The Role of Professional Leaders in the Induction of PRTs

As a professional leader or centre manager, your role in supporting Provisionally Registered Teachers (PRTs) and teachers registered subject to confirmation, is critically important.

Induction Programmes for PRTs

The Guidelines for Induction and Mentoring and Mentor Teachers will help professional leaders to identify fully registered teachers who have the key skills and attributes needed to be a successful mentor teacher. The Guidelines also provide guidance for the professional learning and development for mentors. Programmes of support for PRTs should feature:

a high quality educative mentoring programme which facilitates support for the practice focused professional learning of the PRT
a range of professional development opportunities
formative and summative evaluations of professional practice based on clear, mutually understood teaching criteria.

The Guidelines were tested in pilot programmes carried out in 2009-2010. Final reports from these programmes will be published in 2011. The Council is providing a series of professional development workshops focusing on the Guidelines in 2011.

It is your responsibility as the professional leader to ensure that the PRTs you employ:

are welcomed and oriented to the learning centre, colleagues and wider whānau as appropriate
have a job description and are included in the Performance Management System (PMS) of the workplace
are employed in a teaching position of at least 0.5 FTTE (this normally equates to at least 12.5 hours per week), completed in minimum blocks of 10 weeks - this is the minimum time period required for sufficient teaching service
are supported by an appropriately selected and resourced and fully registered mentor teacher
have access to a comprehensive induction programme suited to the needs of the individual PRT
have dedicated time for their professional development and learning, to work with their mentor teacher, to observe good teaching practices etc.
have an appropriate teaching programme and manageable levels of responsibility
are formally evaluated and provided with appropriate feedback as part of their induction programme and for the ultimate purpose of making a judgement for recommending full registration
understand the school, kura, ECE service's policy for provisionally registered teachers. This includes the use of the centrally funded resource, for their programme of support and for the formative and summative evaluations for full registration
have records of their induction programmes and of the evaluations on them kept by the school or ece service.

Please note that these responsibilities also apply for teachers who are registered ‘Subject to Confirmation'.

Welcoming the Provisionally Registered Teacher

All teachers new to a workplace need to be welcomed and oriented to the practices, culture, special character of the learners and the nuts and bolts and policies of the new workplace. They also need to feel that they are individually valued for what they bring either as a new or experienced professional colleague.

The professional leader has a key part to play in this orientation. Their vision and guiding philosophy should be explained and discussed with new teachers, and continuing contact maintained throughout their period of induction and mentoring. Involving PRTs and other staff in this commitment to making a difference for learners will be an important factor in their motivation to become the best they can and to stay in the profession.

Selecting an appropriate Mentor Teacher

It is not always easy to ‘select' the best mentor teacher suited to meet the needs of a particular PRT but it makes a huge difference when this selection is carefully done. Research tells us that mentoring is best carried out in the context of practice by a colleague who understands that context.

Mentors may be:

an early childhood education centre leader or senior colleague,
an external mentor or teacher in a nearby school, kura or ECE service who frequently visits and understands the culture of the workplace,
an experienced teacher in the team, department or syndicate of the PRT,
or a person with a dedicated role in mentoring colleagues such as a Specialist Classroom Teacher in secondary schools.

Sometimes a mentoring relationship just doesn't work out and a new mentor needs to be assigned part way through a programme.

The most important thing is that the mentor teacher has the disposition, knowledge and skills for supporting the professional learning of a colleague. All mentors need some training and on-going professional support for their role. They should have appropriate recognition for their role and be adequately resourced with time to carry out their tasks. Check the Role of Mentor Teachers page for more information, and the list of courses aimed at developing mentoring skills.

Evaluation and Recommendation for Registration

As the professional leader or employer is ultimately responsible for ensuring that evidence has been gathered and recorded that the PRT has undergone an appropriate induction and mentoring programme, you need to be satisfied that there is evidence of a continuing induction and mentoring programme over the last two years and that the PRT has demonstrated progress towards meeting each of the Registered Teacher Criteria. If the teacher has taught at another learning centre, you should obtain documentation of the induction programme they have received before joining your staff.

Record of Induction Programme

The Teachers Council may ask to see evidence that the induction programme has included:

an outline of the advice and guidance programme
feedback from observations of teaching
a record of the PRT's reflections on their teaching.
a log of meetings and goal setting with the mentor teacher
written feedback from the mentor teacher throughout the two year programme
evidence of professional development

Progress Record to meet the Registered Teacher Criteria

You need to ensure that appropriate documentation is kept of evaluations of evidence that the PRT has, has not or has not yet demonstrated competence against the Registered Teacher Criteria. This documentation will largely be kept by the PRT to be produced on request either by you, the mentor teacher, or by the Council. However, the school or ECE service should also keep records of formal evaluations as part of its performance management system.

Sources of Evidence for Evaluating a Teacher's Progress may include:

observations of teaching and feedback to the PRT
discussions with the PRT including structured mentoring conversations and appraisal meetings. These may show professional values and professional relationships demonstrated by the PRT
documentation of the PRT's reflections on data from their teaching and the students' learning
commentaries by the PRT on how professional development and other professional learning has impacted on the learning of students / ākonga
systematic feedback to the PRT on progress towards meeting each of the Registered Teacher Criteria, perhaps through an ‘assessment log'

The Recommendation Meeting

Finally, the professional leader is responsible for making sure that all evidence is considered and discussed by an appropriate group of people including the mentor teacher, another colleague or senior teacher who has worked closely with the PRT and perhaps with the PRT being involved too. Such meetings should be documented.

As a result of this meeting or meetings, the professional leader will be in a position to either endorse or not endorse the mentor teacher's recommendation for the PRT or STC teacher to move from provisional to full or confirmed registration. This endorsement is completed and signed along with the mentor teacher's recommendation on the TC2 application form. At this time, with both the recommendation and endorsement completed, the PRT or STC teacher should complete the form and send it to the Council.

If, after two years induction and mentoring, the PRT has still not met the criteria for full registration, you should continue to provide structured professional support to the teacher. If you have implemented further support and still have concerns about the teacher's competence, you should contact the Council for advice. It may be that you need to submit a mandatory report to the Council.