Guam Department of Education provided District Mentors for the incoming new teacher seminar.
PNC’s Damen Michael has this story
According to Joe Sanchez, Deputy Superintendent of curriculum and instruction the training seminar is the first round of workshops that are planned for the whole school year.
In which GDOE provides training and support to their new teachers.
The Deputy Superintendent added, that the seminar is provided by District Mentors who coordinate support to new teachers, limited-term teachers, and teachers who are working towards certification.
Tina Ada Cade, District Mentor, Guam Department of Education said, ” We are just taking them through classroom management, classroom instruction that works, grinding policy and what that looks like in a classroom, and then we will be doing some effective instructional strategies to make sure our students are engaged in the best way possible with the learning that’s going on in the classroom.”
According to Ada Cade, simply talking with their students creates a relationship. That relationship may then impact the student in a positive way, either through academics or through their personal life.
PNC previously reported that the Initial Teacher Program was a means to address the island’s teacher shortage. The program also introduced limited term employment opportunities for those who do not have a background, or proper education in being a teacher.
The program also allows those individuals to go through the formal certification process.
Ada Cade said, ” They go into the system just like any other teacher, we treat them like any other teacher and go through the motions of providing the professional development for them and so they kind of are eased into it really nicely because they are already working while their in that certification program with our systems already providing that support.”
Bella Santos, District Mentor for GDOE said that it’s nice to see these limited-term employees bring a different perspective and mindset to the department. She referenced a teacher that brought his own experience from his previous careers, who changed the content being taught to the students creating a different learning environment.
Stay tuned for tomorrow as Damen Michael provides us with the teacher mentees view on the new teacher seminar and their reaction to being your children’s educators.
