1. Notre Dame of Maryland University
Mentor Training Guide

2. Welcome All information provided here can be found in greater detail
in the Mentor Handbook
Available on the NDM PDS Wiki

3. Mentor Support System
Multiple Sources of Support for Your Work with Interns
1st point of contact: University Supervisor who:
Conducts the initial TRIAD meeting to review requirements
Visits and observe the intern, providing feedback & ongoing support
Conducts the exit interview at the end of the internship
Next point of contact: Site Coordinator who:
Introduces interns to the school staff
Plans activities for interns such as welcome and farewell events
Coordinates PDS and university schedules for PDS activities

4. Mentor Support System Provides training for school-based mentors
Additional contact: University Liaison who:
Provides training for school-based mentors
Works closely with the site coordinator to ensure the ongoing and effective implementation of the PD
Co-chairs (along with site coordinator) the school-based Coordinating Council
For more info, see the Mentor Handbook

5. Overview of NDMU Programs ACT: Accelerated Certification for Teaching
Prepares candidates with non-teaching degrees for teaching careers.
A non-degree graduate level, MSDE-approved, initial teacher certification program
The ACT program offers professional education courses that provide the knowledge and skills essential to the beginning teacher and which are necessary for certification by the Maryland State Department of Education:
core courses common to all teachers
curriculum and methods courses specific to the certification track.
A minimum of 21 credits is required for the secondary education track, 24 credits for the elementary education track.
* Additional information can be found on page in mentor handbook

6. Overview of NDMU Programs MAT: Master of Arts in Teaching
Fall
Full-time enrollment at the university
One-day per week of observing/assisting in the mentor’s room
Spring
Full-time internship: January – May
Two placement experiences
Action Research-Service Learning Project

7. Overview of NDMU Programs GEI: Graduate Education Intern
An accelerated teacher preparation model designed to expand the number of effective and highly qualified educators for Maryland schools
Co-Teaching/Apprenticeship Model
Fall Apprenticeship
Observe/assist/teach in the morning
Attend classes in the afternoon
a university coach is responsible for providing candidates
with non-evaluative guidance and mentoring

8. Overview of NDMU Programs GEI: Graduate Education Intern cont’d
Co-Teaching/Apprenticeship Model
Spring Internship:
two placements
university supervisor conducts observations and
evaluates the intern – with the mentor teacher’s input
University supervisor is a support to the mentor teacher, too
* Additional information can be found on pp in mentor handbook

9. Role of RSVP, INTASC Standards and Danielson Framework in the Internship
The School of Education’s Conceptual Framework is aligned with national standards and frameworks:
Interstate Teacher Assessment & Support Consortium (INTASC) Standards
Danielson Framework for Teaching

10. Role of RSVP, INTASC Standards and Danielson Framework in the Internship
aligns with

11. School of Education Conceptual Framework
R Research
S Self-Reflection
V Vocation
P Practice
Research-based and experience-based teaching within a liberal arts tradition enables the educator to act with the integrity
Reflection in action and critical self-knowledge enable the educator to articulate a point of view that is guided by informed reason
Teaching is a vocation or “calling” in which the meaning of professionalism gives equal weight to both competence and virtue
Visionary leadership and commitment to lifelong learning means applying exemplary educational practices that encourage and enable others to act with imagination, risk-taking, intention, and invention

12. Broad Overview of Your Role as Mentor
Effective mentors guide interns to become effective classroom teachers. Under your supervision and guidance interns:
Learn research-based methods of instruction
Make evident their understanding of the MD CCSS and the National content standards in their planning and assessment
Acquire classroom management strategies to address disruptive and off-task behaviors
Demonstrate effective strategies for differentiating instruction to meet the needs of a diverse student population
Develop human competencies to foster team work, to cultivate teachers-student relationships, and to facilitate partnerships with parents
* Additional information can be found on page 11 in mentor handbook

