Mentoring New Teachers Increasing Teacher Retention Supporting Student Achievement

Introduction Course Outcomes Mentoring Overview Mentoring Audience Need for and Impact of Effective Mentoring Challenges of Novice Teachers Our Assumptions about Mentoring

Course Outcomes Build awareness of critical issues related to teacher retention Build capacity in mentors to support beginning teachers Increased teacher retention and student achievement Define and explore the role of the mentor Apply the Georgia Framework for Teaching Introduce instruments, procedures, and strategies for teacher development Develop teacher, school and district leadership

Mentoring Overview Definition and Background of Mentoring Before leaving for the Trojan War in The Odyssey, Odysseus leaves his son, Telemachus, under the care of Mentor. Mentor takes care of and teaches Telemachus to become a great leader. In contemporary times the word mentor has evolved to mean trusted advisor, friend, teacher and wise person.

The Mentoring Audience The National Education Association: Nationally 200,000 new teachers hired each year for the next 10 years. Other sources report that 2.5 million new teachers will be hired in the next decade. According to the Professional Standards Commission: 11,377 new teachers hired in FY06, a 14.3% increase from FY05.

The Need for and Impact of Effective Mentoring Large concentration of new teachers in high poverty/minority schools Same expectation and evaluation for new as experienced teachers Literature support the claims for new teachers to be effectively inducted into the profession New teachers underestimate the difficulty of teaching 50% of teachers quit after the first 5 years of teaching New teachers are reluctant to ask for help Veteran teachers hesitate to help.

Challenges of Novice Teachers Managing the classroom Acquiring information about the school system Obtaining instructional resources and materials Planning, organizing and managing instruction Assessing students and evaluating student progress Motivating students Using effective teaching method Students’ needs, interests, abilities and problems Communicating with colleagues, including administrators, supervisors, and other teachers Communication with parents Adjusting to the teaching environment Receiving emotional support

Our Assumptions About Mentoring Induction is an Investment Retention Integration Continual Growth Emotional Safety and Confidentiality for Growth Safety for verbal and nonverbal communication Balance support and challenges – Support without challenge does not result in growth

Assumptions cont. Reciprocal Growth Between Mentor and Protégé Mentoring conversations result in: Thinking out loud Problem solving Researching Sharing information Creating innovative approaches to working with students. The result is growth for the beginning teacher and renewal for the mentor.

Assumptions cont. Central Goal - Student Achievement Instruction Data driven Integration with District Initiative Should support other district initiatives Mentoring in isolation defeats the purpose of mentoring

Unit 1 Effects of Skilled Mentoring on Teachers The Role of the Mentor Kinds of Support Timeline of Mentoring Activities

Effect of Skilled Mentoring on Teachers Teachers who receive skilled mentoring are more likely to: Increase efficacy, problem solving and decision making Increase collaborative exchange Remain in profession

Role of the Mentor Offer Support Create Challenge Facilitate Professional Vision

Offer Support Emotional – Get to know them & celebrate the little things Physical – Classroom supplies, materials Instructional – Standards, Pacing Guides, etc Institutional – District initiatives

Create Challenges Analysis of Practice Setting Goals Analysis of Student Work Problem Soling and Decision Making Supporting Choices Connecting Theory to Practice Engaging in Reflective Practice

Facilitating Professional Vision To achieve professional vision: High, yet achievable standards must be set Learning outcomes for students must be established Content must be integrated Clearly define and develop an action plan to achieve goals Engage in collaboration between mentor and teacher Model professionalism

Timeline of Mentoring Activities Review the handout Timeline of Mentoring Activities.

Unit 2 Providing a Focus for Learning The Continuum Georgia Framework for Teaching

Providing a Focus for Learning Effective mentors attend to the protégé's: Intonation Gestures Facial expressions Posture Muscle tension Breathing Voice tone

The Continuum Consultant Collaborator Coach See handout Continuum Prompts.

