Mentoring Matters: Roles, Responsibilities, and Relationships

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Mentoring Matters Roles, Responsibilities, and
Relationships

• Alabama Teacher Mentoring Program Training 1

Alabama
Governors
Commission on State Department of Education


Quality Teaching
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Objectives

• Participants will
• become familiar with two parts of the Framework
  for the Alabama Teacher Mentor (ATM) program
• begin to establish a vision for successful
  induction of beginning teachers
• commit to mentoring
• review skills in communications, especially those
  that promote reflection
• join a network of mentor-teachers

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Agenda Mentoring Matters

• Overview Goals, Agenda, Norms, Warm-up
• Introduction to Alabama Quality Teaching
  Standards (AQTS)
• The Mentor Mission Rationale for Mentoring
• Major Challenges Reflecting on the First Year
  of Teaching. Arenas of work for the mentor
• Expectations of Mentor Role Training Overview
• Developing Relationships/Fostering Reflection

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Group Norms

• Be a learnerbe open to new ideas.
• Respect otherslisten to understand.
• Ask questionsseek clarification.
• Keep things confidential within the group.
• Have fun!

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Bingo

• Find someone to sign and answer each of the
  squares on your Bingo card. (No one can answer
  more than one of the squares on your card.)
• Complete all squares to score Bingo!

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Why Mentoring?
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Why Mentoring?

• More importantly, to provide a helping hand so
  that beginning teachers develop into effective
  teachers as soon as possible.

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Why Mentoring?

• Of the in-school factors that affect learning,
  the quality of teaching is the most important by
  far.
• Marzano, Robert J. What Works in Schools
  Translating Research into Action. 2003.
• What teachers doand dont doaffects student
  learning outcomes.
• Mentors can help beginning teachers develop into
  quality teachers.

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Setting a Vision of Quality Teaching

• If you walked into that teachers classroom, what
  would you see to let you know that he or she was
  effective?
• What would the teacher be doing?
• What would they have done before and after each
  lesson that contributed to their effectiveness?
• What would you see in the classroom that would
  make you know, THIS IS QUALITY?

• Write legibly and use just a few words.

List each idea on a separate post-it.
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In your groups

• Share-Around your ideas.
• One person begin by sharing one Post-it idea.
• Move around the table, with each person sharing
  one idea.
• Look for commonalities. In the middle of your
  table, on easel paper, create clusters of ideas
  that are similar.
• Name each cluster.

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Alabama Quality Teaching Standards

• Developed by the Governors Commission on Quality
  Teaching, 2007
• Based on research about effective teaching
• Adopted by the Alabama State Board of Education

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Alabama Quality Teaching Standards

• A framework for thinking about quality teaching
• Provides a common reference, shared vocabulary
• Relates to ALL levels of teaching (K-12) and ALL
  content areas

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Uses of Alabama Quality Teaching Standards

• Teacher preparation
• Supervising student teachers
• Teacher recruitment and hiring
• Mentoring beginning teachers
• Structuring professional development

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Alabama Quality Teaching Standards

• Standard 1 Content Knowledge
• Standard 2 Teaching and Learning
• Standard 3 Literacy
• Standard 4 Diversity
• Standard 5 Professionalism

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AQTS JigsawCooperative Learning

• At your table, number off from 1 to 5.
• Your number matches the standard to which you are
  assigned to learn more so that you can share with
  other members of your group.

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AQTS Jigsaw

• In your expert groups,
• Review your assigned standard.
• Read the description, the rationale, and the key
  indicators.
• Create a definition (in your own words) for this
  standard.
• What would it look like? What evidence would you
  look for? How would you know if it is in place?
  
• Look for sample ideas you generated in the last
  activity.
• Be prepared to present to the other members of
  your original table group.

