The Mentee Minute
Volume Nine, January 12, 2015
Welcome, GaVS Just in Time cohort and GaVS Faculty and Staff!
The first edition of The Mentee Minute for 2015 offers an introduction to the fabulous GaVS Mentoring Team! Take a moment to review the biographies, best practices, and informative and innovative strategies utilized by the mentors during online instruction. Then, check out the Tip of the Issue and the info-graphic regarding Quiz Feedback.
Wishes to all for a brilliant Spring 2015 Semester!
GaVS Mentoring Team 2015!
Just in Time Training for Spring 2015
For those unable to attend live, a summary may be submitted by Friday to the assigned GaVS mentor. Please include Jane O'Brien as well.
The training is mandatory for all new faculty, but the information is invaluable, especially during active teaching.
Embrace the Just in Time experience!
Yolanda Nigrelli, World Languages Instructor and GaVS Mentor
Hello Dear Mentees,
As you know already, I am so proud to have been assigned to be your mentor this semester. Each of you - Natalia, Diana, Evelyn, Charysy, Cristina, Ingrid, Ashley, Maria, Carmen, and Trikera - is so very special and I am lucky to be your mentor and am looking forward to learning new ideas from you. Mentoring new teachers at GaVS is the best job anyone could have!
I am so happy to find out that Cristina, one of my mentees and I, went to the same high school located in the Canal Zone, Panama! Both of our parents were stationed there while in the Army, just 30 years apart.
Yolanda
Email: yolanda.nigrelli@gavirtualschool.org
Twitter: @GAVSnigrelli
Sample News Item from Yolanda . . .
Alice Johnson, Mathematics Instructor and GaVS Mentor
I am happy to help you adjust to your first
semester with GAVS. The first few weeks will
feel a bit overwhelming but it will get easier,
I promise.
The key to success is to stay organized.
Let’s have a great semester together!! I am
looking forward to working with you!
Alice
Check out Alice's biography and best practices in the following PowerPoint . . .
Bobby Walker, Social Studies Instructor and GaVS Mentor!
Hello mentees! My name is Bobby Walker. I have been an educator for 10 years working in social studies and special education. I graduated from the University of Georgia with a BA in History, and later received my MAT in Special Education from Piedmont College. I taught in Clarke County for seven years and have been working with GaVS for the past three years.
Although I loved teaching in a traditional school setting, I really enjoy teaching online because, believe it or not, I feel like I get to know students more personally than I would in a face-to-face classroom setting. With online teaching, I get to see hard working students successfully tackle rigorous coursework in a real time setting.
Working online also allows me flexibility and the opportunity to stay at home and be with my family. I have been married to another educator for 10 years who also is in online education. We have two children, Amelie and Liam, and are expecting a third in May. We love travel and experiencing other cultures, and have used our occupational freedom to hit the open road. In fact, we spent all of 2013 traveling through Europe, and spent a month each in Asheville, NC and NYC this past summer. When not travelling, we use our work flexibility to live on the Gulf Coast. We are currently renting a home on the beach in Gulf Shores.
I am excited to have you as a mentee this year. GaVS is one of preeminent leaders in online education nationally, and is considered the flagship school for the state of Georgia. Unlike traditional school districts, GaVS is not limited geographically to who it can employ. That means you were selected from a very wide and very talented pool of employable candidates. All that said, you should be congratulated as being one of the elite teachers in the state of Georgia. While there are many aspects of online teaching that are similar to teaching face-to-face, there are also many differences that make online teaching a unique experience. Even the most seasoned teachers will need to learn new techniques and tricks to navigate online teaching successfully. However, I fully believe that our collaboration will be a valuable tool in your journey to becoming an incredible online teacher.
Email: robert.walker@gavirtualschool.org
Twitter: @walkerteaches
Best Practices from Bobby . . .
Jeana Worley, Science Instructor and GaVS Mentor
I am excited to have you join the wonderful GaVS team! I hope your semester has gotten off to a great start. I am here to help you, so please let me know if you have any questions or concerns.
Jeana
Sample News Item from Jeana . . .
Allene Bagwell, CTAE/Electives Instructor and GaVS Mentor
I am a Georgia girl!! Born and raised here. I have lived within Georgia all my life. I grew up I Cumming and when to college at the University of GA. After graduating there, I earned my Masters in Health Science from the University of Alabama. I taught for Gwinnett County Schools for 10 years including Gwinnett County Online. I have been teaching online for 4 years of experience with GaVS and really enjoy it.
I have 2 children, a daughter who is 8 and a son who is 6. They keep me busy. I have been married to my wonderful husband, John for 10 years. I enjoy all types of activities. I love traveling. I have been to Europe and all around the United States. I also love cooking and gardening. I exercise often and attend boot camp, weight lifting and spin classes at my YMCA several times a week. Unfortunately, I am not a good dancer so I tend to stick to running, biking and those types of activities.
