Teacher Mentor Program

New Teacher Support

At NISD, we strive to recruit, develop, retain, and recognize an exceptional, highly motivated staff to optimize student engagement and learning. We strongly believe that this starts with supporting our new teachers.

Mentor Program

All teachers new to NISD are provided with a mentor or a buddy to help support them throughout the year instructionally as well as with the ins and outs of campus life. Mentors and new teachers are trained on the resources that are provided to the new teachers to optimize their 1st year experience in NISD. Mentors meet with new teachers prior to school beginning and throughout the school year. Our goal is to retain our teachers and help them provide the best education possible for our students.

Teacher Support Specialist

If you need anything or have any questions, contact NISD's Teacher Support Specialists.

Elementary - Patrice Brake

Secondary - Sara Erikson

Instructional Technology K-12 - Melissa Griffith

NEF Resource and Library

The goal of the store and library is to provide immediate support to NISD teachers and students through free resources and educational materials. NISD teachers can “shop” for school and classroom supplies, snack packs, clothing items and books. All items are free to district educators! Click here for more information

Feedback

New Teacher Survey

To gather new teacher feedback, the Teaching and Learning Department will periodically send out survey links to district developed surveys. The information will be gathered, reviewed, and shared with the necessary departments to help support your first year in NISD. Please make sure you take a moment to complete the survey so your voice can be heard and the correct support can be provided.

Ask for HELP!

Change can be a difficult process and you may feel overwhelmed and unprepared. Please make sure you know who your mentor/buddy is and if unsure, ask your campus administrators. Once you find out who you have been assigned, please introduce yourself and let them know your needs.

What is the difference?

Mentor vs. Buddy

All new teachers within their first or second year in education will be provided a mentor to help support them throughout the year(s) in areas of instruction, technology, and overall navigation of NISD. The mentors assigned to you for year 1 and year 2 teachers are paid a stipend to help support you. Teachers that are new to the district but come in with 3 or more years of experience are provided a buddy to help support their needs and navigate the new campus/district. Buddies are not paid a stipend, and normally do not provide as much assistance as required for new teachers.

KEEPING YOU IN THE KNOW!
Campus Mentor Coordinator and Helpful Links:

Help Desk Curriculum Content Areas Benefits and Risk Management NISD Staff Important Links

Elementary Campus Mentor Coordinators

Beck Elementary- Kaylee Hinz

Berkshire Elementary - Casey DiBenedetto

Carter Elementary - Amber Calvillo

Cox Elementary- Andrea Wasdin

Curtis Elementary- Deanna Joseph

Daniel Elementary - Lauren King

Haslet Elementary- Amanda Smiley

Hatfield Elementary- Mindi Mills

Justin Elementary School- Julie Nolting

J. Lyndal Hughes Elementary-Melissa Grumble

Kay Granger Elementary-Allison Lohmar

Lakeview Elementary- Tami Rasberry

Lance Thompson Elementary- Briana Pollack

Love Elementary- Chelsey Dunlevy

Nance Elementary- Brittani Gilmore

Perrin Elementary - Lauren McFarland

Peterson Elementary- Sadye McGuire

Prairie View Elementary- Sarah Waterman

Roanoke Elementary- Kasy Morgan

Schluter Elementary-Britney Nichols

Sendera Ranch Elementary- Charity Miller

Seven Hills Elementary- Victoria Mendoza & Kaylie Shuler

Thompson Elementary- Rachel Helms

Middle School Campus Mentor Coordinators

Adams Middle School-Ashley Dacus

Chisholm Trail Middle Dawn Kelley

Medlin Middle School- Tiffany Wood

Pike Middle School-Sherri Golliver

Tidwell- Wendall Bass

Wilson MS- Sarah Spinelli

Worthington - Breanne Ingram

High School Campus Mentor Coordinators

Byron Nelson High School- Brittany Harper

Eaton High School- Tracie Williams

Northwest High School- Laurie Bartels

Steele Accelerated High School- Kendra Langston

Special Programs Center - Rhett King

Advice to Teachers New to NISD

Advice from those that know!

The following information was gathered from the 2018-2019 new teacher survey. When ask the questions "What advice would you have for a teacher new to Northwest ISD?"

Breath, smile, and enjoy yourself!!
Ask questions! (Ask a LOT of questions!)
Reach out for help
Utilized the campus Mentor Coordinator!
Use your mentor and team for support!
Get organized and stay organized
Get involved in your school so that you are part of the culture! (But don't over extend yourself!)
Use the curriculum and district coaches (ie. Special Ed, Math, Reading, Social Studies, Technology)
Feeling overwhelmed is natural, talk to your mentor or team to help you!
NISD is resource rich, use all the resources available to you, if you are unsure, just ask someone!

New Teacher Academy

To continue to support our new teachers, NISD will provide a New Teacher Academy for our new teachers. This academy will meet two times in the fall and one time in the spring of their first year in NISD to support teachers with instruction and curriculum. Those dates will be communicated to new teachers through the Content Coordinators.

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