1. Teacher Mentoring: Helping New Teachers Succeed

2. Mentoring Definitions Jacobi (1991) – a one-to-one helping relationship or nurturing process Christensen (1991) – guiding of a novice in professional development and the journeying together toward professional excellence

3. Functions of Mentoring To provide direct assistanceTo provide direct assistance To provide emotional and psychological supportTo provide emotional and psychological support To act as a role modelTo act as a role model To give advice and guidanceTo give advice and guidance To act as a coachTo act as a coach To develop and refine protégé’s understanding of content and ability to teach content to a particular audienceTo develop and refine protégé’s understanding of content and ability to teach content to a particular audience

4. How Did You Survive? Think back to your first couple of years as a teacher: What do you remember about your first day, week, or month as a new teacher? Did anyone help you? Who? Did you ask for help or was it offered? Looking back, what information, materials or support might have been of help to you? Do you have a chance for professional discussions/sharing? If so, what do the professionals in your building share and how is it shared?

5. Adults Learn Best When… They are originators of their own learning.They are originators of their own learning. They are in a climate that encourages experimentation.They are in a climate that encourages experimentation. They are recognized and given increased responsibility for their own learning.They are recognized and given increased responsibility for their own learning. They can experience and do rather than be told.They can experience and do rather than be told. They see the results and get immediate and accurate feedback.They see the results and get immediate and accurate feedback. They can individualize and adapt, rather than adopt.They can individualize and adapt, rather than adopt. They are placed in informal learning situations with extensive social interactions.They are placed in informal learning situations with extensive social interactions. (Woods and Thompson, 1980)

6. What a good Mentor does: 1.Meet on a regular schedule to discuss the mentee’s concerns, questions, progress and instructional practice 2.Help with organization, materials, record keeping, classroom management, unit plans, curriculum, lesson plans, assessments, etc. 3.Respond to specific requests by mentee 4.Model/suggest techniques for parent communication 5.Assure confidentiality when discussing mentee’s concerns 6.Help your mentee with unwritten practices and policies 7.Provide information about professional development 8.Help mentee identify specific skills, competencies or strategies which need improvement 9.Invite mentee in to observe demo lessons with follow up conference 10.Offer to observe mentee’s class with pre/post conference discussions 11.Identify resource people in and out of the district 12.Encourage mentee to try new ideas and plans

7. Expectations Mentor visitations of novice teacherMentor visitations of novice teacher Mentee visitations of MentorMentee visitations of Mentor Regularly scheduled formal meetings (scheduled 1 time per week for 1 hour)Regularly scheduled formal meetings (scheduled 1 time per week for 1 hour) Maintain an “electronic” logMaintain an “electronic” log CONTINUOUS COMMUNICATIONCONTINUOUS COMMUNICATION

8. Suggested Topics Weekly Meetings Instructional strategies Instructional strategies Teacher wellness Teacher wellness Goal setting Goal setting Classroom management Classroom management Parent communication and conferences Parent communication and conferences Goal setting Goal setting Reflection Reflection Teaching standards* Teaching standards*

9. Goal Setting Putting the pieces togetherPutting the pieces together –setting the schedule

10. Comments and QuestionsComments and Questions