Part A. Use information from needs assessments, Module 1-4 assignments, and other readings and research.

• Describe your Capstone Challenge and how you identified it.

  1. My capstone challenge is creating a very specific checklist for new teachers to complete during the first 3 PIR days before school starts. I identified it from my own experiencing with new teachers as well as looking at data from a needs assessments as well as interviews with some of my stakeholders.

• Describe your diverse stakeholders and how you selected them, such as colleagues, parents, students, association members, community members, state or local partners, etc.

  1. How I choose what stakeholders to focus on was really the need to be as diverse as possible. I made sure I talked directly to brand new teachers, male and female, the SPED department administration and lastly years of experience. I started with my administration to see if they would support my project and right away he was invested and showed great support for what I wanted to do.

• Why is it important for your diverse stakeholders that the Capstone Challenge be addressed?

  1. A lot of them saw a direct impact that my capstone would make for new teachers. They saw it as a very simple and direct way to guide new teachers at the beginning of the year. I also had a lot of people tell me they had very little guidance getting ready for the first week of school and saw the same things happening with new teachers as well.

• In what ways will addressing the Capstone Challenge promote or support the foundational competencies?

  1. In "Collaborate purposefully" it says in the transforming "Facilitate and/or inspire others to create alliances with individuals and different cultural groups, leading to organizational and/or systemic change." I feel like I am addressing something in the systematic change to really uplift and support ALL new teachers no matter what subject they teach in middle school.

• Is it your intention to broaden the existing vision, values and/or culture of the association or to create a cultural shift?  Explain.

  1. Honestly, I really want to create a shift in how we treat new teachers. In my district we have some AMAZING coaches that do just this; however, there are too many new teachers to really meet the needs of the individual. We are always talking about differentiation with our students but somehow completely forget that with our teachers. It will give a uniform of what they need to complete the first 3 days but leaves it open ended for more mentoring to occur to each individual new teacher.

• Why might this strategy be a viable solution for your Capstone Challenge?

  1. My stakeholders are invested and want to help. This allows me to know that people will help, support and rally around what I am trying to do with our new teachers. I still have more steps after this capstone to make it how I would like, but this is a great first step to solve a problem that I feel is district wide.

Part B. Focus on competency language and suggested evidence from the Teacher Leadership Competencies document.

4. On which two Overarching Competencies will you focus in addressing your Capstone Challenge?  Why are they relevant? 

   1. Interpersonal effectiveness and adult learning are the two competencies that I choose. Adult learning is so important for me moving forward as a mentor to see how adults learn and perceive criticism. Interpersonal effectiveness because I am helping my fellow teachers find the areas of growth they need by giving feedback and a clear set of tools to organize themselves and their classroom.

5. If your foundational competency is not Explore and Challenge Inequity, please explain?  Why is it important? 

   1. When looking through Collaborate Purposefully I loved that it said "Identify and explain the shared visions, shared goals, shared perspectives, shared work habits, and/or shared interpretations of success." My project really is to guide new teachers to be successful with knowing that other teachers want them to succeed so much so that they will guide and mentor them. Work habits and shared goals is directly what my project will support these teachers in wether they are the mentor or the mentee.

6. Which Leadership Pathway competency will you focus in your Capstone Challenge?  Why is it relevant? 

Coaching and Mentoring is the leadership pathway that I choose and its important because I feel mentoring is the #1 thing to get you to be better at what you do. If done correctly, I truly believe teachers would not be leaving the profession so soon because they are able to handle the issues that come their way.

7. With whom will you work in addressing your Capstone Challenge?  Who else might you recruit beyond your own cultural and/or professional identity group?

   1. I was able to work with a lot of teachers and my principal already through my interviews but I also am recruiting a technology specialist who teaches teachers for a living . I want her specific take as well as her wanting to use my TLI project for her mentoring program.

8. Which resources (such as, people, money, programs, time and space, etc.) do you have to address in your Capstone Challenge?   What resources will you need?  How will you obtain them? 

   1. I need printing and that is all. I will talk with my secretary and see if we have the budget to make them on cardstock to make them durable and then bound. I also need new teachers! I will talk to my principal once transfers and new hires become public knowledge to reach out to them before school is out.

Learn Evidence #2- Email to a Long Term teacher who was hired in October 2021

Learn Evidence #3 - Mentoring Montana program that is being implemented this summer. Research to go with my project.

Learn Evidence #4- Survey that went out to my staff as well as an elementary school in Billings, Montana.