Champaign - Ford Counties
Programs: Novice Teacher Support Project
In 1997 a partnership among the Champaign-Ford Regional Office of Education, the Vermilion Regional Office of Education, and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and area school districts designed and implemented a program to provide professional development and support to beginning teachers in central Illinois. Out of this partnership was born the Novice Teacher Support Project (NTSP)
The goals of the NTSP are:
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To provide ongoing professional development specifically designed for teachers who hold initial Teaching Certificates.
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To provide a variety of professional development resources for making the transition from university to classroom.
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To provide all educators with opportunities to reflect on ways to improve teaching and learning.
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To create a trans-organizational community dedicated to improving learning conditions for teachers and students.
The Novice Teacher Support Project includes a variety of activities for first, second, third and fourth year teachers.
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Saturday Workshops
These three-hour workshops are developed to address the needs of the new teacher and are linked to the Illinois Professional Teaching Standards. Content also reflects the ongoing needs assessments conducted by the evaluation teams. New teachers are grouped in grade-level cohorts. An online component provides an opportunity for reflection and feedback between sessions.
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Ongoing Web-based Conferencing (E-Mentoring)
Grouped by grade level and content area, new teachers and their mentors “meet” frequently using a password-protected domain of the NTSP Web site. Thus, novice teachers and experienced teachers have an opportunity to interact with one another, to give and receive advice and assistance, and to engage in a variety of professional discussions.
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Mentor Training
Teams of professional development staff and university faculty offer initial and ongoing training for experienced teachers and administrators who want to learn mentoring skills and plan a district-based mentoring program.
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Interactive Web Site
Educators from across Illinois and around the world are invited to visit our Web site located at http://ntsp.ed.uiuc.edu. It contains a wealth of professional resources of interest not only to novice teachers but also to all educators.
Kevin Seymour, Director
Regional Office of Education SchoolWorks
200 South Frederick Street
Rantoul, IL 61866
Phone: 217-893-4921
E-mail: kseymour@roe9.k12.il.us
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© 2000 Champaign-Ford Regional Office of Education
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