The Faculty Lounge
Two tracks, seven phases. One copy per new hire. Write a name and a date next to every line.
Teacher: ____________________ Start date: __________ Mentor: ____________________ Owner: ____________________
HR track
| ☐ | I-9 verification, W-4 and state withholding | ||
| ☐ | Fingerprinting and background check scheduled | ||
| ☐ | Teaching license verified and registered; deficiency, reciprocity or provisional conditions dated | ||
| ☐ | Transcripts and prior service records submitted for salary placement | ||
| ☐ | Contract signed and returned, copy retained by the teacher | ||
| ☐ | Benefits enrollment window opened (commonly 31 days; missing it means no coverage or a default plan) | ||
| ☐ | Salary step application filed (some districts require this within six months to preserve retroactive pay) | ||
| ☐ | Retirement enrollment and beneficiary designation | ||
| ☐ | Direct deposit enrolled; teacher told whether the first check is paper | ||
| ☐ | Network account, district email, password set | ||
| ☐ | Employee ID badge issued; keys or fob, alarm code, parking | ||
| ☐ | SIS, LMS, gradebook and attendance accounts provisioned with the correct roster attached | ||
| ☐ | Copier code, supply requisition, purchase card or reimbursement process |
Instructional track
| ☐ | Grade, subject and room confirmed in writing, with a flag if anything is still tentative | ||
| ☐ | Mentor named, or a written date by which a mentor will be named | ||
| ☐ | Curriculum materials identified and shipped or reserved | ||
| ☐ | School calendar, bell schedule and preservice agenda sent |
HR track
| ☐ | Open Phase 1 items chased by name | ||
| ☐ | Mandated reporter, bloodborne pathogens, Title IX and FERPA trainings assigned with completion dates | ||
| ☐ | Handbook acknowledgements logged | ||
| ☐ | Summer PD dates communicated with stipend and attendance expectations |
Instructional track
| ☐ | Two or three calls of 10 to 15 minutes: principal, mentor, grade-level or department colleague | ||
| ☐ | Classroom access granted early, room actually cleared out | ||
| ☐ | Curriculum, pacing guide and unit one in hand | ||
| ☐ | Class rosters, class sizes and the real teaching schedule | ||
| ☐ | Schoolwide behavior system introduced before the teacher invents their own | ||
| ☐ | What the first observation will look like, and when | ||
| ☐ | One named person the teacher can text with a small question |
HR track
| ☐ | Badge, keys and system access tested by the teacher personally | ||
| ☐ | Emergency procedures and the teacher's specific evacuation location | ||
| ☐ | Duty assignments, arrival and dismissal responsibilities | ||
| ☐ | Absence reporting and sub plan requirements walked through | ||
| ☐ | Nurse, health plans, allergy and medication protocols |
Instructional track
| ☐ | Mentor and mentee meet face to face, recurring time on both calendars | ||
| ☐ | IEPs and 504s reviewed with the case manager | ||
| ☐ | Multilingual roster reviewed with the language specialist | ||
| ☐ | Grading policy and gradebook set up | ||
| ☐ | First-week plans reviewed by mentor or department chair | ||
| ☐ | Classroom setup walked with the mentor | ||
| ☐ | Family communication protocol explained; first family contact drafted and sent | ||
| ☐ | At least half the week left unscheduled for classroom and planning time |
HR track
| ☐ | First paycheck timing confirmed | ||
| ☐ | Benefits enrollment verified as submitted, not left until day 31 | ||
| ☐ | Mandated trainings complete or scheduled |
Instructional track
| ☐ | Daily five-minute mentor check-in, not a meeting | ||
| ☐ | Class covered once so the new teacher can observe a strong colleague | ||
| ☐ | Non-evaluative walkthrough with feedback inside 24 hours | ||
| ☐ | Behavior system debriefed against what actually happened | ||
| ☐ | Teacher knows what to do when a student must leave, needs the nurse, or refuses a direction | ||
| ☐ | One concrete win identified and named out loud |
HR track
| ☐ | Probationary status, evaluation cycle and timeline explained with dates | ||
| ☐ | Personal and sick leave balances confirmed | ||
| ☐ | Credential deficiency plan documented with coursework deadlines |
Instructional track
| ☐ | Individualized growth plan written, explicitly separated from employment evaluation | ||
| ☐ | Mentor meetings weekly, with an agenda | ||
| ☐ | First formal observation completed with a feedback conversation | ||
| ☐ | Gradebook currency and grade reporting deadline confirmed | ||
| ☐ | Parent contact log reviewed, targeting one positive contact per family | ||
| ☐ | One IEP meeting attended or observed | ||
| ☐ | Referral pathway for academic and behavioral concerns explained, with the actual form |
HR track
| ☐ | Open enrollment window for next plan year flagged (often November) | ||
| ☐ | Evaluation midpoint conference held | ||
| ☐ | PD hours or renewal credit tracking started |
Instructional track
| ☐ | Conference preparation with the mentor, including what to say when a parent is upset | ||
| ☐ | Growth plan progress reviewed and revised | ||
| ☐ | Second observation by a different observer | ||
| ☐ | Two peer observations completed with a structured focus question | ||
| ☐ | First grading period data debriefed | ||
| ☐ | Workload sustainability discussed, and one thing taken off the plate | ||
| ☐ | Mentor match checked, with a no-fault reassignment option offered |
HR track
| ☐ | Contract renewal notice given with enough lead time to be useful | ||
| ☐ | Year two induction requirements confirmed if the state has them |
Instructional track
| ☐ | Mentor cadence maintained through January rather than allowed to lapse | ||
| ☐ | End-of-year-one conversation asking what the school got wrong | ||
| ☐ | Feedback fed into next year's checklist |