Teacher Mentor PLC

My name is Kristin van Brunt, and I am an instructional coach/mentor in Davis District.

Having everything housed in a Canvas course is really helpful for teachers. They can see at any time where they are and what they still need to complete.

The competencies feel pretty overwhelming for a lot of 1st-year teachers. A really clear explanation of them at the beginning of the year, or paid days they can work on them would be really helpful. Also, those teachers who are also on LEA-specific licenses, AEL, or APPEL plans also have additional work to do in the first few years of teaching. It is sometimes hard for them to keep track of both sets of competencies, tasks, etc. We have started a program this year to have mentors for each teacher on an alternative license to help them through the system. That seems to be helping.

Kristin, 

Thanks for your response. I am wondering if Davis District created the Canvas course for the competencies and are you using the new UETS? We'd love to see what it is you are doing. Also, at this point, the state does not have policy or funds to support new teachers. I believe it is a great option and hope that LEAs are utilizing funds such as TSSA to support new teacher professional growth. 

I agree that our APPEL folks need additional support. They are a unique group of educators who we are forever grateful for. 

It definitely sounds like Davis is doing some great things. 

How can we help you to improve? 

Kristin, 

My name is Dana Thompson. I am also an instructional coach/mentor but at a charter school in Jordan School District.

I agree with you about all of you comments. I wish I could find a better word to describe just how exactly overwhelmed first year teachers can get. I would venture to say it goes beyond the first year. I can understand why so many question their choice to enter this profession. While I believe a strong coach and supportive mentor can help, I am not sure we really express how much teaching has changed and how that is affecting all teachers (not just first year). 

I like your idea of having paid days throughout the year that would provide time to work on all of the necessary things they have to do. Some districts across the nation of done this by having a four-day school week. I don't know how that would translate to Utah or how that would undermine working parents ability to work, but I definitely feel this is a discussion that we must be having right now. 

I like the idea of a program that provides mentors specifically for teachers on alternate programs to guide them through the process. Maybe the discussion should change to there should be different types of mentors depending on the individual educator's needs. It's definitely something to think about. 

I enjoyed reading your thoughts, thank you for sharing. 

I also agree with your comment that having resources for the new teacher and the mentor has been very helpful.  

Kristin, 

   I like the idea of having a Canvas course for new teachers.  Having information for new teachers in one place definetly makes it easier for them.  

1. Name, title, LEA

Barbara Green, Teacher, Cache County School District 

2. What is something that is working with mentoring/induction in your LEA? 

One thing that has been working with the mentoring/induction at my school is that there is a set time that new teachers can meet with their assigned mentor teacher.  Having a set time to discuss issues and ask questions has been very beneficial. 

3. What is one question or concern you have concerning mentoring/induction? 

One question that I have is how involved should a mentor teacher be during the first year of a new teacher?  How many times should a mentor teacher observe and give feedback for a new teacher during the first year?  Going along with that, if a new teacher is not following a school or district policy, should a mentor teacher be the one to help the new teacher correct the behavior or should it come from an administrator?  I think it is crucial for a mentor teacher to be present and helpful for a new teacher, but I also think it is important for a new teacher to learn how to stand on their own.  I would love to hear suggestions and advice from others.  Thanks!

Barbara, 

Welcome! I apologize for being absent for a bit and not welcoming you right away. 

I'd love to hear more about how your school is prioritizing time for mentoring. Are teachers and mentors released from their classrooms for a certain amount of time or are these meetings scheduled before/after school hours? 

To answer your questions, I have a few thoughts and would love to hear what others are thinking. First, a mentor teacher should "check in" on their mentee regularly, meaning daily if possible. The first year is so difficult and a new teacher mostly needs support and a listening ear, as well as someone to answer their questions which will be many. That is the primary goal of a mentor. Secondly, observing and giving feedback comes secondary to being a confidant, advocate, and friend. I think the number of observations can be determined by the new teachers need. Finally, as a reminder, a mentor is not an evaluator. If they see something that the new teacher shouldn't be doing, they can provide guidance and direction just like you would another friend in the building especially when it is concerning policy. Most of the time these new teachers aren't going against policy intentionally. They simply don't know. It is the mentors responsibility to help the mentee along and provide the information they are in need of. If there is an issue beyond that, it is definitely the administrator's responsibility and a mentor should allow the administrator the opportunity to view the issue on their own which helps keep confidence. 

I hope this helps. 

