About the Course
The FCPS Academy course Mentoring Novice Teachers is required for all mentor teachers assigned to work with zero-experience beginning teachers, except mentor teachers previously trained as clinical faculty through George Mason or Marymount universities. Course content covers effective strategies for working with novice teachers during their first year in the classroom. Teachers learn their own mentoring style and how to match it to the needs and phases experienced by beginning teachers as they enter into the teaching profession. Teachers discover specific skills for observing in a new teacher's classroom and for providing positive, collegial feedback that leads to improved teaching and learning.

The Program Format

• Fall/Spring: During the fall and spring semesters, the typical course meets once a week for five weeks on a designated evening. Each class session lasts approximately three hours.
• Summer: During the summer, the typical course is more compacted, often meeting daily for one week or for five three-hour sessions spread over the course of two weeks.

Special Note: ALL new teachers are assigned a mentor.