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Characterisitics of Successful Mentoring Programs

After a brief presentation by Barry Sweeny of the Kane County ROE, table groups worked to define the difference approaches needed to capture the full potential of mentoring. From that activity and subsequent discussion, it was determined that effective induction programs should try to incorporate strategies, processes, and events which address all three of the purposes discussed.
The following information was developed from that activity.
We encourage you to use this collected "wisdom" to guide your work in supporting new teachers and their students.

Effective induction programs should try to address all three purposes: orientation, improvement of instruction, and changing the norms.

INDUCTION PROGRAM PURPOSES PROGRAM COMPONENTS	TO ORIENT to setting, expectations & curriculum	To IMPROVE INSTRUCTION	To CHANGE THE NORMS of the school CULTURE
1. The mentor is a model of...	Answers: Knowledge about the school, people, community, traditions, expectations, resources & curriculum.	BEST PRACTICE: An outstanding teacher whose students are all successful every day	CONTINUAL LEARNER: open to ffed back, is collaborative, collegial, and wants to improve.
2. The mentor's roles and tasks are...	Activity-based, to guide and direct the protege through each job responsibility so it's well done.	Observing & coaching the protege to reflect on & modify practices to improve student learning results.	Explicitly demonstrate and discuss the journey educators undertake together to be the best we can be.
3. Mentor selection is based on...	Has a few years of experience, has "people" skills, is willing to help, and is practical.	Demonstration of the district's model of effective teaching and can communicate clearly.	Willingness to learn in front of others, think out loud, be vulnerable and openly idealistic.
4. Mentor & protege matching is based on...	Proximity to each other, similar grade level and job responsibilities.	Common planning time, mentor strengths in areas the protege needs help, personal compatability.	An expectation that different view points will accelerate the M/P pair's learning & growth.
5. The mentoring process is...	A series of checklists to go through, activities to accomplish, and knowledge to learn and use.	A recurring cycle planning, observation, data collection, analysis, reflection, and revisions.	A developmental model for teaching students as well as for our professional relationships.
6. Mentor training is focused on...	Defining info that new teachers need to learn and planning who will do each of the tasks.	Skills of conferencing, design of data collection tools, observation and data collection, and asking questions that prompt reflection & analysis.	Strategies for surviving as a teacher leader in a "counter culture" program, for turning negatives into positives, for facilitating growth in others.
7. Protege training is focused on...	Orientation to the district and school, to the expectations, the need to initially defer to the wisdom of the mentor.	The effective teaching model, its strategies and research base, the coaching model, and expectations.	The continual learner concept, the district intent to restructure roles and relationships to professionalize teaching.
8. On-going mentor support is needed for...	If any, reminders of tasks to do throughout the year.	Practice and refinement of teaching and coaching skills and strategies, and communication skills.	Problem solving, skills for survival in a counter culture initiative, and peer support to reduce isolation & retain the vision. Mentor support requires living out/modeling a learning community so that mentors experience it and then can share it with their protege and with students in their own classroom.
9. The mentor program coordinator role is...	An initial trainer and a monitor that mentoring tasks are completed.	A coach to the coaches, a coordinator of the logistics for coaching, a model of reflection and self-analysis.	A mentor of mentors, encouraging, supporting mentors, "keeper" of the vision, a problem solver, a model of a continual learner & openness to feed back.

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