1. My name is Katie Watkins, and I am an ELA teacher in SLCSD.

2. Something that is working when mentoring student teachers is giving them autonomy. I, unfortunately, did not have autonomy when I was student teaching, so I want to ensure that I follow the suggestions of andragogy to make the person I am mentoring feel like they are in control of their own learning. 

3. I am concerned about working with people who are resistant to suggestions. What should I do if the person is instantly hostile simply because I am mentoring them?

Yay! Another Katie! 

I am so glad to hear that you are considering your own mentoring experience as you move into the role of a mentor. What are some of the things you want to make sure you implement as a mentor to ensure  your mentee's experience will be effective? 

One suggestion that I would make would be to work on learning about your mentee's goals and what they value. You can always start there and bring things back to those two areas of focus if things get off the tracks and you feel the mentee putting up walls. We all want to make a difference in children's lives and by focusing your conversations on students and student outcomes, rather than teacher behaviors and actions, can help bring those walls down and solidify your role as someone who is supporting teachers in making students' learning experiences valuable. 

Hi. Katie!

Thank you! I want to make sure that I respect my mentee's autonomy. I want to treat them as an adult adult learner and not a child, so they will feel empowered to seek knowledge and continue their own learning journey as I support them. While they continue their learning journey, I will provide support and suggestions by helping them set goals, plans to achieve those goals, and more so they can be a highly effective educator who uses best practices. 

Going beyond the mentee's goals and asking about their values sounds like a wonderful solution for possibly hostile reactions, and I will copy and paste your response, so I can keep it safely in my notes. Thank you so much for your thoughtful reply!

Joey Foote - Executive Director of P-12 Programs, SUU

Formerly Clinical Director at UVU School of Education

Working directly with new student teachers, I worked with hundreds of Cooperating Teachers across a broad spectrum of "mentoring" awareness. The investment in time and resources by the LEAs is manifest in the quality of support for incoming teachers (or often the lack thereof). More often than not, Cooperating Teachers were ill prepared to provided the kind of supportive relationship our teacher candidates need.

I am gravely concerned about the conflict between the existing demands on teacher time, and the need for mentor training across the system. As well, the very people we hope will step forward to serve in the metoring role are those who are already filling multiple roles beyond their classroom responsibilities. Finally, the number of mentors needed far exceeds the eligible candidates, especially given the need to constantly replace the exiting teachers in our system. We look at stemming the exit tide by placing the additional burden (with unfunded training expectations) on those who choose to stay. Combine that state of affairs with the reality of placing incoming teachers in those mentor classrooms semester after semester. We have need to take a serious look at the current induction model and re-think how to accoplish this mentoring task in a 50% turnover environment. Legislative (financial) and State Board (regulatory) involvement are both needed as relying on unfunded mandates (hopes...) do not seem to address the realities of our current situation! Time to scale-up our efforts and create a new climate in the system with expectations and resources that match the needs. 

Hi Joey - 

I just wanted to empathize with and emphasize the comment of a conflict of time committment when juggling so many responsbilities.  I spend my entire class time teaching and engaged with my students - there is never down-time.  To make all the logistics, grading, mentoring, time to study extra resources, and keep my classes online assignments and canvas courses up-to-date is a daunting task.  Not trying to trouble talk, but the struggle is real.  Thanks for your comment. 

Hi, 

My name is Lea Nelson, and I am a band teacher in Alpine District at Lehi Jr High with the opportunity to mentor our new dance teacher at our school.  It is a shared arrangement, she'll still be collaborating with other dance teachers in our district but I'm here to help her navigate the school system, keep closer-tabs on her in the classroom, and help with questions or concerns she has with her students, grading, etc.  It's just a lot easier to talk to me than reach out to a dance teacher in a different school.  

1) I'm grateful that there are resources as a mentor teacher.  It's a little bit overwhelming - I'm not only navigating the state resources but also a Canvas course with my district.  So, I'm trying to keep my ducks in a row and know that I'm preparing and helping the best I can.  

2) What does LEA mean?  Other than being my name?  :-)  I'm positive I should know this but I don't remember.  

Thanks!  

Welcome, Lea. 

I am excited you have joined us.
We know how overwhelming the role of mentor can be. I appreciate that you are seeking resources to support you. I hope to help you keep those ducks in a row as we launch a new platform that will be more supportive of collaboration and building a community of practice. The goal is to launch that by the beginning of next month! So stay tuned! :)

LEA is your local education agency which, to you, would be Alpine school district. We use LEA in our correspondence because district excludes all our agencies which includes charter schools. 

Again, welcome to the group, I look forward to engagin more with you soon.