Roles and Responsibilites of the Mentor Teacher Thank you for participating in our Mentor/Mentee Program! Parkway School District Summer 2010

UbD Unit Plan for Mentoring UbD Unit Plan for Mentoring (click on above title for plan)

Key Features of Mentor Programs Respond to the developmental needs of those they serve Grounded in the research on teacher and adult development Primarily supportive in nature and NOT linked to a formal personnel evaluation Centered on enhancing the knowledge and skills of new teachers in the areas of curriculum, instruction, and assessment Provide mentors with opportunities to serve as a collegial guide, seasoned teacher, consultant, and coach Focused on collegial connections Designed as a learning system that examines and refines practice as well as adding to the collaborative culture of a school community

… as a result … mentor programs are more likely to positively impact teacher retention, teacher renewal, teacher quality, and most importantly, student learning and achievement. (Joyce and Showers, 2002)

Why Mentoring? The growth and development of children is vitally linked to the growth and development of adults in and beyond schools. A successful mentoring program can help teachers respond intentionally with effective strategies to the needs of a diverse population of learners. The early years of teaching are a critical part of a continuum of learning – a link between pre-service preparation and ongoing professional development. From: Mentoring New Teachers Through Collaborative Coaching, by Kathy Dunne and Susan Villani

Five Benefits of Mentoring Support for new teachers Reduce attrition More effective instructional strategies for new teachers More effective classroom management Increase in student achievement

Attributes of Effective Mentors

Mentor Roles Collegial Guide – orient and acclimate and respond to the new teacher’s immediate and evolving needs Consultant – helps identify strategies for managing and resolving struggles Seasoned Teacher – shed light through wisdom and experience while modeling professionalism, collegiality, and lifelong learning Coach – leads through a process of collaborative inquiry From: Mentoring New Teachers Through Collaborative Coaching by Kathy Dunne and Susan Villani

Mentor Responsibilities Offer Support Emotional Physical Setting Technical Informational Create Challenge Goal-driven Data-focused Thought Provoking Facilitate Professional Vision High expectations for self/students Life-long learning Professional identity

Offering Support Emotional ◦ Sometimes humor, sometimes tears Physical Setting ◦ Room arrangement, moving books Technical ◦ Guidelines for applying procedures, or advice on certain processes Informational ◦ Content area resources, practical professional suggestions

How do I offer support? Maintain confidentiality Communicate that you are not evaluative Visit regularly with your mentee ◦ Your Lead Mentor has sample reflection guides too Provide feedback

Creating Challenge Goal-driven ◦ Goal-driven conversations ensure productive use of time ◦ Set goals for “next” meeting Data-focused ◦ Look at student work together Thought-provoking ◦ Encourage problem solving and decision making ◦ Build connections between theory and classroom practice

How do I create challenge? Encourage your mentee to use the mentor/mentee release day. Plan this day together. Invite your mentee into your classroom to observe something specific. Observe your mentee when he/she is ready – encourage him/her to ask for specific feedback.

Facilitating Professional Vision High expectations for self and students ◦ Refer to Parkway Teaching Standards ◦ Support the new teacher’s PGP Lifelong learning ◦ “We don’t learn to teach, we learn from our learning.” Professional identity ◦ As mentors, we need to model this on a daily basis.

How do I facilitate professional vision? Keep track of the Mentor/Mentee Collaborative Assessment Log Assist mentee in writing PGP and continual focus on PGP and Parkway Teaching Standards Serve as a resource to foster professional growth (share articles, information about current research)

Mentoring Standards (New Teacher Center at USC) Engages, supports and advances the professional learning of each teacher Creates and maintains collaborative school and professional partnerships (for professional growth) Designs and facilitates professional development for teachers Utilizes knowledge of pedagogy, content, and standards to advance teacher and student development Utilizes assessments to promote teacher learning and development Develops as a professional leader to advance induction and school improvment

When working with our mentees, there are some things to take into consideration… Characteristics of the Adult Learner CBAM Stages of Concern Phases of New Teacher

What does this mean for me as a Mentor… Roles and Responsibilities

As a Mentor, what tools do I have available to make it work? CONFIDENTIALITY Needs survey to determine the focus of Mentor/Mentee conversation Mentor/Mentee Collaborative Assessment Log (used for documentation of hours and action plans) Mentor/Mentee Release Day Form Calendar/Checklist (nuts and bolts of first 6-8 weeks of school)