1. TAPP Mentor Training Presented by Middle Georgia RESA

2. Activating Strategy Think about… What do you already know about mentoring?

3. “How well I remember my first day of teaching…I felt so unprepared! What I really wanted was a mentor— someone who would help me if I made mistakes, or better yet, to give me tips so that I wouldn’t make the mistakes in the first place.”

4. The Phases of First-Year Teaching Anticipation Survival Disillusionment Rejuvenation Reflection

5. Relationship Building Create an environment that includes mutual trust, honesty, respect and a willingness to work together. Be sensitive to the beginning teacher’s concerns. Be enthusiastic towards teaching. Be willing to invest the time!

6. Healthy mentoring relationships are professional in nature and are evolutionary rather than static. The purpose of the relationship is to enable the new teacher to acquire new knowledge, skill and standards of professional competence.

7. A Mentor Is… One who helps teachers to recognize what they know and can do. One who assists teachers as they strengthen their ability to make more effective use of what they know and do. One who supports teachers as they learn and do more.

8. A Mentor Is Not… A supervisor One who ensures that teachers meet requirements of their positions at a satisfactory level and continue to do so over time

9. The Critical Qualities of a Mentor EXPERTISE - content area, teaching strategies, differentiation, special ed modifications, etc. TRUST – of teachers and administrators. FACILITATOR – of dialogue and team work, assessing teacher needs, providing support and feedback, etc.

10. Suggestions: Smile Open stance/body posture Forward Lean Tone Eye Contact Nods Physical setting

11. Conferencing Skills Conferencing is the heart of mentoring. Mentors do most of their work through meeting and talking with beginning teachers. Mentors actively listen and provide non-judgmental feedback.

12. TAPP Intern provides the focus of the conference unless a specific event is to be discussed. Problem solving occurs when the intern offers alternatives and ideas.

13. Six Stages of Listening and Questioning Stage 1 – Door Openers – indicate you desire a two-way conversation. Stage 2 – Passive Listening – bite your lip and listen. Stage 3 – Acknowledgement Responses – Eye contact, nodding, comments like, “I hear you” and “I understand.”

14. Stage 4 – Active Listening – responses give evidence you are listening. Stage 5 – Closing the Gap – Identify differences in your perception and intern’s perception. Stage 6 – Concluding the Discussion – Create a framework for next steps, summarize conclusions, set date, time, and location for follow-up discussion.

15. Observation Techniques Overview and Scripting – write down only facts, not opinions. Selective Verbatim – write down teacher/student talk, reward and praise, directions, etc. Verbal Flow – use a seating chart to track when the teacher speaks to a student or when a student speaks to another student.

16. Observation Techniques At Task – Use a seating chart to track “on-task” behavior. A=At Task, B=Stalling, C=School work other than requested, D=Out of seat, E=Talking to others.

17. Observation Techniques Sampling – Prepare a chart showing a column for time in four minute intervals and column for behaviors. Record the primary behavior by teacher or student. P=Presenting, O=Observing, M=Managing, H=Helping, I=Individualized Instruction

18. Observation Techniques Tally Marks – Create a chart showing various categories: -interaction w/teacher initiated by students -praise statements -students called on with or without hand raised. -etc. Place a tally mark under the appropriate category. Class Traffic – use a seating chart to show teacher and student movement.