Tehama Teacher Induction Program
Welcome to the 2026-27 school year! Whether you are beginning the year as a new teacher or as a mentor, we are grateful for the opportunity to partner with you this year. Wherever you are in your career, you bring knowledge and experience that strengthen our schools and support the people learning alongside you.
Our theme this year, Strong Roots, Strong Futures, has particular meaning in the small and rural communities of Northern California. Here, the impact of our work does not end at the edge of campus. The students we teach become our colleagues, business owners, caregivers, coaches, and community leaders. The way we invest in our students and in one another directly shapes the strength of our community. By helping students recognize their gifts and see a place for themselves within their communities, each of us helps build the foundation for our region’s future.
We recently saw this theme come to life during our two-day Classroom Essentials training. Three early-career educators, who sat in the same session as pre-service teachers, returned to share what they had learned with teachers in the audience preparing to enter the classroom for the first time. The panel included a special education teacher serving students with extensive support needs, a middle school physical education teacher, and a CTE Building and Construction Trades teacher. Two had completed their first year in the classroom, and one had completed two years in the classroom. They answered questions honestly, offered practical advice, and shared lessons they wished they had known when they began. My favorite piece of advice was, “You don’t need to be a superstar; just be a star.”
It was a beautiful reminder that mentorship does not depend on how long someone has been teaching. These educators are still growing their own roots, yet they are already helping others establish theirs. A community’s legacy is built over time as teachers invest in one another and in their students, and as those students go on to strengthen our communities as leaders, neighbors, professionals, and parents.
Cheers,
Jillian
Orientation Dates
If you have not enrolled yet in a Year 1 or Year 2 Orientation, please do so! Please remember, Mentors and Candidates are required to attend the same orientation together.
Year 1 Orientation Dates: August 24th 3:30-4:45pm
August 25th 4:00-5:15pm
Year 2 Orientation Dates: August 26th 3:30-4:45pm
August 27th 4:00-5:15pm
Mentor Training Dates
If you haven't yet enrolled in mentor training, please complete your required registration as soon as possible using the sign-up form that was sent to your e-mail.
New Mentor Training: August 18, September 14, September 22
Returning Mentor Training: September 2, September 15
Experienced Mentor Training: September 9
Reminder: Candidates Share Your ILP
After Orientation be sure to open your Individual Learning Plan (ILP) from your Google Classroom and share with your mentor. This allows for co-development on the ILP from the start.
Katie Mae Gonko
Katie holds a Multiple Subject Credential and a Master's Degree in Education. She has several years of experience working with primary and secondary students. As a consultant for both Teacher Induction and CTE Teacher Preparation, she brings a warm, uplifting attitude to the Teacher Preparation Program.
Ashley Brous
Ashley holds a Multiple Subject Credential. She has experience teaching in 4th and 5th grade. As a consultant for both Teacher Induction and CTE Teacher Preparation, she brings firsthand insight from serving rural schools, where she has witnessed the dedication and impact of teachers every day. Ashley is deeply committed to our North State community.
Building Thinking Classrooms (BTC) Book Study
Special Education Leadership Academy
Sentenced Film Showing at TCDE
Inclusive Learning Circles
New Teacher Network
Fresh to the Classroom? Let’s Grow Together!
If you’re a Tehama County educator navigating your first 5 years in the classroom, this is your official invitation to level up! (Bonus: No Teacher Induction required—everyone is welcome!)
Real Talk Conversation We’re diving into actionable strategies that actually help you cultivate a positive, high-energy classroom without the burnout.
Instant Connection Find your crew! Connect with fellow early-career teachers who truly understand what you are going through. You don't have to figure this out solo—let's build a support network that has your back.
Curated Cheat Codes Skip the late-night Pinterest rabbit holes. Get direct access to handpicked resources, field-tested tools, and sanity-saving strategies designed to make your life easier.
Let's build a rock-solid foundation for a brilliant teaching career—together!
Tips for New Middle School and High School Teachers
Straightforward secondary-teaching guidance, including relationships, expectations, perspective, and maintaining appropriate boundaries around work.
LINK TO ARTICLE
4 Ways to Design Instruction for the Teenage Brain
As industry professionals it is important to understand adolescent learners and design your instruction around social engagement, novelty, emotion, and creative exploration.
Teaching Practices That Will Be Sustainable All the Way Till June
Helps a new teacher avoid building elaborate systems that cannot be sustained once projects, grading, CTSOs, advisory committees, and equipment management intensify.
Free Digital Literacy Classes
Through our partnership with North State Together, we want to make sure you know about regional upskilling courses. These classes are available to all - feel free to attend yourself or share with your families and partner organizations. Build confidence. Gain practical skills. Take the next step toward your goals. These free evening classes are offered live and online in English and Spanish to support adults in strengthening their digital and financial skills.
Paradise RISE
Ask an Economist
Join us for an insightful economic update with Dr. Robert Eyler, who will share the latest national and statewide economic and industry forecasts. He will highlight the key opportunities and challenges ahead for Northern California's rural and smaller suburban.
California celebrates five years helping students and families plan for school and career through Cradle-to-Career
Five years after it was established under the Newsom Administration, California’s Cradle-to-Career (C2C) Data System is helping students, families, educators, and policymakers better understand the path from school to career. By securely connecting information across education, financial aid, workforce training, and employment, C2C gives Californians better tools to make informed decisions about their futures, while helping the state strengthen its workforce and economy.
Quick Self-Compassion Practices to Build Resilience in Educators and Children
Educators, and the kids they teach, often speak to themselves far more harshly than they would ever speak to a friend. That inner critic quietly drains the resilience needed to show up fully for students. Self-compassion is not indulgent. It is a nervous system shift, backed by research, that trades a stress response for a soothing one, which is what makes connection, learning, and joy possible in the first place. Two doable practices are inside: the one-minute Self-Compassion Break and the Love Letter to Yourself. Both work solo, at a staff meeting, or in your classroom, starting today.
AI Can't Replace Teachers, but it Will Change the Future of Teaching
Love it, hate it, or try to ignore it, AI is reshaping how and what students learn as well as how teachers go about the work of teaching. This has enormous implications for our collective future—how we interact with technology, the world around us, and one another.
Quick Tips for New Teachers
A Tool Kit for Mentor Teachers
How to Avoid Rushing
96 Gen Z Workplace Statistics & Trends of 2026
The workplace is changing fast, and Gen Z is leading the charge.
As the last of this generation enters the job market in full force, they're bringing fresh expectations around mental health, flexibility, pay transparency, and purpose-driven work. And employers are scrambling to keep up.
From juvenile hall to firefighting academy; 2 nonprofits help redirect paths with fire training
As recent events have demonstrated, there is a great need for more people to fight wildfires in the state, and now two nonprofits have joined to address the shortage and provide jobs to underserved communities.
Questions? We're Here to Help!
Tehama Teacher Induction Team
Jillian Damon, Ed.D. - Director
Ashely Brous - Consultant
Katie Mae Gonko - Consultant
☎️ 530-528-7311