Pay it Forward...A Blog Dedicated to Effective Mentoring
Critical questions at the heart of this conversation:
1. How do effective mentors operate in an effort to shape the next generation of effective teachers?
2. What are some of the most important areas of teaching and learning that a mentor can impart on a new teacher?
3. What can districts do to support an effective mentoring program?
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Purpose of the workshop:
1. inform participants about the possible impacts of effective mentors.
2. consider what steps or protocols might be included in district policies that work to the end of retaining effective mentors and new teachers.
Assessments (this is a P / F) workshop. To earn the P
1. Participate in the conversation (whole group & blog)
2. Complete final project
3. Attend all classes (4-Friday we have off!)
Final Project: Due one week after workshop is completed (July 30).
1. Write a letter to your superintendent or principal highlighting strengths and weaknesses of the existing mentor program. It will be up to you decide whether you wish to send it.
Letter will include:
A working knowledge of how the existing protocols operate.
Areas that highlight what works (this is not a bash your district exercise).
Areas that might be improved-informed by the literature and our experiences.
Ideas for how the areas might be improved-again, informed by the literature, context and our experiences.
Length-this is up to you. You need to write a compelling analysis using effective language under girded by convincing sources and experiences. Upon completion, you may either give me a hard copy or simply e-mail it.
Ziegler3025@gmail.com
This article centered around the idea that mentor teachers need to impart practical knowledge to new teachers. The researchers claim that when new teachers observed their mentors that they would see the lesson and management, but they would not understand the reasoning behind some of the actions and behaviors. For instance, why do the students have to be silent during the lecture, but are allowed to talk during the classwork? The researchers claim that traditionally the post-observation would focus on what was seen but the why would not be discussed.
ReplyDeleteThe researchers had the new teachers observe their mentor and then have the mentors complete a concept map of the lesson. They also interviewed the mentor to ask pointed questions about the lesson. The new teachers liked the interview method more than the concept map to gather practical knowledge, because they were able to asked specific questions when needed. However the research showed that the concept maps provided more practical knowledge when the data was analyzed.
My impression was that the idea of asking why was a good idea. I was thinking of my recent student teachers and if we discussed why more often than how or not. Many times experienced teachers just do without explaining or even thinking about why. This would be valuable information for a new teacher to be privy.