Sustainability Report: The New Teachers Mentoring

This study is limited to the freshman mentor program at one high school in a 30 high school district located in Maryland. Data was collected from a representative group of mentors. Interviews were limited to discussion of the role of the mentor in working with the freshmen mentees. Although many high schools have freshmen mentor programs, each school develops a unique program to fit the needs of the students feeding into their school. Data was collected from a small representative group of mentors and they were all

To help with this concern, I would make room in the school’s budget for professional development. The goal would be for teachers to learn and grow so that they feel confident in leadership roles and have the skills needed to educate students. I would incorporate different forms of professional development such as peer observations, workshops, and a peer mentoring program. The hope would be that the new teachers would begin to collaborate and learn from other teachers.

In the article “Education at Crossroads part 3” Vicki Viotti discusses improvements regarding retention with new teachers. “An emphasis on mentoring teachers in their first three years has been credited with more of them staying beyond five years in the profession, a proportion that’s now up to 60 percent”(Viotti pg.3 par.1). Teacher retention is when teachers decide to continue following their path as teachers. The rate of teacher retention was low due to teachers transferring to other schools. However, after being a persistent matter in schools, it has recently increased to 60%. In addition to teacher retention, resources for fundings also seem to be a problem. “...resources aren’t where they should be”(Viotti pg.3 par.3). The DOE believes

Elmore begins this adventure into mentoring providing us two definitions. The first, later attributed to Dawson Trotman of The Navigators, is strategically investing in the lives of a few people now who will be able to benefit greater numbers in the future (Elmore, 2012, Kindle Locations 137, 349). The second definition he shares gives the process a personal feel, “a relational experience through which one person empowers another by sharing their wisdom and resources” (Elmore, 2012, Kindle Location 144). The succinctness and complexity of these definitions encapsulate the framework to which Elmore returns throughout. The key elements revealed here are relationship, investment, process, focus, empowerment, and multiplication. These elements

The research offers vital characteristics to sub-question I: What it takes to create a successful school-base mentor program? First, it must take into consideration the need for a leadership, encouraged program. A school-based mentoring program must have a logical model theory that states, and encourages positive actions and outcomes. A clear mission, with goals, and an exit plan is needed. Internal and external factors will influence the program’s effectiveness and they need to be taken into consideration when building a model program. The end goal for a school-based mentoring program is to achieve meaningful and measurable results.

Embedded within my vision for learning and leading are my teaching and mentoring philosophies. Lifted from that vision, my mentoring philosophy includes the belief that mentoring that is grounded by a contextual relationship with goals that are clearly communicated, that fosters a cognitive relationship, and that is developed in a culturally responsive environment, which is empowering and engaging for the mentor(s) and mentee(s). In support of the mission and goals of the mentoring relationship, the mentor fosters a vision that is connected to the values and hopes for the future of the institution, community, and the mentee. It is collaboration for learning that is co-constructed through a thoughtful development and action on the part of all

Five months ago a group of randoms entered a classroom on the third floor of Schneider at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire on a Tuesday at about 11 AM. All of us probably thinking the same thing, “Do we have to mentor right away?”, “Who are these professors?”, “Oh thank god, I know someone in this class.” There were feelings of nervousness, excitement, and confusion swirling about the class but it was not long before the class jelled and became almost like a family. Five months later we are coming to the close of the Mentoring Youth with Differing Abilities course and it has been one wild ride. There were good times, bad times, awkward times, and everything in between, all occurring while we learned and experienced new things.

