Mentoring Matters: Fundamentals of Mentoring Beginning Teachers

1
Mentoring Matters Fundamentals of Mentoring
Beginning Teachers

• Alabama Teacher Mentoring Program

2
Learning Outcomes, Day 2

• Participants will
• Review and practice communication skills
  associated with the development of a
  collaborative working relationship between a
  mentor and a beginning teacher
• Get comfortable with tools that mentors and
  beginning teachers can use to collaboratively
  plan, assess, and document their work
• Explore alternatives for finding time to work
  with beginning teachers
• Develop an informal plan for working with a
  beginning teacher prior to the opening of the
  school year and during the first 4-6 weeks of
  school

3
Agenda Mentoring Matters, Day 2

• Warm-up and review of Day 1
• The HOW of Mentoring
• Communication Skills
• Observation and Feedback
• Collaborative Assessment Log
• The WHEN of Mentoring
• Finding Time to Mentor
• Planning and Making Commitments

4
Find a Partner

• Find someone who is not sitting at your table to
  sign the classroom circle on your handout.
• When they sign your classroom circle, you should
  sign the classroom circle on their paper.
• Then wait to listen for directions.

5
Find a Partner

• Now find a different partner to sign the personal
  circle on your handout.
• Talk about what you remember from Day 1 about the
  emotional concerns of beginning teachers.

6
Find a Partner

• Find a partner to sign the School circle on your
  handout.
• Think back to the Day 1 session when we talked
  about the Who of Mentoring. Who are the key
  players in helping the beginning teacher
  transition successfully?

7
The How of Mentoring Communication Strategies

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

8
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

9
Listening

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

10
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

11
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

12
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!

13
Questioning

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

14
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?

15
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
  ____?

16
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.

17
Reflective Dialogue

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

18
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.

19
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?

20

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

21
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.

22
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.

23
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?

24
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?

25
The How of Mentoring Facilitating Reflection

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

26
The How of Mentoring Classroom Observations

• Refer to the questions on the handout, Someones
  Watching Over Me
• Quickly record answers to the questions
• Stand and find your classroom partner to share
  responses

• Be prepared to share one or two insights based on
  your discussion.

27
Classroom Observations

• Positives

• Negatives

28
The How of Mentoring Successful Observations

• Successful classroom observations include three
  essential elements
• A pre-determined focus
• A specific method of gathering evidence
• A structured conversation for feedback

29
The How of Mentoring The Observation Cycle
Pre-Observation Conference Establish the focus
Teach/Observe lesson
Follow-up Conference Debrief lesson
30
Identify the Focus

• We see what we are looking for.

31
Identify the Focus

• When appropriate, work collaboratively to
  establish the focus for an upcoming observation.
  
• Let the beginning teacher take the lead in this
  decision.

32
Identify the Focus Role Play

• Form groups of three.
• Each group needs to have one member playing the
  role of mentor teacher, beginning teacher, and
  observer.
• Select the card that describes your situation.
  Read through it and take a minute to prepare for
  the role play in which the mentor and beginning
  teacher will select a focus area for an upcoming
  observation.

33
Data Collection Format

• Once the focus is established, the mentor and
  beginning teacher should agree on a specific
  procedure for collecting evidence related to the
  focus of the observations

34
Evidence vs. Opinion

• What is Evidence?
• Actions, by teacher or students
• Statements or questions, by teacher or students
• Appearance of the classroom

35
Types of Evidence to Collect During Observations

• Verbatim scripting of teacher or student
  comments
• Could one person from each table collect
  materials?

36
Types of Evidence to Collect During Observations

• Non-evaluative statements of observed teacher or
  student behavior
• The teacher stands by the door, greeting
  students as they enter.

37
Types of Evidence to Collect During Observations

• 3. Numeric information about time, student
  participation, resource use, etc.
• Three of the 18 students offer most of the
  comments during discussion.

