPS school where they will be assigned to teach, as well as a Noyce scholar who is a teacher at a JCPS school or at another school in KY. Based on Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) mandate, JCPS recently implemented a robust mandatory induction/orientation and a professional development program for new teachers so that they can become highly effective teachers and grow professionally.
If you choose to teach at a JCPS school - JCPS will offer a robust Induction and mentoring program for NKSP scholars. Induction programs can impact teacher effectiveness and are key factors in producing consistently high student achievement levels in high-need school districts.
The JCPS new teacher induction program sessions are designed to provide support for new teachers in developing the skills needed to be an effective classroom teacher with strategies to engage, motivate, encourage, and teach students with a variety of learning needs and from diverse backgrounds. To support the transition of new teachers to JCPS, these sessions are a series induction workshops that include the following strands: Building the Learning Community, Student Engagement, Effectively Educating Diverse Populations, Reflective Teaching Practices, Organizing Your Classroom for Success, and Communicating with Students and Parents.
NKSP scholars will complete an induction program once they are employed at a JCPS school. JCPS will provide induction support during their first teaching year. JCPS induction encompasses orientation to the JCPS environment, mentoring, and guidance through beginning teacher practice. KDE provides new teachers access to professional development and learning opportunities that are posted on KDE’s Professional Learning Bulletin Board (PLBB)including COVID-19 Professional Learning Resources.
The new teacher mentoring program, an extension of the orientation process, is designed to support and retain new teachers and to aid their Professional growth. Mentoring is designed as a two-semester program that pairs an existing teacher leader with a new teacher to provide a non-evaluative coach (experienced mentor) through ongoing mentoring, just-in-time professional development, observations, and support.