User talk:Racheles

Introduction

Teachers as well as students need someone to listen to them and to help them with problems that they may be facing. A mentor is defined as a trusted counselor or guide. New teachers are faced with many overwhelming, new experiences that are why having a mentor is effective not only for the growth of the teacher but also for the growth of the school. What do mentors bring to the classroom? “The mentor is supposed to just be there when you need her for whatever. They [the novice teachers] know that, and I establish that with them at the very beginning, that I’m here to help you in any capacity but what I do is make suggestion. And I tell them, if you don’t follow them its all right. Maybe what I suggest is something that you feel that you can’t use. –Terri, mentor teacher in Los Angeles” (Nemser and Parker).Mentors may not be able to fix the entire problem that may arise for new teachers but their suggestions make a difference. Someone close to a mentor would be a support teacher. “I see myself as someone who thinks with the clients I’m working with and can maybe help turn their thinking toward paths of growth that they think would be useful for themselves… There’s also a little bit of me in their thinking…So I make suggestion and help people to look at possibilities, but id never force them to take that road.-Pete, support teacher in Albuquerque (Nemser and Parker). Experienced teachers can become mentors and help new teachers stay positive in the classroom.

What are the benefits of having mentors?

“The chance to “mentor” a new teacher addresses two serious problems in teaching, the abrupt and unsupported entry of novices into the field and difficulty of keeping good, experienced teachers in the classroom” (nemser and parker). According to most professionals having a mentor gets rid of the “sink or swim” mentality. Earlier in the Education institution they would throw teachers to the classrooms right out of school without anyone to guide them in their new experiences. Having a mentor gives the new teacher more support and keeps them learning and growing in their position. “Mentors are to guide the new teachers, to provide assistance, to help them in securing skills-all the things that the teachers are lacking, that they have either not had because they’ve not had any teacher classes and those everyday things that they learn just by virtue of teaching” (Nemser and Patrick).

What are the guidelines for Mentors?

Mentors are important for teachers and the school because they give the support that the teacher needs to keep learning and teaching what they have learned. “Mentor teacher programs utilizing specially trained public school teachers as mentors to provide assistance and professional support to teachers entering the profession and to improve the performance of experienced teachers who are not performing at an acceptable level” (Mentor Teacher Programs). Teachers who have already been teaching for a while already have that security and experience in the classroom that they can share with new upcoming teachers. According to different studies “varying degrees of trauma associated with newness, such that it was equally difficult to begin teaching in a new setting” (Zimpher and Rieger).

The Background of the Mentor program

In 1985-1991 “The Beginning Teacher Assistance Program (BTAP), initiated in 1985 as the first support program for beginning teachers, evolved into a performance assessment required for licensure. BTAP was rescinded by the General Assembly in 1991” (Mentor Teacher Programs). From 1987 to 2000 the General Assembly has been making many new decisions on mentoring for teachers. The Virginia General Assembly appropriated an additional 300,000 for mentor teacher programs and in 2000 there was the Quality Enhancement Act requiring a mentor for every beginning teacher (Mentor Teacher Programs).

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How do Mentors affect new teachers?

Mentors across the board help new teacher’s everyday in the schools. “Mentor programs help beginning teachers make a successful transition into teaching by relying on the expertise of veterans to provide a clinical, real-world training process” (Mentor Teacher Program). According to the article Mentor Teacher Programs new teachers who are mentored receive higher ratings from their principals, develop better planning skills, handle discipline problems more effectively and conduct more productive classroom discussions. Here is a story of a girl Julia who had the spark to teach but found out that it was harder than she thought “As the school year wore on, Julia wore out. Teaching left her with feelings of disillusionment, shattering her idealism. By June, Julia decided to leave teaching and to pursue another career” (Marge Scherer). Why mentors are important Mentors are important because they offer the new teacher a chance to enjoy what they love doing without becoming overwhelmed by the new stresses faced in the class room. Once the teacher has been there for a while they themselves can help out the new teacher by becoming their mentor.

I think that every teacher should have a mentor beside them giving them advice and support. As we have seen previously it isn’t all about the showing them away around the school and class room, it is also about the emotional support and the needs that the new teacher needs. We all remember when we have started something new and how we were frightened by that fear of the unknown, being a new teacher is the same they are trying to come out on top because they know that this is the career that they want to pursue. Mentors are important they not only support their fellow co-workers but they also allow them to pursue the job that they have dreamed of.

Board of Education (2000).Division of Teacher Education and Licensure. Guidelines for Mentor Teacher Programs for beginning and Experienced Teachers.

Feimann-Nemser, Author's first name initialSharron, & Parker, Michelle (1992). National Center for Research on Teacher Learning. Metoring in Context: A comparison of Two U.S programs for Beginning Teachers.

Zimpher, Author's first name initialNAncy L, & Rieger, Susan R (1988). Mentoring teachers: What are the issues?

Scherer, Marge A Better Beginning. Supporting and Mentoring New teachers.