This webinar focused on actionable mentoring and holistic induction strategies to support new special education teachers. Our partners at Hawai’i Teacher Induction Center and Minnesota’s Southwest West Central Service Cooperative (SWCC) offered practical approaches for prioritizing differentiated supports for beginning special education teachers to address the long list of challenges they face, from legal requirements to specialized instruction to meet a wide range of different student needs.

Speakers:

• Tanya Mau, State Office Teacher, Hawai’i Teacher Induction Center
• Robyn Tanaka, State Office Teacher, Hawai’i Teacher Induction Center
• Lisa Gregoire, Director of New Teacher Center, SWWC (Minnesota)
• Charlie Josephson, Special Education Teacher, SWWC (Minnesota)
• Kate Lieser, Site Administrator, SWWC Education Learning Center (Minnesota)
• Jessica Robinson, Instructional Coach, SWWC (Minnesota)
• Heidi Rops, Due Process Specialist, SWWC (Minnesota)

Highlights and takeaways:

Dedicate mentoring resources for new special education teachers

• Lower mentor-to-mentee ratios for special education teacher support, recognizing this is (a) specialized mentoring that (b) requires more individualized attention and support
• Expand mentoring support through pilot projects that elevate and target special education teachers
• Increase collaboration with administrators/DOEs/LEAs to ensure special education-focused mentors are up to date with the most current best practices
• Address the unique role of the mentor/coach by identifying common needs, sharing of resources, and connecting similar roles across multiple schools
• Take into account resource prioritization to effectively teach multiple grade levels, content areas, and abilities, simultaneously, in one classroom

Understand (and address) high-leverage pain points

• Create a special education task force (or committee) to build broader understanding of challenges and requirements and surface recommendations to target support for special education teachers and their mentors
• Differentiate questions for special education mentors and beginning teachers in annual surveys to guide program improvement and direct resources
• Develop a “due process specialist” support position to share the burden of compliance paperwork and tasks to ensure mentoring can be focused on instructional practices

Build collaborative spaces for special education mentors and teachers

• Quarterly mentor forums foster a strong sense of community with tailored learning to the specific needs of special education mentors, including how to tailor use of mentoring tools for special education teachers and focusing on SEL for teachers
• Have special education mentors participate in individualized mentor coaching sessions with observations from a special education mentor/coach
• Provide differentiated professional learning for special education mentors by leveraging the expertise and experience of existing special education mentors and coaches
• Create opportunities to network (build a special education teacher network PLC/space), share expertise and resources, and connect in communities of practice to create a broader community, especially for geographically spread out districts/schools

Leverage and adapt high-quality mentoring tools

• Build off of quality mentor standards focused on deepening and maintaining knowledge of learner variability and culturally responsive pedagogy through a special education lens
• Adapt tools for planning and analyzing student work to create more intentional entry points for special education teachers
• Use the Optimal Learning Environment framework to support special education teachers to cross-map classroom instruction with research-backed practices, especially around fostering emotionally, intellectually, and physically safe environments for students with diverse learning needs
• Create active feedback loops between mentors and mentees and school leaders

Resources:

• Why Special Education Teachers Leave the Profession (Teach Plus)
• Retention Is the Missing Ingredient in Special Education Staffing (EdWeek)
• Addressing Special Education Staffing Shortages: Strategies for Schools (EdResearch for Action)
• Special Education Task Force Summative Report (Hawai’i New Teacher Induction Center)
• Analyzing Student Learning Tool (NTC)
• Q & A with a Special Education Teacher (NTC)
• Five Considerations for Coaching New Special Education Teachers (NTC)