SUPPORTING THE BEGINNING EDUCATOR—AN

INVESTMENT IN THE FUTURE

Marlin Jeffers—NWAEAConnie Richardson—GHAEA

Pat Shipley--ISEA

WELCOME! Who are we? Why are we here?

Marlin, Connie and Pat Beginning Educators

Derek Robinson and Ashleigh Sons, Daniel Mahn Where we’re headed today. . .

Why is it important to support beginning educators in Iowa?

What do Beginning Educators need? What is the role of the mentor? What role does the Association have in this

process? Questions?

WHO ARE YOU AND WHY DID YOU CHOOSE THIS SESSION?

WHY MENTORING AND INDUCTION? Thirty-three percent of new teachers are hired after the school year

has already started, and 62 percent are hired within thirty days ofwhen they start teaching (Kardos and Liu, 2003).

Fifty-six percent of new teachers report that no extra assistance isavailable to them as new teachers (Kardos and Liu, 2003).

While 87 percent of the new teachers in a particular state said theyhad a mentor, only 17 percent said their mentors ever observed themteach (Kardos and Liu, 2003).

Few teachers began teaching with a clear, operational curriculum inhand and even fewer received curricula that aligned with state standards.

Only 1% of beginning teachers currently receive the ongoingsupport that constitutes comprehensive induction when they enterthe profession (Alliance for Excellent Education, 2004)

WHAT DO THE NUMBERS SAY? anywhere between 40 and 50 percent of

teachers will leave the classroom within their first five years (that includes the nine and a half percent that leave before the end of their first year.)

teaching is about four percent higher than other professions.

Approximately 15.7 percent of teachers leave their posts every year, and 40 percent of teachers who pursue undergraduate degrees in teaching never even enter the classroom at all.

the workload, the emotional toll, the low pay—was just too much.

The Atlantic, October 18, 2013

Engage, educate, equip, encourage, empower, energize, and elevate. Those are the methods for maximizing the potential of any individual, team, organization, or institution for ultimate success and significance. Those are the methods of a mentor leader.” ― Tony Dungy, The Mentor Leader: Secrets to Building People & Teams That Win Consistently

TOP 5 REASONS FOR TEACHER TURN-OVER50% leave education in the first 5 years; in-and-out filtering of

educators creates discontinuity and costs school districts across the country $2.2 billion annually, according to social action network Take Part.

5. Burn-out Researchers think that extended hours are wearing

out educators.4. Threats of Layoff

Tens of thousands of teachers have been laid off over the last four years.

3. Low Wages national average starting salary for teachers is just

above $35,000. 2. Testing Pressure1. Poor Working Conditions

offered few resources and little support Huffington Post, 10/11/11

EXPECTATIONS OF A NEW TEACHER

Ethics Professional Growth Association Activism Local, State and Federal Legislative Initiatives Sustainability in the profession

Professionalism

“From their first day on the job, brand new teachers are expected to perform essentially the same tasks as experienced veterans. The trial-by-fire method of casting novices into the fray of the classroom has been the traditional welcome into the teaching profession.”

Mentoring Matters, p. ix

HOW?OrientationAcculturationINDUCTION◦ 2 year District Mentoring and Induction Plan

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LOCAL SUPPORTIVE ENVIRONMENT FOR MENTORING AND INDUCTION:

Orientation• Central Office• Administrator• Building

secretary

Acculturation• Colleagues• Secretary• Mentor• Administrator

Induction

• Mentor• District

Facilitator• Administrator• Program

Trainers

ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT MENTORINGMENTORING MATTERS, P. X - XI

Induction is an investment in retention, integration and continual growth

Emotional safety is necessary to produce cognitive complexity

Mentoring relationships offer opportunity for reciprocal growth and learning

The central goal … is to improve student learning

A successful mentoring program will be integral to the implementation of other school and district initiatives.

A MENTOR IS A GROWTH AGENT…“…the mentor is a growth agent whose role is to develop self-reliant, reflective beginning educators, able to make effective instructional decisions as they strive for high performance for themselves and their students.

Wellman & Lipton, 2006 Learning Focused Relationships

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Iowa Induction ProgramComponents

Quality Mentorin

gIowa

Teaching

Standards

Classroom-based Teacher Learning

Supportive Organizational Structure

WHAT ARE THE BEGINNING EDUCATOR’S

RESPONSES? What were things that you needed as a

beginning educator? What things did you get that were helpful? What things did you get that were not

helpful? Advice to new teachers coming into the

profession? Advice to seasoned teachers? Was the association helpful to you in your

transition to becoming an educator?

ROLE CLARIFICATION

What is the make-up of the Beginning Educator’s team?Who does what?

MENTORING AND INDUCTION ROLES:“YOUR TEAM”

MentorBeginning EducatorAdministrator / EvaluatorDistrict M/I FacilitatorColleagues / Staff

Mentor Trainers

FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT …Maintains confidentiality between mentor and beginning educator

“Firewall”

Mentor Evaluator

Beginning Educator

Evaluator

Mentor

OR…

COMMUNICATION

WITH ALL PRESENT

ESSENTIALS OF REFLECTION

Reflection is a skill; it must be taught and practiced.

Reflection requires structure and procedure.

Reflection must be based upon evidence and it produces evidence.

Reflection must be deep and specific.

BEGINNING EDUCATORS GROWTH: Built into the learning projects will be self-

assessment activities for the mentor and the beginning teacher using the book - A Framework for Understanding the Iowa Teaching Standards and Criteria.

Beginning Educator Growth Planning Is included within many of the learning

projects

STRATEGIES AND RESOURCES Classroom Management Time Management Behavior Management Classroom Managementwww.pbisworld.comhttps://sites.google.com/a/nwaea.org/mentor-induction/change-the-banner/resources

QUESTIONS

Thanks!

THANKS!!!