Tier+Three+Discussions

We can use this page as a discussion board.

One of the sections of our Principals' Guide for Mentoring is what are the main things teachers need to know at the beginning of their first year of teaching. Once we begin to define that, we can organize our mentoring program to address those needs. What are your thoughts about the MAIN things a teacher needs to know as discussed in our article "What New Teachers Need to Learn?"

PROCEDURES! How to handle attendance, lunch counts, grades, schedules, etc. Things never taught in college. Bren

I think Brenda's ideas are very good and we need to keep those in mind as we put the handbook together. For now, I am particularly interested in how we support new teachers in the "teaching" part of their job that is discussed in this particular article. Julie

The statement that jumped out at me is "Keeping teachers in teaching is not the same as helping them become good teachers." I really liked this article. It is critical that we acclimate teachers to school, the parking lot, the copy machine, etc. However, we really need to help new teachers learn their craft. We perhaps need to think of new teachers like apprentices to a trade. I also agree with the author, however, that just because you are a good teacher does not mean that you know HOW to impart the knowledge of your craft onto your protégé. The training of mentors is critical to the mentoring process. They need to be trained in how help teachers IMPROVE their teaching craft. As an application for our handbook, I think that it is critical that principals be involved with assigning quality mentors to new teachers. Principals need to be proactive in this activity and make it a priority in their schools. These colleagues will be important in imparting values onto the new teacher. We need POSITIVE people in the schools working with our new teachers. Tammy Dunn

Creating this section, I believe we need to address the stressors of the job. Helping new teachers not only look for inovative ways to teach skills, but we need to remember that one thing children have in common is what my son would call "No Fear." They are willing to take chances as they learn until they are stopped by being critizied for not having the right answers. We have to have rules, we have to have expectations that all do class work, homework, work when we are suppose to work, play when we are suppose to play, to walk in a striaght line to and from, etc. Teachers get very frustrated becasue they are trying to follow the culture rules, but it's all in our attitude. Students don't turn in work, okey what do you do - punish or do you find a creative way to get them to turn it in. For example, turn in your work one day by folding it into an airplane and throwing it in the basket. Of course, if you don't have homework, you don't get to throw an airplane. Okey, next time, I might just have my homework. We need to teach teachers that children today are smarter than ever and we need to relate the work we are trying to impart relevant to where the child is in relations to his/her experiences. Making things fun can releive a stressor a new teacher faces when students don't cooperate with the rules. We have to have a bag of tricks at all times. Teachers need to know this. We need to create a list of tricks for them. With procedures, just like with students, we need to teach, model, give opportunity to practice and check what they are doing and help as needed. If teachers feel you care, and want them to be their best, providing constructive criticism will hopefull relieve these stressors. Teachers need to understand why research is so important, so that we don't create another group of teachers that see strategies come and go that we know "this too shall pass." Everyone thought ARI would go away, it hasn't and won't, becasue it was so carefully reseached and put together. I know research says explicit instruction, but we have to teach teachers what that looks like. Again, we or our carefully selected mentors or both, need to model, teach why it's important, and give time to practice. We can't assume anything when it comes to the learning of our students. Frances Finney

New teachers come about because of a change (e.g. retirement, resignation, termination, creation of a new unit, etc.). The question a principal must first answer BEFORE hiring is who are we looking to hire and why? It is an opportunity to positively change the culture of the building.

I believe mentoring/induction begins at the interview. In other words, I am hiring a teacher to create change or create momentum. I do not like status quo so why hire individuals to maintain it. We can all get better (including your’s truly). Therefore, I try to hire competent individuals who bring positive qualities/characteristics to my teaching teams. It is not competition within my building that I promote. It is the idea of dominance among schools within the state. I want my students to dominate in everything they do. I want our staff/teachers to feel free to try new teaching styles to make this happen. I think Maslow’s needs are important. The critical leadership component for me was defining the following:

What do I want the students to achieve by the end of the school year to be considered successful? (e.g. subgroup increase in ARMT testing, etc.) What is my leadership style and how will it impact my staff? Where are our weaknesses and how will our new staff impact on those weaknesses and strengths? What is our school culture? Is it conducive to change? Do we communicate? How many changes can I make this year or do I need to change anything? Priorities are critical.

So, I think we need a principal’s assessment sheet in our handbook that asks the principal to define his/her priorities, define expectations of teachers in the eyes of the principal, describe the culture, and iterate the philosophy of the principal. If we cannot restate these to staff, we are failing to provide support new teachers need.

Teacher dropout/turnover is a direct result of teacher dissatisfaction with the job. The principal and teaching team did not communicate priorities, expectations, culture, and philosophy. Once these are defined, every professional development opportunity, every expenditure needs to be based on these ideas.

Many of my new teachers stated they came to HMS because they feel supported, but they also feel a sense of urgency to change (positively). They want to be on the cutting edge. They (the teachers) want to try things without being told no. I try to look for ways to say yes and find funding to support teachers so that they can actively and positively engage my students to dominate in the academic and athletic realms. I partner new teachers with a TEAM of teachers who teach the same group of students. I provide time for consultation and make that time a priority. I meet with new teachers and encourage my lead mentor to meet with them every two weeks. I provide time for my lead mentor and mentors to meet with and observe my new teachers. Most importantly, I ask them what can I do to help you help my students? I think this helps with the stress issue, which the article associates as a major factor in teacher turnover.

Maybe we should provide a check list for principals:

Do you provide teacher teams for support? Do you provide professional development opportunities for new teachers? Do you visit new teacher classroom more than once a month? Do you meet with new teachers and ask them how they are feeling? How are they handling lesson planning, etc?

Roll Tide ~ Brett Kirkham

ROLL TIDE!

Brett is right on the "high expectation" we should have for administrators. Although there will be some naysayers. We can overcome. One suggestion for the above checklist would be to provide some suggestions as to what we expect under each question. For ex., Do you provide teacher teams for support? Some ways you can support new teachers are...

Frances Finney _ Many new teachers also need help with classroom management skills. Good mentors should be able to assist new teachers with addressing classroom behavior expectations. New teachers who do not send the “right message” on the first day will suffer for the rest of the year unless the mentor is prepared to vigorously step in with suggestions after the fact. Ideally, as Mr. Kirkham suggested, the new teacher will be paired with a pro-active mentor who can provide those suggestions from the start. Christopher

_ I read the article and I believe new teachers need more practice and a dedicated mentor whose primary job is that of a mentor.

Practice: First, we need to redefine the teaching curriculum in college. Would you like to have a doctor who has not sufficiently practiced his skills or do you want him to practice on you as he goes along? I have never had a new teacher who has experienced the opening of school or the closing of school. This is particularly important if the new teacher is going to have some first day measure of success. The first day or the first week sets the tone for the year. It is very difficult to teach what happens on the first day. This is an experience and it should not be just a textbook explanation.

Is possible to go back to the mentoring program that Jefferson County had about eight years ago? Although I am not familiar with all the details of the program but I believe having a dedicated mentor was a positive aspect of the program. The dedicated mentor was someone who could literally go into the classroom to model behavior, teach techniques, and teach. It was quality! My mentor teacher spent her first day taking care of her first day responsibilities and could not help the new teacher on the first day. It would have been nice for her to help the new teachers with lunch money, writing reciepts, and etc.

Tammy said we should treat new teachers like apprentices. This sounds like a good reason to revisit the Jefferson County Mentor Program.

Harold Jackson