38
Types of Evidence to Collect During Observations

• An observed aspect of the environment
• The assignment is on the board for students to
  do while roll is taken.

39
Evidence or Opinion?

• Find your personal partner.
• With your partner, read the example on your
  handout. Ss students T teacher
• Decide if it is an example of evidence (E) or
  opinion (O).
• If it is an opinion, rewrite it as evidence.

40
Review of AQTS

• With your partner, identify which of the
  standards is best represented by each example.
• Select a standard (numbered 1-5) and an Indicator
  (phrases in bold print, A-F) under the standard.

41
If your focus is

• Are all students engaged? Are they all
  participating during class?
• .What data might you collect? In what format?

42
If your focus is

• Am I differentiating successfullyso that my
  lower-achieving students are getting the
  lesson?
• .What data might you collect while observing?
  What other data might you want to look at with
  your beginning teacher?

43
If your focus is

• Am I having any success improving the behavior
  of certain students in the classroom? What else
  might I do? Are they disrupting other students?
• .What data might you want to collect while
  observing? What would you want to know before
  you observe? What other data might you want to
  look at with the beginning teacher?

44
Observation

• The emphasis is not on judgment but on providing
  a record of what happened in order for this data
  to be worked on by the mentor and the beginning
  teacher.
• Adapted from Randall and Thornton, Advising and
  Supporting Teachers, 2001.

45
Scheduling Observations

• Observations are well-planned they are not
  surprise visits
• Schedule when the beginning teacher feels most
  comfortable
• Schedule when the observing teacher has available
  time enlist the support of your principal to
  make these arrangements

46
How Long is an Observation?

• It dependson the focus, on the class, on the
  teacher.
• Allow at least 20 minutes for an observation
• Five minutes to get settled into the classroom
• Fifteen minutes to collect data

47
Readying the Students

• Dont forget to prepare the students!
• Explain the role of the visiting teacher
• Explain the role of the students during the
  observation

48

• Coaching is not telling people what to do
  its giving them a chance to examine what they
  are doing in the light of their intentions.

James Flaherty, Coaching Evoking Excellence in
Others.
49

• When you start giving people the solutions,
  its easy to take away their power. You take
  away their accountability.It is better to ask
  questions and to listen.

Robert Hargrove, Masterful Coaching
Extraordinary Results by Impacting People and the
Way They Think and Work Together, p. 56
50
The How of Mentoring Praise, Question, Polish
(PQP)

• PQP is a tool for the structured conversation
  following the observation. Two essential
  components
• Inclusion of affirmations
• Provision of non-directive feedback through
  questions, which give teachers opportunities to
  reflect on practice

Gloria Neubert, Improving Teaching Through
Coaching, PDK Fastback 277.
51
Effective Feedback

• is non-directive

Tell them what to do differently
52
Praise

• Identify what went well in the observed lesson.
• Remember the focus of the observation and relate
  the positive comments to that focus.
• Ask the beginning teacher, What do you think
  went well?

53
Praise

• Contingent
• Specific
• Sincere
• Varied
• Credible

54
Questions

• Clarifying Questions are used to
• Gather additional information
• Help understand something you observed
• Express reservations in a non-directive way

55
Questions

• Eliciting Questions
• Help teacher hypothesize or speculate
• Extend teacher thinking

56
Polish

• Remember, your main job is to LISTEN.
• Ask questions that will help the observed teacher
  reflect and make decisions for POLISHing a lesson.

57
Give Polish Feedback in the Form of Questions

• Leading Questions
• Encourages reflection on specific methodology
• Ask, dont tell
• Gives teacher final decision about classroom
  strategies

58
PraiseQuestionPolish

• Watch the video of the mentor and beginning
  teacher as they participate in a PQP
  post-observation conference.
• Be alert to what the mentor teacher does welland
  the ways in which the conference might be
  polished.

59
PraiseQuestionPolish

• Based on what you know about the PQP as a format
  for feedback, in what ways does the protocol keep
  the conference focused? Positive? Reflective?