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Alabama Quality Teaching Standards

• Standard 1 Content Knowledge

Teachers have deep knowledge of the academic
discipline they are teaching, facilitate
students understanding of the subject, and know
the state standards and district curriculum for
subjects taught.
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Alabama Quality Teaching Standards

• Standard 1 Content Knowledge
• Academic Discipline(s)
• Curriculum

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Alabama Quality Teaching Standards

• Standard 2 Teaching and Learning

In a classroom environment conducive to learning,
teachers use best practice instructional and
assessment strategies appropriate to the students.
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Alabama Quality Teaching Standards

• Standard 2 Teaching and Learning
• Human Development
• Organization and Management
• Learning Environment
• Instructional Strategies
• Assessment

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Alabama Quality Teaching Standards

• Standard 3 Literacy

Teachers model and teach effective oral and
written communication, integrating basic reading,
math and technology as appropriate.
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Alabama Quality Teaching Standards

• Standard 3 Literacy
• Oral and Written Communication
• Reading
• Mathematics
• Technology

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Alabama Quality Teaching Standards

• Standard 4 Diversity

Teachers differentiate instruction in ways that
exhibit a deep understanding of cultural, ethnic,
and social backgrounds second language learning
special needs and learning styles.
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Alabama Quality Teaching Standards

• Standard 4 Diversity
• Cultural, Ethnic and Social Diversity
• Language Diversity
• Special Needs
• Learning Styles
• General

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Alabama Quality Teaching Standards

• Standard 5 Professionalism

Teachers engage in continuous learning and
self-improvement through collaboration with
colleagues.
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Alabama Quality Teaching Standards

• Standard 5 Professionalism
• Collaboration
• Continuous, Lifelong Professional Learning
• Alabama-Specific Improvement Initiatives
• School Improvement
• Ethics
• Local, State, Federal Laws and Policies

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Checking For Understanding

• Numbered Heads Together
• Number off at your table from 1-5.
• Use your handout, Standards in Action.

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Checking For Understanding

• As I direct your attention to a statement, get
  with others in your home group to decide To
  which of the standards does this relate most
  closely?
• Be ready to respond and give a rationale for your
  selection.

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Mentoring Mission

• To help support beginning teachers as they
  develop the skills and confidence to become
  quality teachers

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Why Mentors?

• Induction for beginning teachers relates to
  support, guidance, and orientation programs can
  be in the form of classes, workshops, seminars,
  or mentors
• Since 1990s, mentoring has become the dominant
  form of induction.

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Some of the Facts Beginning Teachers

• In teaching, new entrants, fresh out of
  professional training, assume the exact same
  responsibilities as 20-year veterans
• Support for Beginning Teachers must Become a
  Top Priority Working Toward Excellence A
  Newsletter of the Best Practices Center, Fall
  2001.

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Some of the Facts Beginning Teachers

• Attrition in the first five years among beginning
  teachers is between 40-50
• --Ingersoll and Kralik, 2004

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Some of the Facts Beginning Teachers

• Initiation of new teachers has traditionally been
  sink or swim

• In a survey of 1st and 2nd year teachers in
  Alabama
• lt 40 said they had received help in
  establishing relationships with colleagues and
  managing class time
• gt 80 wanted assistance through professional
  development and an assigned mentor teacher
  (2000)

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Final Word

• Read the excerpt from Support for Beginning
  Teachers Must Become a Top Priority.
• As you read, select three ideas that are
  interesting or seem important to you. Underline
  or highlight them so you can refer to them later.
• Be prepared to talk about why you think they are
  important.

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The Final Word

• In your group
• Select a facilitator, who will keep your group on
  trackfollowing the protocol.
• Select a timekeeper, who has a watch with a
  second-hand and can multi-task (listen and talk
  and keep track of time.)
• Select a volunteer, who agrees to introduce an
  idea first.

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The Final Word

• The protocol
• One person volunteers to lead offtaking up to
  three minutes to talk about one idea.
• Moving in clockwise fashion, every member, in
  turn, responds for up to one minute.
• The opening speaker has one minute for the final
  word.
• Repeat the above process for the next person.

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The Final Word

• Listen actively.
• Be open to what each speaker is saying.
• Take notes.
• Speak only when it is your turn.

