Mentoring Matters: Roles, Responsibilities, and Relationships

Mentoring Matters: Roles, Responsibilities, and Relationships

Alabama Teacher Mentoring Program: Training #1

Alabama Governor’s Commission on

State Department of Education Quality Teaching

Objectives

Participants will become familiar with two parts of the

Framework for the Alabama Teacher Mentor (ATM) program

begin to establish a vision for successful induction of beginning teachers

commit to mentoring review skills in communications, especially

those that promote reflection join a network of mentor-teachers

Agenda: Mentoring Matters

Overview: Goals, Agenda, Norms, Warm-up Introduction to Alabama Quality Teaching

Standards (AQTS) The Mentor Mission: Rationale for Mentoring Major Challenges: Reflecting on the “First Year”

of Teaching. Arenas of work for the mentor Expectations of Mentor Role; Training Overview Developing Relationships/Fostering Reflection

Group Norms

Be a learner—be open to new ideas. Respect others—listen to understand. Ask questions—seek clarification. Keep things confidential within the

group. Have fun!

Bingo

Find someone to sign and answer each of the squares on your Bingo card. (No one can answer more than one of the squares on your card.)

Complete all squares to score “Bingo”!

Why Mentoring?

Why Mentoring?

More importantly, to provide a “helping hand” so that beginning teachers develop into effective teacherseffective teachers —as soon as possible.

Why Mentoring?

Of the in-school factors that affect learning, the quality of teaching is the most important by far.

Marzano, Robert J. What Works in Schools: Translating Research into Action. 2003.

What teachers do—and don’t do—affects student learning outcomes.

Mentors can help beginning teachers develop into quality teachers.

Setting a Vision of Quality Teaching If you walked into that teacher’s classroom, what

would you see to let you know that he or she was effective? What would the teacher be doing? What would they have done before and after each

lesson that contributed to their effectiveness? What would you see in the classroom that would make

you know, “THIS IS QUALITY”?

Write legibly and use just a few words.

List each idea on a separate post-it.

In your groups

Share-Around your ideas. One person begin by sharing one Post-it idea.

Move around the table, with each person

sharing one idea. Look for commonalities. In the middle of your

table, on easel paper, create “clusters” of ideas that are similar.

Name each cluster.

Alabama Quality Teaching Standards

Developed by the Governor’s Commission on Quality Teaching, 2007

Based on research about effective teaching

Adopted by the Alabama State Board of Education

Alabama Quality Teaching Standards

A framework for thinking about quality teaching

Provides a common reference, shared vocabulary

Relates to ALL levels of teaching (K-12) and ALL content areas

Uses of Alabama Quality Teaching Standards

Teacher preparation

Supervising student teachers

Teacher recruitment and hiring

Mentoring beginning teachersMentoring beginning teachers

Structuring professional development

Alabama Quality Teaching Standards

Standard 1: Content Knowledge Standard 2: Teaching and Learning Standard 3: Literacy Standard 4: Diversity Standard 5: Professionalism

AQTS: JigsawCooperative Learning

At your table, number off from 1 to 5.

Your number matches the standard to which you are assigned to learn more so that you can share with other members of your group.

AQTS: Jigsaw

In your expert groups, Review your assigned standard.

Read the description, the rationale, and the key indicators.

Create a definition (in your own words) for this standard. What would it look like? What evidence would you

look for? How would you know if it is in place? Look for sample ideas you generated in the last

activity. Be prepared to present to the other members of

your original table group.

Alabama Quality Teaching Standards

Standard 1: Content Knowledge

Teachers have deep knowledge of the academic discipline they are teaching, facilitate students’ understanding of the subject, and know the state standards and district curriculum for subjects taught.

Alabama Quality Teaching Standards

Standard 1: Content KnowledgeAcademic Discipline(s)Curriculum

Alabama Quality Teaching Standards

Standard 2: Teaching and Learning

In a classroom environment conducive to learning, teachers use “best practice” instructional and assessment strategies appropriate to the students.

Alabama Quality Teaching Standards

Standard 2: Teaching and Learning Human DevelopmentOrganization and ManagementLearning Environment Instructional StrategiesAssessment

Alabama Quality Teaching Standards

Standard 3: Literacy

Teachers model and teach effective oral and written communication, integrating basic reading, math and technology as appropriate.

Alabama Quality Teaching Standards

Standard 3: LiteracyOral and Written CommunicationReadingMathematicsTechnology

Alabama Quality Teaching Standards

Standard 4: Diversity

Teachers differentiate instruction in ways that exhibit a deep understanding of cultural, ethnic, and social backgrounds; second language learning; special needs; and learning styles.

