Mentoring Newsletter
A guide to working with mentees at your school site
April 1-15
Hello, BPS mentors.
Spring has sprung! I hope your April is off to a super start. We have some great events planned for the remainder of the year and we are kicking it off with our virtual event: Teaching, Leading, and Caring For i-Gen Students. Headlining it are two hilarious and inspiring speakers, Gerry Brooks and Dorina Sackman. If you have never heard either speak, you are in for a memorable time. In addition to Gerry and Dorina, we'll have our superstar teachers sharing ideas and strategies they use in their own classrooms that have immediate impact on student learning. Registration is open to all BPS teachers and information is located in the flyer below. Sign up and spread the word!
On a different note, April 9 is the date some of our new teachers may receive non-renewal letters. Receiving this letter may be due to several reasons -- declining enrollment at their school, for example. This can be a very emotional time so we have to be prepared for it. Keep encouraging your mentees to stay motivated until the last day of school. Some dates to share with a non-renewed teacher:
- May 10 - priority schools will advertise their openings for the next school year.
- May 17 - openings will be published for all schools.
Please let your mentee know to update their Beacon account so they are able to apply for the open positions. Share that one way to lessen the impact of this emotional time is to feel like one is in control of something and being proactive -- updating a resume, applying for positions, networking with teachers about other schools, finishing the year strongly, or putting together a working portfolio.
Suggestions for your area of focus right now:
1. Personal: Given that the new teachers are now most likely in the reflection and rejuvenation stage of development, reminisce about the first days of school and how far you have come in working together.
2. Professional: A) Respond, as appropriate, to the final evaluation report that new teachers are beginning to receive along with information about their employment for the following school year. B) For teachers who received effective evaluations, provide guidance in thinking about their professional goals for the following year and help them identify professional development opportunities for the summer. C) Should any new teachers not be rehired for the following year, respond professionally and privately. Do not discuss such matters with other staff members. Offer support to anyone being dismissed so that they can maintain their dignity and finish the school year providing as strong an instructional program as they possibly can.
3. Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment: If your new teacher is ready to explore and plan some differentiation strategies, encourage him/her to offer students more choice in their learning. Share your differentiation ideas and examples from your classroom. Up until this point, your new teacher may have been developing or even unsatisfactory in the IPPAS category for differentiation. If the time is right, gently motivate your mentee toward branching out in this area.
4. Organizational Systems: Encourage systematic collection and storage of instructional materials and student artifacts that they will want to have available for the next school year. Discuss possible collection and storage possibilities. This is an area where many of our new teachers find challenges.
5. Students: Remind new teachers that if they demonstrate nervousness or speak disparagingly about standardized tests, their students will pick up on those emotions and comments. Encourage them to communicate to students how well the students are prepared for both the content and process of the testing.
6. Colleagues: Remind your colleagues that their comments about the standardized testing process can promote our new teachers sense of self-efficacy or make them nervous about their capacity to manage this process.
7. School Systems: Just before standardized testing events, review the policies and procedures for administering the assessments. Even experienced teachers can feel overwhelmed by the number of memos and the acronyms used in those memos.
8. Parents and Community: Discuss strategies for dealing with parents who are upset about events at/or communication from the school.
*Special Educators: Explain summer learning options for students and help the new special educators prepare recommendations to students and/or parents about student participation in those programs.
As always, thank you so much for all you do. If you ever have any questions, concerns, or suggestions, please contact Lisa Stanley, Linda Buffum, or me. ๐
- Bridget Reed
reed.bridget@brevardschools.org
Breakdown and suggestions taken from Paula Rutherford's Just Ask Publications
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โญโญโญMentor/Mentee Spotlight โญโญโญ
"This year has been a year full of firsts for everyone not just first year teachers. I am extremely lucky to have Valerie as my mentor. She has worked with me through the twists and turns of the year. Although I am working toward my Professional Certification through an alternative route, Valerie has never made me feel anything less than ready. She never lets me question my worth as an educator. Valerie has been a cornerstone in my development here are the Great Southwest. She has provided me with the support and reassurance I needed to tackle the unknowns of this year. Valerie creates an environment that allows for me to grow into my role and is always there when I need her."
First year teacher, Margaret Cantrambone
Southwest Middle School
"Ms. Cat, as her students call her, has rocked from day one! At preplanning, Margaret created these awesome bitmoji classroom templates and shared then with our department. She engages her students with technology and a variety of different collaborative activities. Ms. Cat builds great relationships with her students and her colleagues. Her enthusiasm is contagious and in a challenging year such as this, she has reminded us all that teaching is our passion!"
Lead Mentor, Valerie Dunkleman
Southwest Middle School
Way to go, Valerie and Margaret! You two are a great example of a strong mentor/mentee relationship!
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Gerry Brooks, Dorina Sackman, and the BPS Rockstar Teacher Team Event๐Register and spread the word!๐
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๐Stages of Mentor Growth๐
- How has this year gone?
- Will you offer to mentor again next year?
- Would you make any changes to how you mentor next year?
- If you are a seasoned mentor, where do you see the potential for growth?
Check out Casey and Claunch (2005) five distinct stages of growth that mentors experience. Reflecting, where do you fall?
Stage Knowledge, Skills, and Dispositions (and examples)
1. Predisposition: is ready to assist others, has good interpersonal
skills, is open-minded
2. Disequilibrium: copes with unfamiliarity of working with adults
rather than children, has doubts
3. Transition: develops knowledge and understanding of
mentoring roles and strategies, focuses more on new
teacherโs needs, clarifies personal teaching philosophy
4. Confidence: refines mentoring skills, renews sense of
professionalism, advocates for new teachers
5. Efficacy: develops individual mentoring style, reflects on
experiences, deepens understanding of teaching and
learning as well as personal strengths
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๐ง Attitudes of New Teachers - April๐ง
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๐๐ป Check this out and share๐๐ป Classroomscreen
BPS' Bobby Dyar created a new Brain Break video on Friday about Classroomscreen. If you havenโt seen it, basically it is an interactive board that has tons of tools teachers need on the fly. All can be used simultaneously meaning it is a one stop shop. It includes things like random name generator, dice, stop watch, volume checker, etc.โฆit's super easy and interactive!