1 / 15

New Teacher Mentors & Friends

New Teacher Mentors & Friends. Nancy Sharpe Strawbridge Principal nstrawbridge@walton.k12.ga.us 2008. What we hope to accomplish this year. . . . unprecedented retention of exceptional teachers (or teachers with the potential to be exceptional)

amanda
Download Presentation

New Teacher Mentors & Friends

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript


  1. New Teacher Mentors & Friends Nancy Sharpe Strawbridge Principal nstrawbridge@walton.k12.ga.us 2008

  2. What we hope to accomplish this year. . . . . . unprecedented retention of exceptional teachers (or teachers with the potential to be exceptional) . . . a good experience for you. . . the mentors! Nancy Sharpe Strawbridge

  3. A snapshot of our new teachers. . . • more than 100—not as many as last year • many are experienced • many are from neighboring school systems—Barrow, Newton, Gwinnett, DeKalb, Rockdale Nancy Sharpe Strawbridge

  4. Why are you here? • “you may be the only reason a beginning teacher stays beyond the first year or two—you may be the difference between someone leaving our profession or becoming a master teacher” • Research has found that novice teachers working with mentors possess higher levels of teaching skills than new teachers without mentors (Evertson & Smithey, 2000). Nancy Sharpe Strawbridge

  5. What matters to new teachers. . . • the opportunity to observe other teachers • common planning time with other teachers in their grade/area • assigning new teachers to smaller classes, • holding new teacher orientation prior to the start of school • providing constructive feedback based on non-evaluative classroom observations • assigning mentors to new teachers Andrew, Gilbert, & Martin. The First Years of Teaching: Disparities in Perceptions of Support (2006) Nancy Sharpe Strawbridge

  6. What makes a good mentor? • Commitment • Intelligence • Good oral and written communication skills • Ability to accept the beginning teacher—the ability to ask the right questions, not just provide answers • Ability to accept multiple alternative solutions to simple and complex problems • Skilled at providing instructional support • Interpersonal skills in a variety of contexts • Model for continuous learning • Ability to communicate optimism and hope Nancy Sharpe Strawbridge

  7. As a mentor, you may be an. . . • Advisor—providing useful information; offering social and emotional support • Role model—showing your protégé how to succeed in your school and the school system • Coach—helping your protégé to work through and solve problems and accomplish goals; teaching him/her how to “decode” your school’s culture • Supporter—promoting your protégé and giving him/her access to your professional network • Friend—assisting a new teacher in finding his/her way in Walton County Nancy Sharpe Strawbridge

  8. Important stuff. . . • General orientation and procedural things—how things work around your building • The Media Center and teacher work areas • Supplies, machines, finding what is needed, ordering procedures • Safety drills—fire, tornado, etc. • Attendance, leave requests, AESOP • Lunch—when and where . . . the bathroom! Nancy Sharpe Strawbridge

  9. Really important stuff. . . • Getting ready for students • Planning for the first few weeks • Discipline procedures • Communicating with parents • Learning-focused schools strategies • The Georgia Performance Standards • Working with instructional coaches, grade & department chairpersons • Pyramid of intervention, IEPs, grading, etc. • Site specific information Nancy Sharpe Strawbridge

  10. Really, really important stuff. . . • How do you do things around here? • What are the unique things about the culture of your building? your principal? your students? your school community? • The importance of high quality teaching ALL THE TIME. • Helping your protégé to succeed in your building—teaching assignments, assigned students, “reading between the lines?” Nancy Sharpe Strawbridge

  11. Expectations. . . • Ongoing and often personal contact throughout the school year—minimum of 15 hours quarterly to receive stipend and/or PLUs • Mentor training (today) • Create a written Action Plan for the first month of school • Contact log (required of mentors, optional for buddies) • Minimum of 3 observations of protégé (one based on GTEP) Nancy Sharpe Strawbridge

  12. Follow-up—new this year. . . • Follow-up will be informal—2 brief reflections each semester from you to me (submit through e-mail: nstrawbridge@walton.k12.ga.us) • These reflections should be a page or less (word document attachment), submitted in September, November, February and April, and communicate: • what is working and what is not in your relationship with your protégé (confidentiality considerations), • what you are gaining from being a mentor, and • something to celebrate! Nancy Sharpe Strawbridge

  13. “The difference between a beginning teacher and an experienced one is that the beginning teacher asks, `How am I doing?’ and the experienced teacher asks, `How are the children doing?’” Nancy Sharpe Strawbridge

  14. Resources • The 21st Century Mentor’s Handbook—Paula Rutherford • Why Didn’t I Learn This in College—Paula Rutherford • The First Days of School—Harry Wong • The Everything New Teacher Book—Melissa Kelly • 101 “Answers” for New Teachers and Their Mentors—Annette L. Breaux • What Successful Mentors Do—Hicks, Glasgow & McNary • Teachers Mentoring Teachers—John Daresh Nancy Sharpe Strawbridge

  15. References • Barnett, B. (May, 1995). Developing Reflection and Expertise: Can Mentors Make a Difference? Journal of Educational Administration, 33(5), pp. 45-59. • Bluestein, J. (ed.) (1995). Mentors, Masters and Mrs. MacGregor: Stories of Teachers Making a Difference. Deerfield Beach, FL: Health Communications, Inc. • Codell, E.R. (1999). Educating Esme: Diary of a Teacher’s First Year. Chapel Hill, NC: Algonquin Books. • Daresh, J.C. (2001). Leaders Helping Leaders: A Practical Guide to Administrative Mentoring. Corwin Press, Inc. • Gower, R. & Saphier, J. (1997) The Skillful Teacher: Building Your Teaching Skills. Acton, MA: Research for Better Teaching. • Holloway, J.H. (May, 2001). “The Benefits of Mentoring.” Educational Leadership, 58(8), republished with permission ASCD. • Kilbourn, B. & Roberts, G. (1991) “May’s First Year: Conversations with a Mentor.” Teachers College Record, 93(2), pp. 252-264. • Rowley, J.B. (May, 1999). “Supporting New Teachers.” Educational Leadership, 56(8), pp. 20-22. Nancy Sharpe Strawbridge

More Related