Alabama Quality Teaching Standards

Standard 4: DiversityCultural, Ethnic and Social DiversityLanguage DiversitySpecial NeedsLearning StylesGeneral

Alabama Quality Teaching Standards

Standard 5: Professionalism

Teachers engage in continuous learning and self-improvement through collaboration with colleagues.

Alabama Quality Teaching Standards

Standard 5: ProfessionalismCollaborationContinuous, Lifelong Professional LearningAlabama-Specific Improvement InitiativesSchool ImprovementEthicsLocal, State, Federal Laws and Policies

Checking For Understanding

Numbered Heads Together

Number off at your table from 1-5.

Use your handout, “Standards in Action.”

Checking For Understanding

As I direct your attention to a statement, get with others in your home group to decide: To which of the standards does this relate most closely?

Be ready to respond and give a rationale for your selection.

Mentoring Mission

To help support beginning teachers as they develop the skills and confidence to become quality teachers

Why Mentors?

“Induction” for beginning teachers relates to support, guidance, and orientation programs; can be in the form of classes, workshops, seminars, or mentors

Since 1990’s, mentoring has become the dominant form of induction.

Some of the Facts: Beginning Teachers

“In teaching, new entrants, fresh out of professional training, assume the exact same responsibilities as 20-year veterans…”

“Support for Beginning Teachers must Become a Top Priority” Working Toward Excellence: A Newsletter of the Best Practices Center, Fall 2001.

Some of the Facts: Beginning Teachers

Attrition in the first five years among beginning teachers is between 40%-50%

--Ingersoll and Kralik, 2004

Some of the Facts: Beginning Teachers Initiation of new teachers

has traditionally been “sink or swim”

In a survey of 1st and 2nd year teachers in Alabama:

< 40% said they had received help in establishing relationships with colleagues and managing class time

> 80% wanted assistance through professional development and an assigned mentor teacher (2000)

Final Word

Read the excerpt from “Support for Beginning Teachers Must Become a Top Priority.”

As you read, select three ideas that are interesting or seem important to you. Underline or highlight them so you can refer to them later.

Be prepared to talk about why you think they are important.

The Final Word

In your group… Select a facilitator, who will keep

your group on track—following the protocol.

Select a timekeeper, who has a watch with a second-hand and can multi-task (listen and talk and keep track of time.)

Select a volunteer, who agrees to introduce an idea first.

The Final Word

The protocol… One person volunteers to “lead off”—taking up

to three minutes to talk about one idea. Moving in clockwise fashion, every member, in

turn, responds for up to one minute. The opening speaker has one minute for “the

final word.” Repeat the above process for the next person.

The Final Word

Listen actively. Be open to what each

speaker is saying. Take notes. Speak only when it is your

turn.

Debrief the Final Word

Why might we have used this process rather than (1) lecture or (2) read and discuss at your tables?

Mentoring Mission

What can we do to ease the difficulties that beginning teachers face during the first year?

Let’s think together… About the major

challenges that beginning teachers will face this year. It may help for you to remember your first year as a teacher—and the feelings and difficulties that you confronted at that time.

Individually, make a list of the challenges that you expect teachers will face. List at least three.

1. ________________

2. ________________

3. ________________

4. ________________

5. ________________

Challenges Faced by Beginning Teachers

Give One…Get One

Stand up and find a partner. Listen as your partner shares one

of his or her ideas. If you don’t have that, add it to your list.

Be sure to share at least one idea with your partner that is new to his or her list.

If you both have the same items, create a new idea that you can both add.

Give One…Get One

Move to a new partner every time the leader calls time. From each partner, get a new idea to add to your list…and give one from your list.

What Help Do New Teachers Need?

????

????????

Needs Needs of of

new new teachersteachers

Needs Needs of of

new new teachersteachers

Alabama Teacher Mentoring Program: Spheres of Activity

Personal

Classroom

School

Application of the Spheres of Activity

Personal

Classroom

School

Expectations for Mentoring: “Say Something”

Find your handout, “Expectations for Participants in Alabama Teacher Mentoring Program.”

Now find a partner. Read through the first section, “Every new

teacher in Alabama can expect to:” When you finish, turn to your partner and say

something about what you read; listen as they say something to you about what every new teacher in Alabama can expect.

Expectations for Mentoring

Now read the second section, “Every teacher mentor in Alabama can expect to…”

Say something to your partner about what you read; listen as they say something to you about what every teacher mentor in Alabama can expect.

Expectations for Mentoring: What is “Ongoing Training?” Mentor consultants (from the Regional

Inservice Centers) and mentor liaisons (from the LEA) will provide training to mentor teachers.

