Arkansas Department of Education

Teacher Induction/Mentoring

Novice Teacher

A novice teacher is defined as any teacher having less than one school year of classroom teaching experience in a public school, other Arkansas agency, or organization requiring an Arkansas Educator's License.  The classroom teaching experience does not include student internship or substitute teaching.

The Teacher Induction program is designed to provide a novice teacher the support, assistance, and encouragement of a site-based, trained mentor in order for the novice teacher to learn the skills he or she needs to become an effective, knowledgeable teacher. Having the support of a mentor builds a foundation of confidence and expertise benefiting the novice teacher and students for years to come.

• Review the Glossary of Terms and Frequently Asked Questions to learn more.
• The Arkansas Teacher Licensure Accountability System (ATLAS) is the online application/tool used as a part of teacher induction and the programs within the Office of Educator Effectiveness.

Mentoring

The goal of mentoring is to provide continuous professional growth for the novice teacher. Mentors assist the novice teacher in the development of the professional growth plan; identification and celebration of strength areas; procurement of resources (both human and material); and identification of professional development opportunities.

Who can be a mentor?

Mentors are teachers who have completed three or more years as a successful classroom teacher of record under an initial and/or standard educator's license. All mentors must be trained and certified in the Arkansas Mentoring Model and approved in ATLAS before they are assigned to a novice teacher.

A teacher who qualifies to become a mentor must be recommended by his/her school district or building level administrator in order to attend the mentor training. The Mentor Training Recommendation Form must be brought by the prospective mentor to the mentor training, or the recommendation can be signed, uploaded to a computer, and emailed by the school district or building level administrator to the contact person for the designated mentor training. Click here to learn more about mentor qualifications or contact your school district Mentoring Project Director.

For more information, please contact: