When I tell people about my Induction Program experience I always start out with the astonishing amount of work. It's very difficult to collect so much evidence and artifacts that to show as examples of my ability to meet the California Standards of the Teaching Profession (CSTPs) as well as analyze my own teaching practice through Inquiry Projects in addition to meeting weekly with a group of new educators to discuss best practices.
Despite what sometimes felt like tedious work, i really feel that the Induction process truly facilitated my development as a Professional Educator. Being forced to provide supporting evidence that you meet all the Standards including sub-or the standards for the CSTPs, one starts to thinking about them in daily life, Using the table like a checklist to see how you can show that standard and incorporate it in your teaching practice. It ended up being a roadmap for what to work on that I could use to support my goals for the Teacher Evaluation process. i particularly struggled with Parent Engagement and Developing as a Professional Educator. The CSTP sub- standards provided me with a launching board for discussions with my mentors.
My favorite part of the Induction Program were the Inquiry Projects. I really enjoyed being able to manipulate data and being able to support my educational decisions both in and outside of the classroom with statistics. i was able to use my Inquiry Projects during school site data meetings to substantiate my teaching practices. Administrators were impressed with my reports and passed them on to high ups in our Charter Network. inquiry Projects were a great tool to be able to have a valid self reflection on my teaching practices. As I mover forward in my teaching career I will continue to reference the CSTPs and occasionally conduct Inquiry Projects.