Considering the subject in mentoring: The value that subject matching adds to

mentoring

Lynn Paine, Lisa Jilk, and Robert Hurd

Starting points:

Mentoring is the dominant theme in induction.

Mentoring literature ignores subject matter

or treats it unproblematically.

Goals for today’s presentation

• Reframe mentoring

• Consider the terrain and how it changes when you take subject matter seriously

• Explore variation in terms of salience of subject matter

• Illustrate what is possible for new teacher learning

Ways mentoring has been framed

Mentoring as support (Gold, 1996)– For survival– Emphasize role, relationship, and trust

Mentoring as educative practice (Feiman-Nemser 2001)

– For novice teacher learning– Emphasize practices

Subject matter matching

Suggestion that it is desirable

NTs with matched mentoring, common planning time and collaboration on instruction,

less likely like to leave teaching

Ingersoll and Kralik (2004)

Subject matter matching

Evidence that it is not universalbetween 1995-99,

66% of math and science NTs work with mentors,

but only 52 % of math teachers have math mentors

38% of science teachers have mentor in subject

(NSF, 2004)

MSTI study data related to mentoring

• 6 sites, all with some version of mentoring• 2-3 Interviews with NTs and Mentors• Observations--mentoring interactions, mentor

training, monthly meetings• Document analysis--observation guides,

rubrics, mentor handbooks• Subset in depth interview on activities--18

NTs, 12 Mentors

Activities and Interactions between Novices and Mentorsclassroom observations of NT by mentorreciprocal classroom observationsdebriefing after visitconsultationco-planco-teachdemonstration lessons/demonstratehelp with certification/professional development needsgo together to observe another teacher's classadvise about district regulations and policiesprovide formative and final assessmenthelp locate resourceswork on classroom management issueswork on subject matter issueshelp with instructional strategieslook together/study samples of student workparticipate together in study group or book clubparticipate together in content-focused seminars or

workshops

attend a conference togetherregularly scheduled coaching/mentoring sessionscript lesson (have their lesson scripted, get given the

script)case discussionsparticipate in a lesson study groupdeveloping assessments together or scoring student work

with colleaguesengaging jointly in curriculum topic studysetting up new classroom together (or getting advice on

this)get newsletter from mentor with ideas/tips/informationget help with Praxis requirements and preparationget advice about jobs/ job changeget moral supportget oriented to the building/districthelp with time management

Activities mentors/novices engage in most often

Get moral support 53

Help with instructional strategies 42

Help locate resources 39

Classroom observation 38

Classroom management 38

Debrief observation 37

Consultation 37

Get advice on district regulations/policies 34

Subject matter issues 34

Mentoring Activities

• Moral support• Locate resources• Help with

instructional strategies

• Observation and debriefing

• Consultation• Classroom

management

• Subject matter issues

Mentoring Activities

• Moral support • Subject matter issues• Locate resources• Help with instructional strategies• Observation and debriefing• Consultation• Classroom management

Reported as most helpful

• Moral support• Consultation• Debriefing• Developing assessments• Looking together at student work• Demonstrating work with content• Co-planning

Reported as most helpful

• Moral support• Consultation• Debriefing• Developing assessments• Looking together at student work• Demonstrating work with content• Co-planning

When there is no match:

“she gave me an idea about how to speed up the process for checking them out…I said [to the class] “you know what guys, grab a calculator.” I had them out there, they signed them and she said, “I don’t know Betsy. It took a while. It was kind of like a lot of movement. You might want to try this.” And so what I’ve done is created like a spread sheet so that the kids can just find their names. You know they’ll grab a calculator, sit down get to work and then when the sheet comes around they’ll just sign their name and it will be all over. But for the most part, she’s given me advice here and there.” (Betsy Thomas, 1st year HS math)

When subject match is not a guarantee:

•“Yes, I agree with you (the mentor who wrote that he was inconsistent on certain dimensions), but instead of telling me that I’m inconsistent in these things find me the tools to change.” (Robert Jansen, 1st year HS science teacher)•Hal Martinson (1st year science)’s mentor--dropping off materials “when it’s done”--fragmented tips

When is a match of subject?

Hunter: Bob’s really the person, Larry, me and Larry do sit down and we have some mentoring, but Larry’s physical science, whereas I teach biology. So if I’m looking for something in these specific classes I’d probably go to Bob. (1st year Biology teacher, with Physics mentor)

What a subject match affords

• Deepened understanding of content• Insights into representing content• Knowledge related to assessing student

learning• Connecting kids and content• Recognizing learner diversity and connecting

to content and pedagogy

Deepened understanding of content

I want them to feel comfortable letting me know that some content is missing for them. It may happen that they want to conceal that from me—they're not comfortable because that sort of might indicate that they have a weakness or something, and they're not real comfortable telling me that. So I think in terms of what I want to do to build the relationship. I'm thinking of this one teacher in particular, and she seemed embarrassed when she asked me how to do this one problem in her textbook, and I just wanted her to feel comfortable, and we talked about it, and we drew a picture that helped her see it.

Insights into representing content

• Story of Larry and Hunter--probing about how kids will come to see an abstract idea

Knowledge related to curriculum and assessment

She (the novice) and I spent a lot of time writing assessments, ..and that’s been a really good experience because it’s made us talk about what’s important. One of the things she and I did over the summer was to meet and develop these ten big ideas, we call them, in algebra 1 and geometry both, and what we basically did was sort of glean the whole curriculum and came up with ten big concepts that we can use as kind of guides. (Ellen Martin, math mentor to Glenda Robins, 2nd year HS math teacher)

Connecting kids and content

The mentor suggests an activity on charting what students do with their time, thus illustrating for them what their priorities are. Starting up his laptop he notes that Kate Conswella gave him this assessment for students and goes on to discuss supporting this priorities activity with a list of strategies for becoming/being a better student. He shows the novice a multiple-choice survey of study habits and conveys that priorities are culturally based and should be handled delicately. CF, looking at the resources on DK’s laptop, starts to look about the room for a printer that is hooked up. “I like to get a hard copy of that, the survey of strategies for doing math home work and the one of active problem solvers behaviors.”

Implications and complications

• Finding a match, of subject and level• Finding the focus and range of activities• Creating tools that support interaction around

content• Demands on mentors and novices

• Everybody is trying to do all this support and they want to know what can we do to be more supportive and you’re like I wish that I knew what to tell you but I don’t know, it just doesn’t feel supportive Like how do you take that support and make it feel like its working and that its not a burden?

Considering the subject in mentoring

Subject MatterNovice

and Mentor

Professional Community

Student LearningLocal Context