New Teacher Support

NEW TEACHER SUPPORT

*New Teacher Orientation - Teachers new to Somerset County Public Schools report five days before the regular staff to become acquainted with their school, the school system and the community. This enables new teachers to become acquainted with their surroundings in a smooth, systematic and non-stressful way. In addition, new teachers also spend time with their mentors during this earlier start.

*Mentor Teacher Program - Each teacher new to the system is assigned a mentor, or buddy teacher, to assist him/her in becoming acclimated to the new position. This mentoring relationship lasts throughout the first year. Two retired educators are engaged with first and second year teachers, to provide a variety of services including informal observations and conferencing, suggestions on classroom logistics and behavior management, lesson plan development or just learning.

*The New Teacher Handbook - Each new teacher receives a copy of the new teacher handbook which contains pertinent information about Somerset County and its school system.

*New Teacher Grant Application - Are you a new teacher, with 2-5 years experience and an idea that could boost student achievement in your classroom? If the answer is yes, the Maryland State Department of Education invites you to apply for a MINT grant. Click on the link above to access the application information.

*New Teacher Survival Guide - The US Department of Educations new Online book for new teachers. Available free of charge on ED's web site, "Become a Teacher: Survival Guide for New Teachers" features a number of resources for rookie educators, including reflections from fellow first-year teachers recruited to "talk candidly" about their experiences, "with a particular emphasis on the relationships they formed with their colleagues, university professors, and their students' parents."