new teacher mentoring
DESCRIPTION
For many new teachers, many aspects of teaching are terrifying, and it is often only after considerable experience that some of those fears begin to subside. By addressing and working to mitigate these fears, we are able to create a more positive and welcoming environment for teachers and students alike. This presentation discusses recent research on the fears and needs most frequently reported by new teachers as well as best practices in mentoring for new teachers. Participants will be encouraged to consider how they can establish or improve new teacher mentoring at their own schools or programs. Speaker Information: STEADMAN, Angel Angel Steadman is the Teacher Training Coordinator at the Center for English as a Second Language with the University of Arizona, USA. She has taught writing and ESL in a variety of nonprofit organizations and educational settings, and she currently oversees ESL/EFL teacher training courses in the US as well as parts of Asia and Latin America. She has published on topics including using video for English teaching and strategies for teaching students to use strong verbs in writing. LEE, Jeremy Jeremy Lee is the Student Activities Coordinator at the Center for English as a Second Language with the University of Arizona, USA, where he teaches in both the intensive English and teacher training programs. He has taught EFL in Japan and has trained teachers in Mexico and China. His interests include teacher training and strategies for encouraging language learning through extracurricular activities.TRANSCRIPT
New Teacher Fears and Needs: Improving New Teacher MentoringCamTESOL Conference, February 22 – 23, 2014Jeremy Lee and Angel Steadman
Welcome!Today’s discussion:
What is mentoring? Research questions Research results Recommendations Discussion and Q&A
Types of MentoringPre-service: mentoring that takes place during
the training or education phase
Induction: mentoring that takes place during the first 1 – 2 years of teaching
In-service (also called peer): mentoring that takes place between experienced teachers, often focusing on a specific area in need of improvement
Why do we mentor?(Huling-Austin 1990)
To improve teaching performance
To increase the retention of promising beginning teachers during the induction years
To promote the personal and professional well-being of beginning teachers by improving teachers’ attitudes toward themselves and the profession
To satisfy mandated requirements related to induction and certification
To transmit the culture of the system to beginning teachers
Common Elements of MentoringClass observations/visitations
Orientation to school policies and procedures
Formative assessments/evaluations and advising
Our QuestionsWhat are the biggest fears and needs of new
teachers, and how well does our school’s new teacher mentoring program address these?
How can new teacher mentoring be improved based on best practices at other institutions?
Research Interviews with instructors at the Intensive
English and Academic Bridge Programs at the Center for English as a Second Language, University of Arizona New teachers (<2 years) with no or little previous
teaching experience New teachers with experience teaching elsewhere Teachers who have completed the mentoring
program
Literature review and application
Survey Findings New teachers struggle most with:
Managing the workload (corroborated by McCann & Johannesen 2008)
Establishing a teacher persona (including classroom management style) and respect from students and colleagues (corroborated by McCann & Johannessen 2009b)
Assessment and grading (not found frequently in literature – reasons?)
Practical aspects of lesson planning – ideas for activities, etc. (seen widely in the literature)
Teachers report needing less help with orientation to procedures and technologies from their mentors
The mentoring relationship alone is not enough
What Works (for us) In-depth weekly meetings with mentors
Observations of experienced teachers working in similar areas
Feedback on teaching from mentors and administrators
Ongoing workshops and training sessions with administrators and veteran teachers
What Doesn’t Work (for us) Too much attention to training in technology and
procedures – teachers prefer to learn as they go
Not enough interaction or collaboration between new and veteran faculty members
No centralized guide for processes, resources, and expectations
No established learner communities for new teachers to work or meet together – places for “brainstorming” and “troubleshooting”
More guidance on student expectations
Some mentors more helpful than others
Suggestions for Improvement#1: Better recruitment and training of mentors
#2: Facilitation of learning/mentoring communities
#3: More opportunities for interaction between new and veteran teachers – coteaching possibilities, faculty mixers, etc.
#4: Mentoring isn’t enough!
