Longitudinal research conducted by Christine Frank & Associates (CFA) shows that NTIP is effective.
New teachers receiving NTIP supports report meaningful and sustained improvement in their confidence, efficacy, instructional practice and commitment to ongoing learning.
As we broaden the scope of NTIP, the emerging learning themes below suggest promising practices to support the professional growth and learning of all new teachers
Mentoring Web
- Having a formally assigned mentor is not linked to growth….being mentored is
- High growth new teachers accessed 5 to 7 different mentorship supports (i.e. built a mentoring web)
Differentiated Learning
- High growth new teachers constructed their NTIP via a menu of authentic learning opportunities using joint release days with multiple mentors
- Classroom observation and debriefing was the learning design with the strongest correlation to growth in instructional practice
Principal Encouragement
- Ongoing feedback and encouragement from the Principal was the strongest predictor of growth in NTIP
- This speaks to the power of listening, the power of encouragement, and the ability of the principal to provide a meaningful piece of a mentoring web for a new teacher
School Culture
- A collaborative school culture was an important factor in building a sense of confidence and efficacy for new teachers
- When you’re new you tend to adapt or adopt the culture you find yourself in … so again the importance of all mentors, colleagues and supports for all learners in the school
So there you have it. I think this Venn diagram is important because it really shows the connectedness of these 4 areas. We know that learning is messy, recursive, iterative…there is no one right way…but these 4 factors working together can make a solid contribution to the success of our new teachers and ultimately their students.