13. Broad Overview of Your Role as Mentor Continued
The Mentor:
Shares the school vision and SIP goals and objectives
Orients and introduces the intern to classes, school, faculty and community, personal and professional materials, and school policies and procedures
Models a variety of research-based instructional approaches/lessons throughout learning process
Observes, coaches and reflects with intern on a routine basis helping to shape his/her teaching
Arranges for intern to observe other teachers (i.e. art, librarian, phys. ed.) to foster and understanding of cross-grade, interdisciplinary and vertical/horizontal articulation
* Additional information can be found on page 11 in mentor handbook

14. Additional Resources for Mentors
There are several tools focused on various topics available for mentors located in the mentor handbook:
Environmental page 35
Coaching page 43
Co-teaching page 79
Planning page 89
Differentiation page 99
Daily feedback tools page 46
Wikki site
* Additional information can be found on pages in mentor handbook

15. Environmental-Establishing Trust With Your Intern
Building trust with your intern is an important part of the mentor-intern relationship. Some general approaches and suggestions for establishing trust are:
Make the intern a presence in your classroom
Help the intern understand the culture of the school site
Establish a collegial rather than a hierarchical relationship
Create a workspace for your intern in the classroom
Formally welcome the intern in front of your students and their parents. Allow the intern to write a letter home to parents to introduce him/herself
Consider giving your intern a small welcome gift (mug, plan book/journal, teaching supplies, etc.)
* Additional information can be found on page 35 in mentor handbook

16. Coaching
Mentoring an intern involves more than just giving up your classroom to allow him/her to practice teaching. It also involves using the expertise you have learned as an educator to help the intern succeed in learning about the learner and learning, content, instructional practice, and teacher responsibility. You will share your expertise in a variety of ways:
Modeling: mentors help interns envision, understand, and believe
Practice: Interns are likely to do well if they are able to practice
Feedback: Interns who receive feedback are likely to progress efficiently
Collaboration: Interns who collaborate with their mentors to reflect and establish goals are likely to improve their efforts
* Additional information can be found on page 43 in mentor handbook

17. Co-teaching
Co-teaching can be defined as an instructional delivery approach in which two or more educators are present in the classroom in which those teacher collaborate to plan and/or deliver the lesson. NDMU highly encourages co- teaching practices with interns. This allows the mentor to play an active role in the classroom as the intern continues to learn how to navigate classroom instruction.
* Additional information can be found on page 79 in mentor handbook

18. Planning
While your intern has been exposed to a variety of lesson planning format in his/her required coursework at the university, he/she has been encouraged to adopt the lesson planning format for the school or system he/she has been assigned. NDMU also provides a template which the intern may use in his/her planning. This template is required for all e-portfolio assignments.
* Additional information can be found on page 89 in mentor handbook

19. Differentiation Supports
There are several tools provided to help support the intern in his/her planning for and teaching of the diversified population of learners in a classroom. These quick reference sheets can be used with your intern for differentiated instruction and/or providing meaningful feedback on lessons the intern has taught. The focus of these tools are:
Common teaching strategies
Differentiation for gifted and talented learners
Differentiation ideas for special education students
Academic language development for ELL’s
Multiple intelligences
Learning styles
Differentiated assessment strategies
Bloom’s taxonomy for levels of thinking
Cooperative learning models
Integrating technology into instruction
* Additional information can be found on page 99 in mentor handbook

20. Daily Feedback Tools
Once your intern is ready to teach, observe him or her. It may be helpful to take notes as you observe. Some tools available to help you organize your thoughts as you observe the lesson and ensure that you are prepared to give your intern feedback are:
Reflection on instructional delivery
Observation commentary
After observation provide the intern with feedback. Limit your feedback to a specific focus area so as not to overwhelm the intern. Some tools to facilitate this communication are:
mentor/intern communication record
Questions to encourage interns to self reflect
* Additional information can be found on page 46 in mentor handbook

21. Wiki Site
The NDMU PDS Wiki site is a resource that contains all of the forms you will need to access as a mentor. Additionally there is information about various topics and events that might be relevant to you or members of your school.

22. Mentor Training Sign off
After completing your mentor training you are asked to sign a copy of the mentor training completion. The document is found at pds.wikispaces.com/Site+Coordinator s+and+Liaisons

23. Review
As a review of this presentation we ask that you please click on the following link and complete a short quiz.
Mentor Training