Professional Development

Goals and Structure of the Teacher Professional Development Program

The Teacher Development Program seeks to support teachers at Archbishop Mitty in their growth as Catholic school educators.  The goals of the program include the following:

• to continuously develop the knowledge of each teacher in his or her academic discipline;
• to continuously develop the teaching expertise of each teacher in his or her academic discipline;
• to nourish the community of the teaching faculty as a collegial group of educators;
• to support the teacher’s role as an adult who takes every opportunity to foster the moral, spiritual, and intellectual development of the individual student;
• to foster an inclusive and welcoming spirit within the school community;
• to develop the teacher’s spiritual life as a member of a Catholic school faculty.

Teacher Professional Development Plans

Each teacher is asked to set goals for the year as an integral part of the teacher’s ongoing professional development.  The statement of these goals is reviewed by the Principal or the Associate Principal. 

The teacher’s goals directly address any two of the the following:

• a goal as an area of academic growth for the professional educator
• a goal in pedagogy for the classroom professional 
• a goal in terms of growth in the ministry of teaching and in the knowledge of the Catholic faith
• a goal in the use of technology to promote enhanced learning

Academic Council

The Academic Council is comprised of administrators and academic department chairs who exercise leadership roles in the academic program at AMHS.

The work of Academic Council includes the following:

• providing leadership in developing school-wide academic policies;
• giving input to the Principal and Associate Principals regarding academic policy decisions;
• coordinating academic programs such as student placement, award programs, and course registration;
• supporting the efforts of department chairs in teacher supervision and curriculum development.  

New Teacher Program

Archbishop Mitty provides significant professional development support to teachers new to Mitty during their first year of service at the school.  The program is administered by the Associate Principal and includes the following components:

1) Mentor Teacher Program: Each new teacher is paired with a seasoned teacher designated as his or her mentor teacher.   During the first year of service, the new teacher is supported by the mentor as follows:

• regular meetings during the summer prior to the first year of service
• weekly meetings during the first semester of service
• training and guidance in the use of Mitty information systems, including myMitty, Compass, and grade reporting systems
• review of best practices relative to pedagogy, classroom management, and curriculum development
• training in various protocols on campus—e.g., use of copy center; access to teaching materials; daily schedules, etc.

 2) Technology Training:   During the summer prior to the beginning of service, each new teacher is supported in his/her use of technology as follows:

• Summer technology training:  the IT Department undertakes a full day of training of new teachers in the school’s technology resources.

 In addition, new teachers are provided technology training throughout the year by members of Spectrum, the on-campus technology-in-education think tank.

3) New Teacher Orientation:  New teachers undergo a thorough orientation to the school and the campus during August, prior to the beginning of the school year.  The Associate Principal establishes and implements the agenda; various other staff and faculty members direct training and informational sessions.

4) Regular New Teacher Meetings:  The Associate Principal facilitates and directs monthly meetings of New Teachers throughout the first year of service.  In addition to topics related to classroom management, curriculum development, etc., the agenda is left open so that new teachers may include topics, as needed.

5) Teacher Evaluation:  New teachers benefit from the program of teacher evaluation provided to all teachers.  The program is outlined in the Faculty-Staff Handbook and is administered by the Associate Principal.

 Additional support of new teachers is provided through the following:

• Individual meetings with the Principal and/or Associate Principal—formally, twice a year; and informally, frequently;
• Informational support provided by the Associate Principal relative to professional development, including work on credentials, etc;
• Funding support related to attendance at professional development opportunities, as approved by the Associate Principal.