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Debrief the Final Word

• Why might we have used this process rather than
  (1) lecture or (2) read and discuss at your
  tables?

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Mentoring Mission

• What can we do to ease the difficulties that
  beginning teachers face during the first year?

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Lets think together

• About the major challenges that beginning
  teachers will face this year. It may help for
  you to remember your first year as a teacherand
  the feelings and difficulties that you confronted
  at that time.
• Individually, make a list of the challenges that
  you expect teachers will face. List at least
  three.

Challenges Faced by Beginning Teachers

• ________________
• ________________
• ________________
• ________________
• ________________

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Give OneGet One

• Stand up and find a partner.
• Listen as your partner shares one of his or her
  ideas. If you dont have that, add it to your
  list.
• Be sure to share at least one idea with your
  partner that is new to his or her list.
• If you both have the same items, create a new
  idea that you can both add.

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Give OneGet One

• Move to a new partner every time the leader calls
  time. From each partner, get a new idea to add
  to your listand give one from your list.

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What Help Do New Teachers Need?
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Alabama Teacher Mentoring Program Spheres of
Activity
Classroom
Personal
School
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Application of the Spheres of Activity
Classroom
Personal
School
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Expectations for Mentoring Say Something

• Find your handout, Expectations for Participants
  in Alabama Teacher Mentoring Program.
• Now find a partner.
• Read through the first section, Every new
  teacher in Alabama can expect to
• When you finish, turn to your partner and say
  something about what you read listen as they say
  something to you about what every new teacher in
  Alabama can expect.

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Expectations for Mentoring

• Now read the second section, Every teacher
  mentor in Alabama can expect to
• Say something to your partner about what you
  read listen as they say something to you about
  what every teacher mentor in Alabama can expect.

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Expectations for Mentoring What is Ongoing
Training?

• Mentor consultants (from the Regional Inservice
  Centers) and mentor liaisons (from the LEA) will
  provide training to mentor teachers.

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Expectations for Mentoring What is Ongoing
Training?

• Network of learners
• Participating in face-to-face training
  opportunities
• Sharing experiences
• Learning from and supporting one another
• Staying current and on target with
  responsibilities

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Expectations for Mentoring What is Ongoing
Training?

• Proposed sessions
• Roles, Responsibilities and Relationships (1 day,
  August)
• Coaching for a High-Performance Learning
  Environment (4 hours, October)
• Assessing for Increased Student Achievement (3
  hours, December)
• Increasing Student Engagement (3 hours, February)
• Connecting Students to the Content (3 hours,
  April/May)

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Expectations for Mentoring What is Ongoing
Training?

• Network of learnersthrough the internet
• On-line support post questions and concerns
• Dialogue through web-postings
• To stay in touch with colleagues
• To share ideas
• To connect with and share resources

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Expectations for Mentoring What is Ongoing
Training?

• PPTs to be posted on ALEX for viewing by mentors,
  beginning teachers, and school administrators on
  the following proposed topics
• Alabama Quality Teaching Standards, (September)
• Resources for Classroom Management (November)
• Formative Assessment (November/December)
• Assessment of Mentor Program (December)
• Best Practices (February/March)
• Summative Evaluation of the Mentor Program (May)

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Alabama Teacher Mentoring Program Spheres of
Activity
Classroom
Personal
School
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Beginning Teachers Emotions During Their First
Year
Eagerness
Reflection
Endurance
Hope
Renewal
Distress
Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan
Feb Mar Apr May Jun July
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Beginning Teachers Emotions During Their First
Year
Eagerness
Reflection
Endurance
Hope
Renewal
Distress
Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan
Feb Mar Apr May Jun July
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As a mentor,

• the best thing we can do is to establish a
  relationship built on trust.

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Consider this

• Too often in the process of change, we have
  neglected the personal and interpersonal factors
  that contribute to the motivation to learn and
  the willingness to explore new ideas and new ways
  of being. First among these is trust, the sense
  that the relationship between knower and learner
  is solid, dependable, and honest.
• Frances OConnell Rust and Helen Freidus

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What characterizes a relationship built on trust?