Expectations for Mentoring: What is “Ongoing Training?”

1. Network of learners: Participating in face-to-face training

opportunities Sharing experiences Learning from and supporting one

another Staying current and on target with

responsibilities

Expectations for Mentoring: What is “Ongoing Training?”Proposed sessions:

Roles, Responsibilities and Relationships (1 day, August)

Coaching for a High-Performance Learning Environment (4 hours, October)

Assessing for Increased Student Achievement (3 hours, December)

Increasing Student Engagement (3 hours, February) Connecting Students to the Content (3 hours, April/May)

Expectations for Mentoring: What is “Ongoing Training?”2. Network of learners—through

the internet On-line support: post

questions and concerns Dialogue through web-

postings To stay in touch with colleagues To share ideas To connect with and share

resources

Expectations for Mentoring: What is “Ongoing Training?”3. PPTs to be posted on ALEX for viewing by

mentors, beginning teachers, and school administrators on the following proposed topics:

Alabama Quality Teaching Standards, (September) Resources for Classroom Management (November) Formative Assessment (November/December) Assessment of Mentor Program (December) Best Practices (February/March) Summative Evaluation of the Mentor Program (May)

Alabama Teacher Mentoring Program: Spheres of Activity

Personal

Classroom

School

Beginning Teachers’ Emotions During Their First Year

Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun July

Endurance

Eagerness

Distress

Renewal

Hope

Reflection

Beginning Teachers’ Emotions During Their First Year

Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun July

Endurance

Eagerness

Distress

Renewal

Hope

Reflection

As a mentor,

the best thing we can do is to establish a relationship built on trusttrust.

Consider this: “Too often in the process of change, we have

neglected the personal and interpersonal factors that contribute to the motivation to learn and the willingness to explore new ideas and new ways of being. First among these is trust, the sense that the relationship between knower and learner is solid, dependable, and honest.”

Frances O’Connell Rust and Helen Freidus

What characterizes a relationship built on trust?

Individually, generate at least three ideas of your own on a piece of paper.

Silent Sharing

Share your ideas silently by writing—one person at a time—one of your ideas on the easel paper in the middle of your table.

Continue to go around the table until all ideas are exhausted.

Quickly look at the ideas expressed at other tables. What are the commonalities that you notice?

Trust Mistrust Open Supportive Willing to Risk Respectful Genuine Cooperative Problem Centered Accepting & Warm Dependable

Closed Controlling Unwilling to Risk Disrespectful Hypocritical Competitive Solution Minded Rejecting & Cold Capricious

Trust: Its Multiple Dimensions

Authenticity—Be yourself.

Honesty—Speak the truth.

Listening—Listen to understand, not to judge

Confidentiality—Keep confidences.

NOT putting another down—Acknowledge and build on strengths.

NOT trying to take over—Remember your role.

Authenticity

“Authenticity is simply being honest with ourselves and being direct and honest with others. For whatever the reason, authenticity continues to be rare in our workplaces. Most interactions carry an element of role play, positioning, and strategy. All are reflections of our wish to control our environment and the people in it…. What is difficult about authenticity is that it is a high-risk strategy. It swims upstream in a culture of control….

Alabama Teacher Mentoring Program: Spheres of Activity

Personal

Classroom

School

Develop Supportive Relationships Among All

Members of the School Community

Beginning Teacher

Principal Mentor

All school staff

Plan a Session with the Principal about the ATM Topics: Your

expectations and understandings

For each expectation, what information do you want to provide?

For each expectation, what questions do you want to ask?

Prepare an Elevator Speech

What would you want to say to your faculty—in two minutes or less—about the mentoring program and about their role in helping to provide a successful year for the beginning teachers in your school?

Work with your table group to plan an elevator speech—something you could say in the time it takes to ride an elevator from the lobby to the 10th floor.

How can we help bridge the gap between…

a student of teaching…

…a teacher of students?and

Communication Strategies

Ordinary, everyday habits of communication won’t work as a mentor

We need extraordinary skills of listening, rephrasing, clarifying, and prompting thinking

Areas of Communication Skills

General Communications

Listening to understand Questioning—to clarify, to

elicit thinking, to promote reflection

Giving feedback

Communications Specific to Observing

Setting a focus Observing, collecting

data--evidence vs. opinion (non-evaluative)

Conferencing—giving feedback, stimulating reflection

Listening

“One of the best ways to persuade others is with your ears—by listening to them.”

--Dean Rusk

Listening

“It turns out that most people want less advice but more opportunity to explore their own thinking with a caring coach who is paying attention.”