60
The How of Mentoring Practice the PQP

• Turn to page 16 in the Continuum. Read through
  the first two levels of Indicator 2.7, Creates
  learning activities that optimize each
  individuals growth and achievement within a
  supportive environment.
• As you read, imagine evidence you might (a) see
  in the classroom or (b) hear the beginning
  teacher describethat would relate to this
  indicator.

61
Practice with PQP

• Read the vignette of Shondra, a beginning
  teacher, imagining that you are her mentor. As
  you read, be thinking about how you might prepare
  for a post-observation conference.
• Role play, with your partner, a PQP session.

62
Practice with PQP

• Watch the video of a first-year teacher.
• Think about how you would facilitate a PQP
  post-observation conference.
• What questions would you ask?
• Talk about how you would follow-up with this
  teacher after the conference.

63
The How of Mentoring Classroom Observations

• What questions do you have about the strategy of
  observing?
• Around which kinds of issues would observation be
  a good strategy for mentors to use?

64
The How of Mentoring Mentor Stances
Collaborate
Initiate
Respond
65
The How of Mentoring Mentor Stances

• Mentor identifies the target or focus based on
  evidence
• Mentor provides information or prompts reflection
  by beginning teacher

Initiate
66
The How of Mentoring Mentor Stances

• Beginning teacher identifies a problem or target
• Mentor responds to the problem by offering
  suggestions and solutions, directing beginning
  teacher to resources, or engaging in discussion
  and reflection with beginning teacher

Respond
67
The How of Mentoring Mentor Stances
Collaborate

• Together, mentor and beginning teacher identify
  target or focus area for improvement
• Together, under the mentors guidance, the mentor
  and beginning teacher create solutions

68
The How of Mentoring Mentor Stances
Collaborate
Initiate
Respond
69
The How of Mentoring An Essential Tool

• Collaborative Assessment Log
• Heres what
• So what
• Now what

70
The How of Mentoring Collaborative Assessment
Log

• Serves the following functions
• Focus and clarity
• Ongoing assessment data
• Possible solutions, actions, next steps
• Accountability for both the beginning teacher
  and the mentor
• Guidance for the mentors support

71
The How of Mentoring Collaborative Assessment Log

• Watch the video of a mentor and beginning teacher
  as they work collaboratively to establish goals
  and assess progress.
• After you have watched, talk with a partner
• What did you see that was positive in this
  interaction?
• What suggestions do you have for improvement?

72
Practice with the Collaborative Assessment Log

• The next activity will provide an opportunity to
  use the collaborative assessment log in a
  role-playing situation.
• To prepare, review the Communication Tips
  introduced earlier in this session.

73
Partner Practice

• Outcomes
• To practice using the Communication Tips
• To practice using the Collaborative Assessment Log

74

• Read the scenario about Barbara, a beginning
  teacher, and Sandra, her mentor.
• As you read, think about how you might facilitate
  her thinking and formative assessment in a
  collaborative manner.

75
Partner Practice

• Hold a 10-minute conversation with one person
  being Barbara, the beginning teacher the other,
  Sandra, the mentor.
• Use the Collaborative Assessment Log to guide the
  conversation. Sandra uses the Log to record
  ideas.
• After 10 minutes, switch roles.

76
Debrief Partner Practice

• What purpose(s) did the Collaborative Assessment
  Log serve?
• In what ways did you use the Continuum?
• How did you feel as Barbara? Which communication
  strategies were most supportive?
• How did it feel to be the mentor?

77
The How of Mentoring Reflective Journaling or
Email

• One of the ways that mentors and beginning
  teachers can communicate is through the written
  word. A journalthat gets passed back and forth
  between the mentor and beginning teacheris one
  way to accomplish this.
• Mentors can write a reflective note and drop it
  by the beginning teachers room.
• After he or she reads it, the beginning teacher
  can respond in writing and send it back.
• Alternatively, use email, facebook, and IM to
  communicate with one another.

