The mentor requirements for the program are embedded in the candidate coursework. To ensure quality and consistent mentorship, all mentors will be required to participate in an online training. This training is a total of eight hours and can be completed across four weeks.

Designated Subject Mentor FAQs

The process/requirement for designated subjects mentors is as follows:

1. The district/school identifies and assigns a mentor during the program application process.
   
1. Mentor requirements are: 3 or more years of successful teaching, a California clear credential and ability to commit to 2 years of support to the teacher candidate
   

2. The program then sends the mentor a welcome email which includes a request for a screenshot of their credential and a link for our new online mentor training. The mentor should be an experienced teacher (three or more years of teaching) in good standing with a clear credential. Mentor training is mandatory for all new mentors beginning January 2020.
   

3. The mentor will support the candidate throughout the 2 years of the program. The program expectation is that the mentor communicates weekly with the candidate and provides support as needed. Even if the candidate completes the coursework in one year, the mentor still needs to support the candidate as they teach the second year to fulfill clear credential requirements.
   

4. Throughout the two years in the program, the candidate and mentor will collaborate to complete observation cycles which will be submitted within the candidate coursework as an assignment. Each observation cycle includes a pre-observation conversation, an observation, and a post-observation conversation. This is designed to promote dialogue between the mentor and the candidate about what to observe, what was observed, and what the areas of strength and growth are moving forward. The cycles look like this:
   

• Early Program Orientation: 

• The candidate will provide the mentor name and contact information to the instructor. The candidate will plan future observations with the mentor.

• Foundations Course: 

• The mentor observes the candidate. Through this observation, they discuss areas of strength and focus.  

• Using the identified area of focus, the candidate observes the mentor teaching, or the candidate (preferably with the mentor) observes another teacher who the mentor highly recommends observing. During the observation, the candidate looks for strategies specific to the area of focus.

• Emphasis Course: 

• Using the previous observation and strategies already implemented to address the area of focus, the candidate once again observes the mentor teaching, or the candidate (preferably with the mentor) observes another teacher who the mentor highly recommends observing. During the observation, the candidate looks for strategies specific to the area of focus.

• The mentor or site administrator observes the candidate and together they discuss areas of strength and areas of focus moving forward beyond the program. 
  

5. District verifies that two years of mentoring were provided on the Verification of Teaching form.