--Patty McManus

Listening

A committed listener helps people think more clearly, work through unresolved issues, and discover the solutions they have inside them. This often involves listening beyond what people are saying to the deeply held beliefs and assumptions that are shaping their actions.

--Robert Hargrove

How to Listen

Stop talking…to others and to yourself Imagine the other’s point of view Look, act, and be interested Observe for the meaning behind the words Don’t interrupt. Wait until they finish and pause

at least three seconds (they may have more to say!)

Speak only affirmatively while listening Paraphrase to ensure understanding Stop talking…this is first, middle, and last!

Questioning

“You cannot teach a man anything. You can only help him discover it within himself.”

--Galileo Galilei

Mentor as Questioner Reflective—to engage a person in

thinking about his or her perception and understanding; to cause deep thinking about an issue

Probing—to get behind the thinking of a person; to cause them to go deeper in their thinking or be more explicit

Clarifying—to ensure a common understanding of what is said

Eliciting—to get more information, “Can you tell me more about that?”

Examples of Reflective Questions Tell me about… Did you notice…? What problems did you come across today? How are you planning to address this? What if…? I wonder…? How did you reach this conclusion? Why do you think…? Talk to me about what success might look like. Let’s assume for a minute that…” Imagine that you … What might be the relationship between ____ and ____?

Probing Questions or Comments To clarify,

“What do you mean when you say. . . ?” “Help me get behind your thinking. . .” Paraphrase: “Let me see if I’ve got this right. (Provide summary in

own words.)

To elicit more information “Can you give me an example of. . .?” “Talk about a time when you were able to . . .” “Say more about . .” “You’ve told me about how you hope to engage the students in

learning fractions. Now talk about how you will know if that strategy is successful.”

Reflective Dialogue

Purpose: To better understand the strengths you

bring to the role of mentoring To identify skills and strategies that

promote reflection

Individual Reflection: Personal and Professional Strengths

In the left column of your handout, write about the work you imagine you will be doing as a mentor.

Individual Reflection: Personal and Professional Strengths

In the right column, reflect on what, in your personal and professional life, has prepared you to perform this role effectively. That is, what strengths do you bring to this mentoring role? How did you acquire them?

Form groups of three. Two people will engage in a reflective dialogue while the other observes. InterviewerResponderObserver

Roles

1. Interviewer: Pose reflective questions to surface your partner’s understanding of the role of mentor as well as the strengths that he or she brings to the role.

Your role is to listen intently, probing gently when necessary.

Roles

2. Reflector: Talk to the interviewer openly about your perceptions of the job of mentor teacher…and how you see your own strengths helping you in this challenging role.

Reflect deeply about how your past experiences—both personal and professional—have enabled you to perform this job well.

Roles

3. Observer: Look for evidence of deep reflective thought. What did you notice that facilitated reflection?

A. Verbal: What did the interviewer say that seemed to prompt reflective thought?

B. Non-verbal: What did the interviewer do that seemed to facilitate reflection?

Debrief Reflective Dialogue

In your triads, think about the following:

What kinds of questions were most effective in promoting reflection?

What other factors contributed to the reflection?

What conclusions can you draw about reflective questioning?

Facilitating Reflection

What did you learn from this activity that you might be able to transfer to your work as a mentor?

Making a Commitment

Based on the discussion today, what new ideas or affirmations of old ones do you have? Write down two or three.

What are you willing to commit to do with your beginning teacher?

What questions do you have?

References Block, Peter. Flawless Consulting: A Guide to Getting Your Expertise Used.

San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. 2000. Chartier, Myron R. The 1991 Annual: Developing Human Resources, edited

by J. William Pfeiffer. San Diego, CA: University Associates. 1991. Hargrove, Robert. Masterful Coaching: Extraordinary Results by Impacting

People and the Way They Think and Work Together Ingersoll, R. and Kralik, J. “The Impact of Mentoring on Teacher Retention:

What the Research Says.” Denver: Education Commission of the States. 2004.

Marzano, Robert J. What Works in Schools: Translating Research into Action. Alexandria, VA: ASCD. 2003.

Moir, Ellen. “The Stages of a Teacher’s First Year.” A Better Beginning: Supporting and Mentoring New Teachers. Ed. By Marge Scherer. Arlington, VA: ASCD. 1999.

Rust, Frances O’Connell and Freidus, Helen. Guiding School Change: The Role and Work of Change Agents. Teachers College Press, 2001.

Senge, Peter and others. The Fifth Discipline Fieldbook: Strategies and Tools for Building a Learning Organization. New York: Doubleday. 1994.

“Support for Beginning Teachers Must Become a Top Priority.” Working Toward Excellence: A Newsletter of the Best Practices Center. Fall 2001.