An Individualized Approach to Mentoring new teachers

1. An Individualized Approach to Mentoring new teachers Estela Proaño- Vice Principal Leah Yepez- Curriculum Coordinator

2. Find a small group or partner and discuss the following questions: • What are your current systems in providing support for new teachers? • Do you feel new teachers have a difficult time adjusting to your school?

3. Many new teachers have a difficult time adjusting to a new position, new school and new culture. Even though there are induction programs in place, we believe a mentor program offering one on one conferences with the new teachers will support the adjustment to the new position as well as prevent negative attitudes toward their new job thus promoting a positive effect on student achievement.

4. Brainstorm • What are some challenges new teachers face in a new school, culture, or assignment? • What are the biggest challenges for new teachers in your school?

5. New Teacher challenges • School policies (deadlines, standardized documents, procedures) • School culture ( parents, school organization) • New teaching position ( classroom management, student motivation, differentiation, assessment, parents • Adapting to new country, language and culture (security, sickness, culture shock, traditions, frustrations with language)

6. Research Stansbury and Zimmerman (2000) • “A third of beginning teachers quit within their first three years on the job” • “...teachers face the emotional challenges of adapting to a new workplace and new colleagues-from simply figuring out where things are located to learning policies and procedures, finding kindred spirits, and generally speaking, getting the lay of the land.”

7. Israel (2008) • “New teachers need people who are observing and giving them feedback... They need support to help them refine what they do to overcome obstacles related to classroom management, lesson planning, grading and contacting parents.” • According to John Holloway, director of the Teacher Quality Initiative, one of the greatest reasons new teachers leave the profession is lack of support and assistance in dealing with many frustration they face.

8. McManus and Kauffman (in Yoon and Gilchrist) (2003) • “...lack of administrative support has consistently been linked to teacher stress and low commitment to the profession of teaching”

9. Essential Elements in supporting teachers • Personal and Emotional Support • Place to ask questions, clarify doubts, receive guidance about the school culture and procedures • How to balance work and life • Cultural Differences • Task and Problem-Focused Support • Lesson plans, grading, discipline issues and procedures, parent-teacher conferences, school policies • Stansbury & Zimmerman (2000) Eason & Edwards (2010)

10. Chart Activity-Column 2 • In groups, classify your challenges by stating if they are Personal and Emotional Support (PES) or Task and Problem-Focused Support (TPS)

11. Our Program: • Instruments: • 1. Likert Scale • 2. One on one meetings • 3. Visibility • 4. Communication • 5. Exit Interview

13. One on one Conferences Curriculum Coordinator: Curriculum Content Unit Plans Clarify any doubts, questions about procedures, school policies Personal and Emotional Support

14. One on one conferences • Vice Principal: • Feedback from classroom visits • Guidance with student data • Support for classroom management • Advice for parent communication and meetings • Feedback on curriculum documents • Communication: upcoming events, procedures, policies • Visibility • Provide resources and supplies

15. Chart Activity-Column 3 • What are some questions you could ask to address the challenges listed in column 1

16. Key Questions to ask

17. Mock Conversation • Beginning of the Year • Situation A: Teacher is overwhelmed and stressed because there are not enough textbooks in the Bookstore • Situation B: Teacher does not feel comfortable using the technology required for using the system to send attendance and/or get in contact with parents • Addressing a specific situation • Situation C: It is the end of first semester, and you have received several complaints from parents about the way the teacher responds to a disruption in class • Situation D: The teacher is worried and frustrated because students are not complying with deadlines and their grades are going down

18. Visibility and communication • Announced and unannounced visits to classrooms • Mentor meetings • Weekly communication-calendar of events • Open communication for any concerns or doubt (emails, office visits)

19. Exit Interview

20. Suggestions for implementing mentor programs • One on one conferences • Visibility • Open Communication • Mentoring program with lead teachers • Online mentoring program (Dabbs, 2011, Moir, 2009)

21. CONCLUSION • After this presentation, what are some ideas you can take back to your school and implement into your induction program?

22. References • Eason, L., and S. Edwards (2010). New Teachers on the Block. Teacher Training Teachers: Cotopaxi Academy, Quito. • Dabbs, L. (2011). Twenty Tidbits for New Teachers. Retrieved September 6, 2011fr Edutopi.org. Web site: http://www.edutopia.org/blog/20-tips-new-teachers-lisa-dabbs • Israel, M. (2008) Guidance from the Get-Go: Mentoring New Teachers. Retrieved Februar 18, 2010 from Education World. Web site: http://www.educationworld.com/a_admin • Moir, E. (2009 October) Accelerating Teacher Effectiveness: Lessons Learned from Two Decades of New Teacher Induction. Phi Delta Kappan, 14-19 • Queensland Government. (2006) Flying Start Induction Ideas for beginning Teacher Induction Programs. Department of Education and Training. • Stansbury, K., and J. Zimmerman (2000). Lifelines to the classroom: Designing Suppport for Beginning Teachers. WestEd. 1-15. • Yoon, J.S., and J. Gilchrist ( 2003) Elementary teachers’ perceptions of 鄭dministrativeSupport�. Retrived February 18, 2010, from Questia com. Web site: http:// www. Questia.co,/googleScholar.qst;jsessionid=L9mMX4Q