I look forward to working with mentees this semester. I was lucky enough to have several mentors in my online learning experience. I was able to participate in semester long teacher prep course with GaVS instructed by a veteran teacher Marge Felz. She really lead by example and gave valuable insight on providing feedback, quality grading, and overall communication to students and parents. This type of in depth training gave me a strong foundation and confidence in the online world. I hope that I can help relay some of the great information, tools for success, and tips and tricks I have learned along the way. I know that it can be very "nerve racking" when someone begins a new experience. But, I do believe that GaVS will provide you will the tools and information you need to be successful as an online educator. I look forward to the next semester and hope I can help in any way.
Allene
Allene's Tips for Daily Work . . .
Joyce Bearden, World Languages Instructor and GaVS Mentor
My projects, in addition to teaching beginner Latin students, have included mentoring new instructors, serving as Communicate Verifier for TOOL, presenting professional development strategies on ePortfolio, and most recently planning for a new online Latin 1 course which incorporates gamification strategies. I was recognized as GaVS Teacher of the Year and GaVS Mentor Teacher of the Year for 2013. I am honored to have helped overcome the Latin teacher accessibility gap by providing educational opportunities to Georgia students online. In my spare time, I love reading historical fiction, cooking new recipes and container gardening.
To me the best part of teaching is sharing - and I plan to share a few good tips with you and hope you will do the same. Transitioning to teaching online is like any new journey. There will be excitement and hesitation, moments of joy and times of frustration. I want to reassure you that I am here to help. I'm thrilled to answer questions (big or small), reflect on the process of teaching with you and challenge you to invest in the experience.
Happy New Year!
Joyce
Email: joyce.bearden@gavirtualschool.org
Twitter: @MagistraBearden
Joyce's Tips and Tricks . . .
Doug Curtright, Science Instructor and GaVS Mentor
A tip from Doug . . .
Mallory Kirkland, English Language Arts Instructor and GaVS Mentor
My name is Mallory Kirkand, and this is my 4th year teaching with GaVS and my 7th year teaching face-to-face. I have taught various courses with both GaVS and my face-to-face school including: 9th Lit/Comp, 10th Lit/Comp, American Literature, British Literature, Contemporary Literature, Journalism, AP Literature, Gifted English, ESOL, and Remedial Reading. I coach Cross County at my face-to-face school, and when I am not working or coaching, I am currently training for a triathlon. I also like to (shamefully) indulge in reality television and endless pints of icecream while enjoying not-so-quality time with my he-devil cat at the end of each hard week.
I am absolutely thrilled to be mentoring every single one of my mentees. I know that teaching online can be an adjustment, and sometimes you might feel overwhelmed--but that feeling won't last long! The staff at Georgia Virtual School explains things so clearly and is so helpful that you will soon feel like you have been teaching with GaVS for ages. Working with Georgia Virtual School has been one of the best decisions I have ever made in my life, and I know you will soon see why and feel the same way. Know that I am here to help you 24/7--no question is too big or too small. I hope you are ready for a rockin' semester!
Email: mallory.kirkland@gavirtualschool.org
Twitter: @KirklandEnglish
An image from Mallory . . .
Shane Miller, Social Studies Instructor and GaVS Mentor
I'm Shane Miller and I have 8 years experience with the GaVS (20 in the classroom). I teach AP World History, develop, and mentor for the GaVS. I'm married with two grown boys (one graduated from Ga. Southern and the other is a Freshman at UGA).
I'm looking forward to working with all of you and I'm always here to help so contact me with any question or questions!
Welcome back best practices from Shane . . .
Marilynn Skinner, CTAE/Electives Instructor and GaVS Mentor
Hello, Mentees!
I am Marilynn Skinner and I have been teaching for 24 years and with GAVS since 2008. I love GAVS and what it does so much that after a blended learning project with them a few years ago, I flipped my Economics classroom. My background is Business Education (hence my CTAE designation), but I am certified in Economics, very recently certified in History, and soon to be certified in Government. Being a business teacher, we really teach all that anyway.
Mentoring is one of my favorite roles at GAVS, particularly because I have access to a lot of different subjects in CTAE. Who else gets to see music and engineering practices. I just hope my mentees learn as much from me as I do from them!
In addition to teaching I am active in a couple of professional organizations. I serve on the Board of Directors for Georgia Future Business Leaders of America and I am a State Officer Adviser this year. I am also serving as president of Georgia Business Education Association this year.
I am married (41 years) and have three children and 9 grandchildren. I love reading, crafting, and….
Email: marilyn.skinner@gavirtualschool.org
Twitter: @MarilynnSkinne3
Best practice from Marilynn . . .
My favorite best practice is one that I just started last semester, but it was very successful. I usually try to get my grading done for my classes on the Saturday after the benchmark. Once everything is graded and the zeros recorded (very important!), I sent this email to students with missing work…
Hello!
I have just finished grading the work for the 10/24 benchmark and you had at least one assignment missing. If you can get your assignment(s) turned in by Monday at midnight you will only have a 10% penalty. You can get partial credit for the assignment through next Friday. Remember that anything is better than a zero. Let me know if I can help.
Dr. Skinner
I had tremendous success with getting students to turn in late work with this practice.