Mentoring Newsletter
A guide to working with mentees at your school site
Mentor Focus: January 8th - 31st
Happy New Year and Welcome Back!
I hope you had a restful break and enjoyed some downtime with family and friends. For added relaxation and rejuvenation, join us on January 14th at Viera High School! All of the registration info is in the flyer below. Encourage your mentees to attend and join them for this wonderful evening that's all about YOU!
We are expecting new teachers to be coming on board starting this week - many new December graduates, too. Refer back to the August newsletter for some tips on welcoming brand new teachers into your school if needed. I can also send out that newsletter again to you if you'd like - just let me know via email. Joining a school in January is always challenging - even as a veteran. As I have written before, you might be the one person who helps to keep your new teacher connected, motivated and staying strong. You are truly so appreciated!
New Teacher Academy is set for February 4th and 5th. Day One is required for all BPS new teachers and Day Two is for teachers with three years of experience or less. So, for those teachers with three years of experience or less, both days are required. Each day is a separate registration as well. ProGOE information: Day One C#16443, S#404244 and Day Two C#16443, S#404245. Both days are from 8:30 - 3:30 in the Boardroom.
I will be back to adding video for February's newsletters. If you have a program or idea that we can showcase for our schools, please let me know.
Have a wonderful month!
-Bridget Reed
1. Personal: Write your mentee a “Welcome Back” note and put it on their desk or in their mailbox. If you have a bit of time, try to meet with them within the next few days to debrief the first semester.
2. Professional: Discuss how the mentoring process is working. Make plans for the mentoring relationship for the second semester.
3. Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment: Focus on planning practices. Assist the new teachers in analyzing semester exam and other summative assessment data in order to design and select scaffolding strategies the third quarter.
4. Organizational Systems: The beginning of the second semester is the time to evaluate classroom arrangements, adequacy of resources, success of procedures, use of time, efficiency of routines, and effectiveness of responses to unmet expectations. Help your mentee reflect on these areas.
5. Students: Assist new teachers in developing systems for monitoring progress and being aware of students who may be in danger of failing. Help them set up intervention plans including proactive support systems.
6. Colleagues: A. Update the principal or other administrators on how things are going with your mentee and the mentoring process. B. Ensure that your mentees engage in any opportunities to review student work in departmental, team, or grade level groups.
7. School Systems: A. Discuss with your mentee that after the winter break, routines and procedures will need to be reviewed and practiced again – almost like the first day of school. B. Discuss the spring standardized testing schedule.
8. Parents and Community: For new teachers teaching semester courses, revisit the August and September calendars for reminders of communication systems that need to be implemented with the parents of the second semester students.
*Special Educators: Support your mentee in reviewing semester grades and other classroom achievement data. Also, review with your new teacher the IEP dates for the second semester.
Breakdown and several suggestions taken from Paula Rutherford's Just Ask Publications
New Teacher Induction Program
Email: stanley.lisa@brevardschools.org
Website: https://www.brevardschools.org/Page/7999
Location: 2700 Judge Fran Jamieson Way, Melbourne, FL, USA
Phone: 321-633-1000