Support during ACE

What kind of support can an ACE teacher expect?

It is clear that the most important service ACE can provide its beginning teachers is a solid network of support, both to enable professional growth and to encourage personal and spiritual development. Supervision is a crucial element of the ACE teacher formation process, and is often cited by ACE teachers as the key element that enables them to flourish as first-year teachers. All ACE teachers have at least four support resources at their disposal throughout their two years in the program: an academic supervisor from the Faculty of Supervision and Instruction, a Pastoral Administrator, the school principal, and a designated mentor teacher in their local school.

Principals provide ongoing formative and summative evaluations of the ACEr's teaching, community, and spiritual formation. Mentor Teachers serve a non-evaluative role by helping ACE teachers orient to their new city and school, conferencing with them about instructional and curricular goals on a regular basis, and reflecting with the ACE teacher about successes and struggles in and out of the classroom.

Local support resources also include other school faculty, the diocesan superintendent, former ACE teachers who may remain in the area, and Notre Dame alumni club members who welcome the ACE teachers to their local communities.