Mentoring Newsletter
A guide to working with mentees at your school site
August 2022
Happy first day of school! I am going to keep this edition short and sweet since there was a lot of information packed into the pre-planning newsletter.
These first few weeks are all about keeping your mentee grounded. Their emotions are a mix of anxiety, anticipation, and basic survival instincts. Let's just focus on the basics. Check in with them daily during the first two weeks and be wary of responses that are a quick yes, no, or "I am fine." We know this is a tough profession, and these first few weeks can make or break this teacher's early teaching experience -- or even their careers.
Probe by asking questions such as:
- "How did it go with your dismissal procedures?"
- "How did it go the first time you had to redirect a student? Were you challenged?"
With answers to those types of questions, you will be able to offer suggestions on how to tweak their actions for the following day. If you have time -- and I know time is scarce right now -- model how you would adjust their response in a classroom. Just be sure there are no students present. It could be as simple as modeling where you'd stand or how your voice would sound.
The focus right now:
1. Relax: Get your mentee to take a deep breath.
2. Classroom relationships: Emphasize the importance of this one. The old adage that teachers shouldn't smile before Thanksgiving doesn't work. Our mentees don't want to be their students' friends, of course, but being open and friendly is key.
2. Procedures and routines: Talk about consistency and how enforcement right out of the gate saves everyone headaches later on.
3. Lesson plans: Share that if the plans are complete, the teacher is free to create the relationships, lead the routines, and teach. The classroom management will fall into place if plans and activities are strong.
4. Time management: Strongly encourage your mentees to take the Saturday and/or Sunday after their first week off to do something for themselves -- and not something school related.
Don't forget to celebrate making it through the first day and first week! Giving your mentee a little note or a high five means so much.
As always, thank you so much for all you do! Good luck to you on your first day, too. You truly are The Heart of Brevard!
-Bridget Reed
reed.bridget@brevardschools.org
HAPPY FIRST DAY FROM YOUR TEAM IN PROFESSIONAL LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT!
WE ARE HERE TO SUPPORT YOU IN MAKING 2022-23 AN AWESOME YEAR!
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2021-22 New Teacher Survey Results
Professional Learning and Development did a spring 2022 survey of our administrators, mentors, and mentees regarding BPS' new teacher support, and I want to share with you some of the results. We use this data to monitor our PD offerings, to aid in recruitment and retention, and to share between departments and our stakeholders. Thank you for giving your input!
· 67% of mentees were observed by the mentor two or more times - up from 58% the previous year., and 11% were never observed by their mentor down from 14% from the previous year. Both numbers heading in the right direction! The observation feedback is so important for our mentees to strengthen their skills. Here's to more opportunities to support our new teachers in this area this year!
· 92.2% of mentees felt supported by their mentors last year. This number went down from 95.5% in the 2021-22 school year. Last year was challenging for all teachers due to time constraints and this may have attributed to the slight decrease. It's good to know and reflect on this, however.
· 63% of you are meeting 30 minutes a week, 26% are meeting an hour a week, 9% are meeting 2-3 hours, and 2% are spending more than three hours meeting with your mentee.
· 58% of new teachers feel their greatest strength is classroom management. BUT 72.7% of mentors state this is the single greatest challenge for their new teachers. This dichotomy is one we need to be aware of as mentors when working with our mentees. 76% of mentees felt confident in their mentor’s ability to support them in this area. We will continue to address this dimension throughout the school year.
- Saving the best for last: 94.2% of our teachers last year planned on returning to BPS this year. Our school-based mentoring program is one of the strongest tools we have in recruiting new teachers and in retention. We could not have achieved this number without you and your non-stop support of our newest members!