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West Hawaii
INSTRUCTIONAL MENTORS
INSTRUCTIONAL MENTORS
Substitute Coverage for Mentoring Activities
Substitute Coverage for Mentoring Activities
The West Hawai'i Teacher Induction & Mentoring Program (WHTIMP) provides funding for Instructional Mentors and their Beginning Teachers to secure one full substitute day per semester to engage in mentoring activities that strengthen teaching practice and support student learning.
These Mentoring Work Days are a valuable opportunity to step outside the daily routine, collaborate intentionally, and engage in meaningful professional growth — together.
Substitute coverage is available for classroom teachers only.
Reporting in TSEAS
When entering your absence in TSEAS, use the following information:
Reason Code: 54
Budget Code: 20698953
What Can This Time Be Used For?
What Can This Time Be Used For?
Mentors and mentees may use their substitute day to participate in any of the following with WHTIMP and administrator approval:
🌺 Collaborate and Create
Engage in curriculum, instruction, or assessment development (e.g., pacing guides, lesson design, or unit planning).
💻 Engage in Professional Learning
Co-attend DOE-sanctioned workshops, webinars, or professional learning events. Examples include:
Beginning Teacher Learning Community (BTLC) events
Mentor Forums
Foundational Institute for Mentors (FIM)
Document your mentoring activities and outcomes in KickUp.
Other WHTIMP-sponsored professional development
🧑🏫 Focused Teacher Observation and Reflection
Visit classrooms of experienced teachers to explore practices such as:
Classroom management, planning, and delivery procedures
Subject-specific pedagogy and academic language development
Questioning that promotes critical thinking and independence
Routines that build student ownership
Classroom environment and tone that foster social-emotional learning
Use of technology to advance learning
Use of formative assessments to guide instruction
🤝 Connect and Grow
Co-teach in either the mentor’s or mentee’s classroom
Conduct a Triad Conference with school administration
Combine multiple mentoring activities throughout the day
💬 These experiences are designed to strengthen teaching practice, build confidence, and foster collaborative learning.
Focused Teacher Observation
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Focused Teacher Observation
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WHAT
Focused Teacher Observation provides a structure for the mentor/coach and teacher to observe another teacher and note observations, insights, and questions in a selected focus area. Following the observation, the mentor/coach and teacher reflect on the experience and identify next steps. The teacher and mentor/coach may each complete their own tool and then discuss together.
Focused Teacher Observations of experienced faculty to learn strategies for:
Classroom management, planning, and delivery procedures
Subject-specific pedagogy and academic language development
Questioning techniques that promote critical thinking and independence
Routines that foster student ownership and independence
Environments and activities that promote social-emotional learning
Effective use of technology to advance learning
Use of formative assessments to guide instruction
Classroom management, planning, and delivery procedures
Subject-specific pedagogy, including strategies for academic language development
Questioning that promotes critical thinking and independence
Routines and procedures that promote independence
Environment, tone, and activities that promote social-emotional learning
Use of technology to advance learning
Use of formative assessment(s) to adjust instruction
WHY
The literature suggests that professionals engage in peer observation to better understand their colleagues’ practice. They then use that knowledge to reflect on and improve their own. Ross and Bruce (2007)1 found that, among other factors, professional growth was “the outcome of self-assessment grounded in credible data and defensible standards, dissatisfaction with present performance, access to powerful instructional alternatives, and confidence about one’s ability to implement new instruction” (p. 155, emphasis added).Further, a study by Latz, Speirs Neumeister, Adams, and Pierce (2008) 2 found that peer observation improved teachers’ understanding and implementation of differentiated instruction, especially for those who self-reported an understanding of differentiation but had not consistently implemented it.
WHEN (ENTRY POINTS)
A teacher may express interest in observing an instructional strategy, perhaps as part of an inquiry.
Teachers can benefit from observing others delivering a common lesson.
In a group setting (e.g., PLC meeting), teachers can share video recordings of themselves using an instructional strategy they have been studying. The mentor/ coach can support a calibration process using an instructional strategy rubric so teachers can compare intended implementation with actual and discover ways to effectively apply the strategy in various contexts.
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