• Individually, generate at least three ideas of
  your own on a piece of paper.

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Silent Sharing

• Share your ideas silently by writingone person
  at a timeone of your ideas on the easel paper in
  the middle of your table.
• Continue to go around the table until all ideas
  are exhausted.
• Quickly look at the ideas expressed at other
  tables. What are the commonalities that you
  notice?

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Trust Mistrust

• Open
• Supportive
• Willing to Risk
• Respectful
• Genuine
• Cooperative
• Problem Centered
• Accepting Warm
• Dependable

• Closed
• Controlling
• Unwilling to Risk
• Disrespectful
• Hypocritical
• Competitive
• Solution Minded
• Rejecting Cold
• Capricious

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Trust Its Multiple Dimensions

• AuthenticityBe yourself.
• HonestySpeak the truth.
• ListeningListen to understand, not to judge
• ConfidentialityKeep confidences.
• NOT putting another downAcknowledge and build on
  strengths.
• NOT trying to take overRemember your role.

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Authenticity

• Authenticity is simply being honest with
  ourselves and being direct and honest with
  others. For whatever the reason, authenticity
  continues to be rare in our workplaces. Most
  interactions carry an element of role play,
  positioning, and strategy. All are reflections
  of our wish to control our environment and the
  people in it. What is difficult about
  authenticity is that it is a high-risk strategy.
  It swims upstream in a culture of control.

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Alabama Teacher Mentoring Program Spheres of
Activity
Classroom
Personal
School
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Develop Supportive Relationships Among All
Members of the School Community
Beginning Teacher
All school staff
Principal
Mentor
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Plan a Session with the Principal about the ATM
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Prepare an Elevator Speech

• What would you want to say to your facultyin two
  minutes or lessabout the mentoring program and
  about their role in helping to provide a
  successful year for the beginning teachers in
  your school?
• Work with your table group to plan an elevator
  speechsomething you could say in the time it
  takes to ride an elevator from the lobby to the
  10th floor.

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How can we help bridge the gap between
a teacher of students?
a student of teaching
and
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Communication Strategies

• Ordinary, everyday habits of communication wont
  work as a mentor
• We need extraordinary skills of listening,
  rephrasing, clarifying, and prompting thinking

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Areas of Communication Skills

• General Communications
• Listening to understand
• Questioningto clarify, to elicit thinking, to
  promote reflection
• Giving feedback

• Communications Specific to Observing
• Setting a focus
• Observing, collecting data--evidence vs. opinion
  (non-evaluative)
• Conferencinggiving feedback, stimulating
  reflection

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Listening

• One of the best ways to persuade others is with
  your earsby listening to them.
• --Dean Rusk

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Listening

• It turns out that most people want less advice
  but more opportunity to explore their own
  thinking with a caring coach who is paying
  attention.
• 
  --Patty McManus

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Listening

• A committed listener helps people think more
  clearly, work through unresolved issues, and
  discover the solutions they have inside them.
  This often involves listening beyond what people
  are saying to the deeply held beliefs and
  assumptions that are shaping their actions.
• --Robert Hargrove

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How to Listen

• Stop talkingto others and to yourself
• Imagine the others point of view
• Look, act, and be interested
• Observe for the meaning behind the words
• Dont interrupt. Wait until they finish and
  pause at least three seconds (they may have more
  to say!)
• Speak only affirmatively while listening
• Paraphrase to ensure understanding
• Stop talkingthis is first, middle, and last!

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Questioning

• You cannot teach a man anything. You can only
  help him discover it within himself.
• --Galileo Galilei

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Mentor as Questioner

• Reflectiveto engage a person in thinking about
  his or her perception and understanding to cause
  deep thinking about an issue
• Probingto get behind the thinking of a person
  to cause them to go deeper in their thinking or
  be more explicit
• Clarifyingto ensure a common understanding of
  what is said
• Elicitingto get more information, Can you tell
  me more about that?