Consultant Mentors consult when they: Share information about the district policies, procedures and goals Special Education requirements Establishing classroom routines Share instructional strategies Implementation of curriculum Share field trip procedures

Strategies to Consult Think Aloud – I think it is really important to include…. Offer a menu of things you have done and give protégé opportunity to make a choice Offer an Idea Bank: A collection of pre-made ideas. Allow protégé to ask for idea bank before offering it. Conduct a model lesson Review tapes of effective teaching Observe an exemplary veteran teacher for the area of growth Reference current research

Collaborator Mentors collaborate when they: Frame problems and solve them with the protégé Analyze data with the protégé Jointly make decisions with the protégé Use inclusive pronouns ‘we’, ‘our’ or ‘us’ Team teach a lesson together Plan an upcoming unit/lesson together

Strategies to Collaborate Brainstorm: reasons, ideas, solutions Co-Plan Co-Teach Study together: Research together a topic of mutual interest e. g. singe sex academies, giftedness in poverty, gender bias in mathematics Conduct action research Explore case studies

Coach Mentors coach when they: Facilitate the internal thinking of the protégé Paraphrase Clarify Pause Probe Access the internal resources of the protégé Maintain a non-judgmental interaction Ask about the success of the protégé

Strategies to Coaching Remain Non-judgmental Inquire: Successes and Challenges Reflect on Goals

Georgia Framework for Teaching See the handout Georgia Framework for Teaching Select one standard and complete a self-assessment on the elements of the standard using a scale of 1-4, 1 being lowest level of competency and 4 being the highest level of competency.

Unit 3 Time Management Focus Attention on Teacher Structured Conversations Verbal Tools Quick Forms When You Can’t Meet Face-to-Face

Time Management The greatest challenge to mentoring is the time for the protégé and the mentor to do the work. Twenty minutes of purpose driven, focused work is more valuable than sixty minutes without purpose.

Focus Attention on the Teacher Strategies to focus attention Physical alignment Vocal Alignment Breathing: depth, duration and rate Sit next to, never across from the teacher

Structured Conversations Possible conversation focus: Planning a lesson or unit Reflecting on teaching Pre-Observation Problem solving Self-Assessment Setting professional goals

Verbal Tools Pausing Paraphrasing Inquiring Probing Extending

Pausing Use this verbal tool: After asking a question After receiving a response While you frame your own language

Paraphrasing Acknowledge/Clarify Summarize/Organize Shift Level of Abstraction: Raise thing to a conceptual level

Inquiring Ask without judgments Use an approachable intonation and syntax that invites multiple responses Focus on cognition that supports and enhances making-meaning

Probing Questions to use when probing: Who What When Where How

Extending Giving information Framing expectations Providing resources

Quick Forms 3-2-1 When planning for differentiation: 3 options to meet students needs, 2 ways to evaluate the learning and 1 challenge the teacher expects to encounter Stem Completion This form is great us use for reflection: One thing I wish I knew earlier…… A democratic classroom can be supported by….. Strength/Weakness/Action Plan Three columns with each title and guide a conversation about a difficult issue. It is important to first begin with the teachers strength as new teachers offer think they are doing nothing right. See Quick Forms file.

Non Face-to-Face Interactive Journal: The teacher writes on one side and the mentor on the other side of a journal page Email concerns Weekly phone calls Notes in boxes

Unit 4 The Expert Teacher Stages of Teacher Development Success Tips for Mentoring

Expert Teacher Acquires, stores and appropriately applies knowledge and skills in various situations. Has clear objectives and manage students, content, equipment and materials simultaneously Apply great skill and expertise in analyzing and understanding their students and the complex problems they encounter.

Stages of Teacher Development Novice Advance Beginning Competent Proficient Expert See handout States of Development and discuss your journey with protégé.

Success Tips Examine the handout Mentor Success Tips. Identify which tips may support your work with mentoring new teachers into the profession.

Mentor Commitment What are you going to do with your new teacher to make a difference in teacher retention and student achievement?