Year+of+Professional+Support+Plans+Page

=PITA’s Start UP! for Early Career Teachers (Previously Year of Professional Support or YPS)=

The idea of the Start UP! began when Ray Myrtle wrote 'The First Week of School' and PITA distributed it around the province to new teachers. The next two years he ran a workshop for new teachers in Burnaby just before school began. In April 08 we received a grant from the Ministry of Education through the BCTF. The program operated by PITA in two pilot sites for 08-09 Burnaby, Abbotsford and Kelowna, but available to any early career teachers. Originally financially supported by the Ministry of Education and the Abbotsford and Central Okanagan Teacher Associations.

The next year the program was re-designed into its present format with three cohorts and two four day series:Start UP! and Build UP!The Central Okanagan, Kamloops District, Burnaby and Surrey Teachers Associations have provided financial Support for the YPS program. Their support enabled us to provide support for almost 400 early career teachers that year. We think about 1000 teachers have participated in the program.

For more details & to register go to [|www.pita.ca/workshops]
=Year of Professional Support for early career teachers: PROGRAM VISION:=

**The Vision:**
Early career teachers have the preparation they need to teach successfully. They will find specific strategies, unit suggestions and resources when they need them, through regular face to face workshops, and web based support from their cohort, PITA presenters and experienced teachers.

**Description:**
‘A practical program to help early career teachers begin the journey toward being excellent teachers.’

**The Goal:**
“I feel prepared and confident for the first week of school” -Program Participant

**Workshops**
1. ‘Start UP Your Class Successfully’ 1 Day -prepare for your first week of school in September or later -intro to the program

2. ‘Start UP Your Program (French, science, etc) Successfully’- 3 days -receive ‘starter units’ that that can be used in any intermediate grade to begin your career successfully - Six 1/2 day workshops: Reading, math, socials, science, PE, French Offered in August and September at the beginning of school

3. ‘Build UP Your Program Successfully’ – 4 days -receive specific building blocks for gr 4/5 or 6/7 Eight 1/2 day workshops: Reading, writing, math, socials, science, PE, French, Fine Arts Offered in October – and February Pro D days and Saturdays in November, January and April

4. ‘Early Career Wiki’ -a resource where early career teachers and experienced teachers can share ideas and resources and questions (you're reading it now!).
 * Web Based Support:**

5. ‘Invite a Buddy’ - together with districts and you, we will find a mentor and invite the mentor to join you in participating in the program
 * Mentoring**

For more information go to www.pita.ca or contact Ray Myrtle ray.myrtle (at) gmail.com or Anne MacLean at anne@themeweavers.ca.

More info. Sample Fliers 2011

Start UP! Workshop Forms for presenters:






**EVALUATION REPORT**
As a condition of our Ministry grant, we had an evaluation done. Download our first interim report last fall: Sept 15 informal Report.doc. Download our second interim report PITA -YPS Jan 30 Informal Report(ed 2).doc

Two UBC Grad students did an evaluation on our YPS program. Here is their preliminary report: / Here is their: