Mentoring is a powerful way to build the capacity of new teachers. High-quality mentoring improves new teacher retention, student achievement, and veteran teachers’ leadership. A significant body of research describes the impact of effective mentoring on beginning teachers’ sense of efficacy, professional growth, and retention rates, as well as the development of skills in key areas of instruction and classroom management.

To meet the urgent need for districts to provide, ongoing, job-embedded support for beginning teachers Learning Forward is offering a Virtual Mentor Teacher Academy for individual mentors or districts seeking to provide new teachers with an experienced, knowledgeable mentor. The program is for skilled teachers who are ready to mentor colleagues in their first three years in the classroom by applying a mentoring framework to support beginning teachers in growing their practice. The Academy is grounded in the Standards for Professional Learning and adult learning theory, and is designed around a Mentoring Cycle of diagnosing beginning teacher needs, providing coaching support to address those needs, and monitoring progress to measure growth.

This course for professional learning leaders and facilitators will help you design and deliver highly effective adult learning in both in-person and virtual environments. Ensure your learning designs promote the highest levels of learning and retention and increase adult learners’ capacity to implement new learning. Expert Learning Forward Texas facilitators Trish Hinze and Terri Iles will lead live learning sessions, as well as provide asynchronous support and feedback as you complete a professional learning design using tools and strategies provided in the course.

This eight-week course for experienced coaches and teacher leaders will help you apply knowledge and skills to promote equity for all learners through high-impact content literacy strategies. Expert coaches Wanda Mangum and Kelly Wegley will help participants collaboratively tie their coaching work directly to high-quality content. Add practices to your coaching toolkit that support teaching strategies that promote student listening, speaking, reading, and writing at high levels.

Registration will open August 19. Sign up to be the first notified when registration opens.

The foundation of quality leadership is building relationships. Facilitated by expert leadership coaches Kendall Zoller, Chad Dumas, and Kathy Gross, this course supports leaders in increasing their credibility and strengthening relationships as they lead skillfully. Examine both internal mindsets and external skills, and practice communicative intelligence strategies to use in one-on-one, small group, and large group settings. Strengthen your communication skills and build your capacity to lead by developing meaningful relationships and creating a culture of learning and growth.

Registration opens August 19. Sign up to be the first notified when registration opens.