#1: Better recruitment and training of mentorsMake better use of mentor training guides:
Portner 2005, 2008; Sweeny 2008; Eckerman Pitton 2006; Zachary 2012
Enhancing and supporting mentor reflection and motivation (Zachary 2012)
Focus on educative mentoring by “go[ing] beyond emotional or psychological support and resource procurement and base their practice on the premise that learning to teach requires creating learning opportunities that involve the mentee intellectually in her or his [ZPD]” (Schwille 2008)
#2: Facilitation of learning/mentoring communities Areas of reflection and support for one another
(McCann & Johannesssen 2009; Meyer 2002; Portner 2008; Eckerman Pitton 2006; McCann & Johannessen 2009) “Learning from experience requires that a teacher be able
to look back on his or her own teaching and consequences. The ordinary school setting does not lend itself to such reflection. It is characterized by speed, solitude, and amnesia” (Shulman 1988, qtd. in Meyer 2002)
Mitigates sense of isolation new teachers feel (Andrews & Quinn 2005; Boreen & Niday 2000)
Provides a non-threatening and non-evaluative space for new teachers to discuss problems and concerns (Meyer 2002)
#3: More opportunities for interaction between new and veteran teachersCoteaching possibilities
Faculty mixers
Changing the culture and climate of the school at large
Bringing administrators in as mentors as well (Fibkins 2002) Difficult to accomplish due to time and job
constraints, but works to “level the playing field” and validate the concerns of new teachers
#4: Mentoring isn’t enough! Mentoring should be one component of a larger
induction program (Olebe 2005; Smith & Ingersoll 2004)
Encourage ongoing professional development after mentoring and induction process is complete (Keengwe & Kyei-Blankson 2013; Cullingford 2006): Organize colloquia and workshops Encourage use of webinars and webcasts Provide teachers with access to useful resources such as
websites, magazines, and a library of materials Develop social networks for new teachers to engage with
one another Offer peer coaching and mentoring opportunities for
teachers after they are no longer considered “new”
Back to you…What sorts of new teacher mentoring and/or
induction happen in your institution?
What works best? What doesn’t seem to be working?
What sorts of fears do you see in your new teachers? Are these different from what we’ve discussed today?
Questions?
Thank you!Angel Steadman
Teacher Training Coordinator
Email: [email protected]
Jeremy Lee
Student Activities Coordinator
Email: [email protected]
References Andrews, B. D., & Quinn, R. J. (2005). The Effects of Mentoring on
First-Year Teachers’ Perceptions of Support Received. The Clearing House. Vol. 78, No. 3. 110-116.
Boreen, J. & Niday, D. (2000). Breaking through the isolation: Mentoring beginning teachers. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy. Vol. 44, No. 2. 152-163.
Cullingford, C. (2006). Mentoring in Education: An International Perspective. Burlington, VT: Ashgate Publishing.
Eckerman Pitton, D. (2006). Mentoring Novice Teachers: Fostering a Dialogue Process. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
Fibkins, W.L. (2002). An Administrator’s Guide to Better Teacher Mentoring. Lanham, MA: Scarecrow Press.
Huling-Austin, L. (1990). Teacher induction programs and internships. In Houston, W. R. Handbook of Research on Teacher Education. Reston, VA: Association of Teacher Educators.
References, cont. Keengwe, J. & Kyei-Blankson, L. (2013). Virtual Mentoring for Teachers:
Online Professional Development Practices. Hershey, PA: IGI Global.
McCann, T.M., & Johannessen, L. (2008). Mentoring Matters: Defying Conventional Wisdom. The English Journal. Vol. 98, No. 1. 90-92.
McCann, T. M., & Johannessen, L. (2009a). Mentoring Matters: The Challenge for Teacher Education. The English Journal. Vol. 98, No. 5. 108-111.
McCann, T. M. & Johannessen, L. (2009b). Mentoring Matters: What Teacher Education Programs Can Do to Help. The English Journal. Vol. 98, No. 6. 92-94.
Meyer, T. (2002). Novice Teacher Learning Communities: An Alternative to One-on-One Mentoring. American Secondary Education. Vol. 31, No. 1. 27-42.
Olebe, M. (2005). Helping New Teachers Enter and Stay in the Profession. The Clearing House. Vol. 78, No. 4. 158-163.
References, cont. Portner, H. (2005). Teacher Mentoring and Induction: The State
of the Art and Beyond. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
Portner, H. (2008). Mentoring New Teachers, 3rd Ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
Schwille, S. A. (2008). The Professional Practice of Mentoring. American Journal of Education. Vol. 115, No. 1. 139-167.
Smith, T. M., & Ingersoll, R. M. (2004). What Are the Effects of Induction and Mentoring on Beginning Teacher Turnover? American Educational Research Journal. Vol. 41, No. 3. 681-714.
Sweeny, B. W. (2008). Leading the Teacher Induction and Mentoring Program, 2nd Ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
Zachary, L.J. (2012). The Mentor’s Guide: Facilitating Effective Learning Relationships, 2nd Ed. San Francisco, CA: Wiley & Sons.