Via Educere: Leading the Way, Drawing Out Excellence

The Southern Indiana Education Center is offering a formal mentoring training program called Via Educere beginning July, 2026. The program will encompass required monthly virtual meetings for mentor teachers throughout the 2026-27 school year, along with on-demand support from an SIEC specialist. A mandatory kick-off meeting at the SIEC office will take place in early July 2026, and a year-end celebration is scheduled for June 2027. The program will utilize “Mentoring in Action: Guiding, Sharing, and Reflecting with Novice Teachers” by Carol Pelletier Radford (2nd ed., Corwin, 2017) and will include the following topics:

• Orientation to the School & Community

• Beginning the School Year Successfully: Creating a Community of Learners

• Teaching for Understanding: Effective Instruction

• Assessment as Feedback

• Communication with Families

• Student Engagement

• Self-Reflection and Wellness

• Active, Inquiry-Based Learning

• Collaborations & Evaluations

• Creating Authentic, Standards-Based Experiences

• Classroom & Behavior Management

• Wrapping Up the First Year and Planning Forward

  
  

All participants will demonstrate learning by completing the Radford workbook and submitting a professional portfolio that tracks their mentorship growth. 45 Professional Growth Points will be awarded by the SIEC upon successful completion of the SIEC Via Educere program. *The workbook and a portfolio template will be provided upon registration.

Mentor Teacher enrolled in Via Educere agrees to:

1. Meet weekly with their assigned mentee. 

2. Communicate regularly with the assigned mentee digitally and/or in person.

3. Meet monthly with the SIEC Via Educere community of practice.

4. Provide evidence of learning throughout and at the conclusion of the program:

   1. Completed the Radford workbook.

   2. Complete a professional portfolio showcasing evidence of professional mentor growth and interactions with and support of mentees.

School/District Administration with a mentor teacher enrolled in Via Educere agrees to:

1. Provide time and space for the mentor to meet with the mentee at least once per week. Recommendation: The mentor and mentee meet at least twice a week for 45 minutes in a quiet, private space that fosters open, effective mentoring conversations. 

2. Support the mentor by providing time and resources for monthly SIEC Via Educere virtual meetings. 

*Via Educere provides a formal mentoring program as outlined in the Teacher Appreciation Grant (TAG) guidance provided by the IDOE (9.10.25).

*A companion book for mentees is highly recommended: "The First Years Matter: Becoming an Effective Teacher" by Carol Pelletier Radford.

Program Series Details:

• Date: July 23, 2026 (additional virtual dates will be announced)

• Time: 12:30 pm - 3:00 pm EST

• Location: SIEC, 1102 Tree Lane Drive, Jasper, IN 47546

• Fee: SIEC Member - $1200 /Non-member $1680

• Other Details:

  • Participants should bring a laptop so that online resources may be accessed.

  • Participants will receive Professional Growth Points.

  • Deadline to register is July 1, 2026.

  • See the registration link on this page to register.

  
  

About the Name: Via Educere

The name Via Educere (pronounced VEE-uh eh-doo-KEH-reh) reflects a core philosophy of mentorship. In Latin, Via means "The Way" or "The Path," representing the journey a teacher takes toward mastery. Educere—the Latin root of the word education—literally means "to lead out" or "to draw forth." Unlike traditional training that focuses on simply "pouring in" information, Via Educere is designed to draw out the expertise, wisdom, and leadership already present in educators, essentially building the bridge that leads veteran teachers toward their full potential as mentors and guides.