On Monday (Jan 21), the Minister of Education, the Hon. Diallo Rabain, visited Clearwater Middle School to meet with teachers and mentors from the Bermuda Teacher Induction Programme (Programme).  

The Programme which formally began in 1989 was the result of a collaborative effort between the Ministry of Education and the Bermuda Union of Teachers, in consultation with the then Association of School Principals and new teachers, to establish Bermuda's first mentor-teacher programme.  The Programme was designed to assist new teachers as they meet the challenges of the contemporary classroom.

The foundation of the Programme is built on a commitment to meet the individual and collective needs of new teachers entering the teaching profession for the first time.  Research and experience have shown that new teachers will have numerous concerns and needs that require assistance.  Meeting the needs of inductees is the cornerstone of effective mentoring.  These needs are varied and are not always apparent to new teachers.  The unsolicited skill of the mentor is required to affect an atmosphere of reflection, where inductee and mentor can engage in identifying concerns and build upon strengths.

Mentors assist Inductees through on-going coaching, professional development, and support to ensure that their first two years of teaching in the Bermuda Public School System are successful.

The present Education Commissioner, Kalmar Richards, was among the first Mentor Teachers in the Programme.

In recognition of the Programme, Minister Rabain said, “Teachers are the foundation of our society. They have what is arguably the most important task imaginable… passing on knowledge and wisdom to the next generation.”

“With this in mind, I would like to thank all the Bermuda Teacher Induction Programme Mentor Teachers, both past and present, for their contribution and dedication to education, and for helping ensure new teachers have the necessary guidance and support to achieve success in the classroom.”