I am interested in teaching for the Breakthrough program to give back to the community and to advance my career as a future educator. Growing up in an inner-city neighborhood, there are a lot of materials, opportunities, and experiences you may miss out on. I believe I was fortunate enough to take advantage of some of these programs, such as upward bound college prep and the junior achievement program offered at my high school. Others were confused and indecisive on choosing appropriate programs for them. This unfortunately left many of my classmates behind or unprepared for the college or working world. I believe if my school would have offered a mentoring program the students would’ve had proper guidance on how to advance themselves. I would like to make sure I help send future college students off feeling confident and ready to

Darling (1984) discusses 14 roles of a mentor including; an energiser, an investor a feedback giver and a roe model (Gopee, 2008). Suggesting that a mentor should have a motivational attitude, willing to give their time, knowledge and experience freely thus aiming to teach at every given opportunity (Casey and Clark, 2011; Gleeson, 2008). Moreover, the mentor should uphold the highest of standards and be someone who is held in high regard by their peers and students, this will become effective when giving constructive feedback to the student and facilitating reflection (Kinnell and Hughes, 2011). Goppe (2011) supports Darling’s work stating that a mentor is a allocated person who gives time and knowledge to helping a student learn and develop. The NMC (2010) state that at least 40% of a placement should be under the direct supervision of the allocated mentor.

The Good Mentor by James Rowley is an article that role of mentoring among first-year educators. James discusses what a mentor should look like and the qualities that should be present in order for first-year teachers to see success. School-based mentoring programs present challenges that require veteran teachers who demonstrate positive outlooks. This positivity demonstrated will reflect on those mentored teachers.

In addressing the key concerns of teacher recruitment and retention, the GYO programs focus on the recruitment of community residents with roots in the local area, and focus on intensive mentoring of the program participants. Mentoring was found to be a key component of the programs with college level mentors helping program students achieve certification, and mentors in the schools helping them adjust to their new positions. By recruiting locally and focusing the teacher preparation programs on rural education, the evaluation concluded the GYO programs were highly supportive of key issues of recruitment and retention. Strong partnerships between the GYO programs and local school districts are also credited with helping both recruitment and mentoring of program students.

As education continues to evolve teachers must be prepared to evolve with it, educators must participate in programs that will enhance their abilities to educate their pupil’s. Furthermore, an educator must continue to work on their craft and new techniques to keep their students engaged in their daily lesson. However, if the federal government continues to provide funding for each state public education, state will continue to provide incentives and mentorship programs for educators in their state. These invectives have proven vital to educator’s overall success in their classroom. Each state should develop a mandatory mentorship program which requires new teachers to participate in for the first few years of their career. As far as the more

The authors of this work utilized the action research to explore the implications of mentoring novice and pre-service teachers. The conceptual framework researched in this study was Mertz’s Hierarchy of Mentoring Intent and Involvement Levels Framework (Harris, Hobson, Buckner-Manley, and Smith, 2012). Mertz’s hierarchy differentiates the types of mentoring required by the level of the mentee (Harris, Hobson, Buckner-Manley, and Smith, 2012). The base of the pyramid was Psychosocial Development; it illustrated role model, peer pal, or supporter (Harris, Hobson, Buckner-Manley, and Smith, 2012). The next step up was Professional Development. The lower level of this was step was teacher or coach but more developed mentors at this level

Mentoring is a process of where a more experienced professional teaches, give advice or guide a less experienced person. The mentee receives “guidance to develop professionally through a combination of advising on projects, skills development, creation of opportunities, and personal growth in an intense manner over an extended period of time.” (Tracey, C. & Nicholl, H., 2006). This process can be formal or informal, and according to Tracey & Nicholl (2006), “it is suggested in the literature that mentors do not, in themselves, create great people, but their value lies in their willingness and ability to nurture greatness in their protégés, and in helping them to achieve their dreams.”

One idea that stood out to me in Palmer book “The Courage To Teach” is on mentoring and how mentoring develop great teacher and student. Mentoring helps one to grow their identity, and after a while, the one mentored comes to the realization that it is now time for them to go out and mentor others and give back. When we mentor our identity and integrity have a new chance to evolve as we encounter with our student lives. Mentoring stood out to me because I am having a great need to mentors others along my career path so as to give back to the younger generations. In Robert Bullough article “Being and becoming a mentor: school-based teacher educators and teacher educator identity” he states that as teachers you do what you know and as a mentor, as you