• to regulate the process of entering teacher profession, as well as establish and develop legislative and institutional base for the induction system;

• to support inductee/beginning teacher professional development and employment; 

• to popularize teaching profession; 

• to utilize authority, knowledge and skills of experienced teachers. 

Within the teacher induction pilot project, 100 inductees and 58 mentors were selected through a competition in 36 different districts in Georgia, including 2 public schools in the rural areas. The first stage of the project was implemented in 2008-2009, 28 mentors (from 24 Tbilisi and regional schools) and 48 inductees participated in it. In order to improve the efficiency of the project, mentors and inductees are trained, school visits and participant opinion polls. 

After the completion of the first stage of the project 12 inductees started to work as teachers at different schools.
 
In July 2009 with the aegis of the “Pestalozzi’ program,  the Center organized Council of Europe funded workshops of education experts “Mentoring new teachers: innovative practices and approaches”, dedicated teacher induction and mentoring issues. The goal of the workshop was to present the induction pilot project and get familiar with international experience. 10 Georgian and 10 international mentors, inductees, teachers and education experts participated in the seminars. Georgian participants delivered presentations about the concept of developing mentoring and teacher induction system  in Georgia. The presentations were followed by the discussions and the participants developed recommendations to ensure effectiveness of the induction system in Georgia. 

Sharing positive information about the induction  project increased motivation of inductees and mentors, which respectively boosted the number of inductees / mentors and awareness of schools. In 2009-2010 thirteen more schools joined the project. Currently 52 graduates from Tbilisi Ilia Chavchavadze, Gori, Telavi Iakob Gogebashvili, Kutaisi Akaki Tsereteli and Batumi Shota Rustaveli universities are engaged in the project. Beginning teachers go through a teacher induction  pilot project  at Tbilisi, Gori, Telavi, Akhaltsikhe, Kutaisi and Batumi public  schools with the assistance of 30 qualified mentors.

Project implementation is being monitored through school visits. After attending the mentor model lessons, two workshops had been organized in Kutaisi and Batumi with inductees and mentors. Several educational products had been developed  within the projects, specifically: draft versions of  a mentor manual and inductee manual , training program for preparing mentors, interim training program for inductees and mentors and reporting documents with the Center (trimester report and inductee action plan, inductee needs assessment form, inductee performance evaluation rubrics, inductee final performance report). In addition, rights and liabilities of a mentor and an inductee had been established.

Currently a state program of induction for 2010-2011 school  year is being developed, which will consider the experience gained from the pilot projects. The goal of the state program for supporting the induction  is to effectively establish the induction system and develop relevant normative and institutional foundation, so that the involvement in the induction program becomes accessible country-wide. 500-600 inductees will be selected within the state program – a person with pedagogical educational background and/or subject specialist, who has no teaching experience at school. They will complete a one-year induction period in different schools of Georgia with the support  of 120 mentors,  trained through a special training program. 

 

During the implementation of the program, interim trainings for inductees and mentors, workshops, participant opinion polls and program monitoring will be implemented.