West Hawaii
Teacher Induction & Mentoring Program

💛 Social and Emotional Strategies to Support Quality Instruction
💻 Virtual Session | Presenter: Kecia McDonald

Strong instruction doesn’t begin with content—it begins with connection.

This session will support beginning teachers in understanding how Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) improves academic performance, reduces behavioral challenges, and builds a positive, inclusive classroom culture. You'll learn simple, effective strategies to weave SEL into your everyday instruction—no special program or extra prep required.

By the end of the session, you’ll walk away with practical tools to:

• Strengthen student focus, resilience, and collaboration

• Support student well-being and reduce anxiety

• Foster a sense of belonging that promotes both learning and behavior

Whether you're teaching content-heavy lessons or managing tough classroom dynamics, these strategies will help you create a safe and productive environment where students—and teachers—can thrive.

This 3-credit professional development course provides educators with research-based classroom management strategies from Conscious Classroom Management, 2nd Edition by Rick Smith and Grace Dearborn. Through readings, discussions, and real-world implementation of activities, participants will develop strategies to create a structured, engaging, and student-centered learning environment.

REQUIRED Virtual Session 

Monday, August 25 · 3:15 – 4:15pm

Google Meet link: https://meet.google.com/gdy-jdyt-gom 

Optional Virtual Session 

Tuesday, October 14 · 3:15 – 4:15

Google Meet: https://meet.google.com/bhg-uhso-pia 

Optional Virtual Session 

Monday, November 3 · 3:15 – 4:15pm

Google Meet: https://meet.google.com/pej-taqp-qdd 

Optional Virtual Session 

Monday, November 17 · 3:15 – 4:15

Google Meet: https://meet.google.com/raa-azqt-ojg

🤖 AI as Your Instructional Partner
💻 Virtual Series | Presenter: Shane Asselstine, M.A.Ed., Office of Curriculum & Instructional Design

This three-part series guides teachers in strategically integrating AI across the entire instructional cycle: Plan and Prepare, Teach and Assess, Analyze and Reflect. 

We'll explore how AI can be your quiet co-teacher—helping you plan, reflect, and respond to student needs more effectively. You don’t need to be a tech expert—just curious and open to learning!

🌟 Try it out: Hands-on activities that show how AI can support your lesson planning and classroom needs

✏️ Plan smarter: Learn how to use simple prompts to generate standards-aligned objectives, tasks, and materials

🧠 Make it meaningful: Explore how AI can help you design engaging, relevant learning experiences for your students

📊 Assess with purpose: Use AI to create quick checks for understanding, provide student feedback, and adjust instruction

🤝 Collaborate & Reflect: Work with other beginning teachers to share ideas, ask questions, and learn together

We are here to support you—this series is not about doing more, but working smarter.

🌍 Strategies to Support Students Who Are Learning the English Language
💻 Virtual Session | Presenters: Lara Mangieri & Starr Anastasio, HKKK's EL Team

As we approach the mid-year mark, now is the perfect time to reflect on how we’re meeting the needs of multilingual learners in our classrooms. Whether you have one or many English Learners (ELs), your instruction plays a vital role in helping them access content, participate in learning, and feel a sense of belonging.

This session is designed to give you realistic, ready-to-use strategies for supporting students who are developing English language skills—without adding to your workload or requiring a separate curriculum.

Together, we’ll explore:
✔ What English Language Development (ELD) and sheltered instruction look like in everyday teaching
✔ Easy scaffolds, visuals, and routines that support listening, speaking, reading, and writing
✔ How to create a welcoming, culturally responsive classroom that builds student confidence
✔ Tips to help your EL students feel prepared and supported during upcoming WIDA testing

Supporting English Learners is part of being an effective teacher in Hawaiʻi’s diverse classrooms. Join us to strengthen your practice, ask questions, and walk away with tools you can use right away.

More Information

Coming Soon

🧠 Autism Spectrum and Multi-Tiered System of Supports
💻 Virtual Session | Presenter: Melissa Dixon-Pennington

This professional development session offers educators practical strategies and insights for supporting autistic students. Learn about current research on autism, effective communication techniques, and how to create inclusive classroom environments that foster academic and social growth. The session will cover differentiated instruction, sensory considerations, and promoting self-advocacy skills, empowering teachers to better understand and meet the diverse needs of their autistic learners.

Building a Foundation for Learning Rooted in Hawai’i
In Person | Presenter: West Hawaii Teacher Induction & Mentoring

This Cultural Induction opportunity is coming soon 

🌺 Hawaiʻi Island New Hire Onboarding

📅 Tuesday, August 13, 2025          🕒 3:00 – 5:00 PM
💻 Zoom Link 🔗  https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89179032326
All beginning teachers and educators new to HIDOE are invited!

Start your HIDOE journey with connection, clarity, and support. This live virtual orientation is designed for beginning teachers and experienced educators who are new to the Hawaiʻi Department of Education. This is your opportunity to ask questions, get accurate information from the source, and connect with the people who will support you throughout the school year

You’ll hear directly from key district leaders and support teams who will walk you through everything you need to know to get started with confidence.

What to Expect:
🌟 Welcome from Your Complex Area Superintendent and Complex Area Leaders
👋 Meet Your Induction & Mentoring Team
🤝 Understand Your Union Rights with HSTA
📋 Get Critical Employment Info from Hawaii District's Human Resources Regional Officer
💡 Explore Teacher Benefits, Licensing, Pay, and More

Let’s begin your year with aloha, clarity, and community. We’re excited to meet you and welcome you to the HIDOE ʻohana!

🔍 Drop-In EES Support with Alicia Hamilton
🔗 Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/8686485156?omn=82421997123&jst=3
✅ Drop in for one or all sessions—come when you need support!

👥 Beginning Teachers and their Instructional Mentors are highly encouraged to attend together and use this time as a weekly Mentoring Meeting.

All Emergency Hire and Probationary Teachers are required to participate in the Educator Effectiveness System (EES). These live, virtual drop-in sessions are designed to help you confidently prepare for your Beginning Conference and fully understand each EES component:

• Core Professionalism

• Classroom Observations

• Student Success Plan

Join Induction Program Coordinator Alicia Hamilton for support, resources, and real-time answers to your questions.

📆 Schedule and attend your Beginning Conference with your administrator between September 2 – October 3, 2025.
This important meeting sets clear expectations and plans for successful implementation of your EES responsibilities throughout the year.

📈 Using Curriculum-Based Measurements (CBMs) to Inform Instruction
💻 Virtual Session | Presenter: Dr. Jason Shrable, West Hawaiʻi Special Education

Looking for a practical way to track student learning and adjust instruction in real time? Curriculum-Based Measurements (CBMs) are quick, reliable assessments that help teachers monitor student progress week by week. These tools are used in both general education and special education settings to measure foundational academic skills such as reading fluency, math computation, and written expression.

In this session, beginning teachers will:
✔ Learn what CBMs are and how they fit into your daily practice
✔ Understand how CBMs support progress monitoring and differentiation
✔ Discover how to use CBM data to reflect on your teaching and adjust instruction
✔ Explore CBM tools and resources already available in your school

CBMs aren't just for SPED—they are an essential part of a data-informed classroom that empowers you to respond to student needs before learning gaps widen. Whether you're new to assessment or looking to build confidence with data, this session will give you actionable strategies to start using CBMs right away.