School Site Mentors

The Alternative Path Program is a two-year pathway to certification that includes teaching full-time as a Teacher of Record on an Arizona Alternative Teaching Certificate while taking classes both online and face-to-face, participating in teacher education seminars (TES). While in the program, teaching interns receive guidance and support from assigned UA coaches and mentors and from site mentors in their schools and districts. The school site mentor is employed at the school, agrees to supervise the intern, and is confirmed by the school administrator. The school site mentor may be a member of a new teacher induction team, a cognitive or academic subject coach, an experienced teacher in the intern's department, or other designated teacher. The school site mentor is a certified teacher with a minimum of three years of teaching experience in secondary education.

During the first year, interns are observed by a UA coach a minimum of three times during the first semester and a minimum of two times during the second semester. The coach videotapes interns at the beginning and end of each semester. Interns watch the videos of themselves, write self-reflections, discuss their responses with their coach and site mentor, and use the assignments to deepen their practice. To further enrich their teaching experience, interns enroll in coursework in a collaborative, face-to-face format through monthly TES sessions in which interns synthesize research-based practice with their actual teaching experience through engagement with subject-matter and pedagogy experts.

During the second year, teaching interns receive guidance and support from a UA program supervisor mentor and continue being supported by their school site mentor. Interns are observed by a program supervisor a minimum of two times during the first semester and a minimum of four times during the second semester. During the second semester of the second year, the school site mentor, program supervisor, and intern meet in person for a mid-term and a final assessment.