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Examples of Reflective Questions

• Tell me about
• Did you notice?
• What problems did you come across today?
• How are you planning to address this?
• What if?
• I wonder?
• How did you reach this conclusion?
• Why do you think?
• Talk to me about what success might look like.
• Lets assume for a minute that
• Imagine that you
• What might be the relationship between ____ and
  ____?

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Probing Questions or Comments

• To clarify,
• What do you mean when you say. . . ?
• Help me get behind your thinking. . .
• Paraphrase Let me see if Ive got this right.
  (Provide summary in own words.)
• To elicit more information
• Can you give me an example of. . .?
• Talk about a time when you were able to . . .
• Say more about . .
• Youve told me about how you hope to engage the
  students in learning fractions. Now talk about
  how you will know if that strategy is successful.

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Reflective Dialogue

• Purpose
• To better understand the strengths you bring to
  the role of mentoring
• To identify skills and strategies that promote
  reflection

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Individual Reflection Personal and
Professional Strengths

• In the left column of your handout, write about
  the work you imagine you will be doing as a
  mentor.

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Individual Reflection Personal and
Professional Strengths

• In the right column, reflect on what, in your
  personal and professional life, has prepared you
  to perform this role effectively. That is, what
  strengths do you bring to this mentoring role?
  How did you acquire them?

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• Form groups of three. Two people will engage in
  a reflective dialogue while the other observes.
• Interviewer
• Responder
• Observer

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Roles

• Interviewer Pose reflective questions to
  surface your partners understanding of the role
  of mentor as well as the strengths that he or she
  brings to the role.
• Your role is to listen intently, probing
  gently when necessary.

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Roles

• Reflector Talk to the interviewer openly about
  your perceptions of the job of mentor teacherand
  how you see your own strengths helping you in
  this challenging role.
• Reflect deeply about how your past
  experiencesboth personal and professionalhave
  enabled you to perform this job well.

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Roles

• Observer Look for evidence of deep reflective
  thought. What did you notice that facilitated
  reflection?
• A. Verbal What did the interviewer say that
  seemed to prompt reflective thought?
• B. Non-verbal What did the interviewer do
  that seemed to facilitate reflection?

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Debrief Reflective Dialogue

• In your triads, think about the following
• What kinds of questions were most effective in
  promoting reflection?
• What other factors contributed to the reflection?
• What conclusions can you draw about reflective
  questioning?

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Facilitating Reflection

• What did you learn from this activity that you
  might be able to transfer to your work as a
  mentor?

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Making a Commitment

• Based on the discussion today, what new ideas or
  affirmations of old ones do you have? Write down
  two or three.
• What are you willing to commit to do with your
  beginning teacher?
• What questions do you have?

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References

• Block, Peter. Flawless Consulting A Guide to
  Getting Your Expertise Used. San Francisco
  Jossey-Bass. 2000.
• Chartier, Myron R. The 1991 Annual Developing
  Human Resources, edited by J. William Pfeiffer.
  San Diego, CA University Associates. 1991.
• Hargrove, Robert. Masterful Coaching
  Extraordinary Results by Impacting People and the
  Way They Think and Work Together
• Ingersoll, R. and Kralik, J. The Impact of
  Mentoring on Teacher Retention What the
  Research Says. Denver Education Commission of
  the States. 2004.
• Marzano, Robert J. What Works in Schools
  Translating Research into Action. Alexandria, VA
  ASCD. 2003.
• Moir, Ellen. The Stages of a Teachers First
  Year. A Better Beginning Supporting and
  Mentoring New Teachers. Ed. By Marge Scherer.
  Arlington, VA ASCD. 1999.
• Rust, Frances OConnell and Freidus, Helen.
  Guiding School Change The Role and Work of
  Change Agents. Teachers College Press, 2001.
• Senge, Peter and others. The Fifth Discipline
  Fieldbook Strategies and Tools for Building a
  Learning Organization. New York Doubleday.
  1994.
• Support for Beginning Teachers Must Become a
  Top Priority. Working Toward Excellence A
  Newsletter of the Best Practices Center. Fall
  2001.