78
The How of Mentoring Reflective Journaling or
Email

• Write about your expectations and concerns as you
  undertake the work of a mentor this year.

79
Tips for Journal Responses

• Be sincere.
• Respond with empathy. If appropriate
• Summarize the problem and feelings in your own
  words
• Share a similar experience from your own
  background
• Pose questions to extend thinking
• Question to clarify, to get behind thinking, or
  to pose a what if?
• Remain non-judgmental
• Share related resources and information
• Respond to questions with suggestions
• Stay focused and positive

80
Partner Practice Reflective Journaling

• Trade journals.
• Read through your partners entry and respond in
  writing. Try to use the Tips for Journal
  Responses on the previous slide.

81
Partner Practice Reflective Journaling

• Read your partners response.
• Talk with your partner about the experience of
  writing and responding.
• In what ways is this experience different than a
  conversation?
• What cautions must you take?

82
The When of Mentoring Documenting activities

• Mentor Log Record of Time and Activity was
  created as a way for mentors to log the time they
  spend in this role.

83
Finding Time

• Read through the ideas for finding time from
  Alabama mentors, who sent their ideas to the
  state department.
• Which ones give you ideas for how you might find
  time to spend with your beginning teacher?

84
Finding Time

• Find your school partner.
• Share one idea you have about finding more
  timethat you can create on your own with your
  mentee.
• Then identify one idea that you would like to
  share with your school and system administrators
  so that next year might provide more time for
  face-to-face contact.

85
The When of Mentoring Planning for the Mentor
Year

• The job of mentor can not be prescribed. But it
  should be planned.
• Take some time to think about the school year,
  your beginning teacher, and where you believe the
  two of you want to focus your efforts across the
  year.
• Use the planning document to guide your thinking.

86
References

• Baron, Wendy and White, Jan. Professional
  Development for Mentors A Facilitators Guide
  for Induction Program Leaders. Santa Cruz, UCSC
  New Teacher Center. 2004.
• Block, Peter. Flawless Consulting A Guide to
  Getting Your Expertise Used. San Francisco
  Jossey-Bass. 2000.
• Carr, Judy F., Herman, Nancy, and Harris,
  Douglas E. Creating Dynamic Schools Through
  Mentoring, Coaching, and Collaboration.
  Alexandria, VA ASCD. 2005.
• Chartier, Myron R. The 1991 Annual Developing
  Human Resources, edited by J. William Pfeiffer.
  San Diego, CA University Associates. 1991.
• Darling-Hammond, L. Keeping Good Teachers Why
  it Matters What Leaders Can Do. Educaitonal
  Leadership, 60(8), 6-13
• Hargrove, Robert. Masterful Coaching
  Extraordinary Results by Impacting People and the
  Way They Think and Work Together
• Holden, J. Mentoring Frameworks for Texas
  Teachers Revised Edition. East Lansing, MI
  National Center for Research on Teacher Learning.
  (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED
  398227) 1995.
• Ingersoll, R. and Kralik, J. The Impact of
  Mentoring on Teacher Retention What the
  Research Says. Denver Education Commission of
  the States. 2004.

87
References, contd.

• 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.
• National Commission on Teaching and Americas
  Future. No Dream Denied A Pledge to Americas
  Children. Washington, D.C. Author. 2003.
• 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.
• Stansbury, Kendyll and Zimmerman, Joy. Smart
  induction programs become lifelines for the
  beginning teacher. Journal of Staff
  Development. Volume 23, Number 4. Fall 2002.
• Support for Beginning Teachers Must Become a
  Top Priority. Working Toward Excellence A
  Newsletter of the Best Practices Center. Fall
  2001.
• Teacher Induction and Mentoring Manual, Alabama
  State Department of Education, Title II Teacher
  Quality Enhancement Project, p. V-103.