Coming Back From The Dark Side

Jacob is a teacher with experience in the classroom and as an administrator.  This is his story about the transition back into the classroom after years as an administrator.

“For eleven years I taught in the primary grades at a suburban elementary school. Three years ago, I accepted a position as an assistant principal at an elementary school in another district.  During this time, I developed trust among the staff, created consistent discipline policies with students, and built communication with parents. In early October our principal had announced his intention to retire at the conclusion of the school year. Within several weeks I was contacted by our district superintendent and offered the position as principal. I had seen the challenges and opportunities, which were available to me as an administrator, both he and I were proud of what I accomplished.  It would be a demanding position but one at which I knew I could excel. I enjoyed my experiences as an administrator but I did not accept the position as principal.  Instead I asked the superintendent if I could be reassigned to a primary classroom.”

“I can still remember the expression on his face. I missed the kids and I loved teaching. I found that as an administrator I no longer had the connection to them, which I had as a teacher. I was reassigned as a first grade teacher within the district and I have a great amount of respect for school administrators.”   

“Other administrators told me, ‘I could not take such a demotion,’ or ‘I would never degrade myself.’ I never thought of it as a demotion.”

“I would reply, ‘I missed the kids, I loved teaching first grade.’ I really wondered why they were even school principals.”

“I was reassigned to another school within the district. Before the start of the school year, I received a phone call from our mentor program coordinator. He explained that because my teaching experience was in another school district, I was going to be assigned a mentor. ‘You will be an easy one,’ he said and gave me the name of my mentor.”

“When we first spoke it was over the phone. I explained who I was, where I had taught and what I had done as an assistant principal. She explained she had recently been tenured as an intermediate teacher within my new building. She was rather short over the phone. She was quick to remind me that I was no longer on the ‘dark side,’ and was delighted that I would now be able to join the union. Initially, I was convinced my new mentor was intimidated at having a ‘seasoned’ protégé. Nonetheless, I looked forward to being back in the classroom.”

“In time I found her to be insecure, I think she felt obligated to prove herself. She needed to prove that she was an exemplary teacher, and that she could be a good mentor. She later realized that I was her first protégé. She wanted validation from me. I recognized she had strong teaching traits, but she was also overly sarcastic with her intermediate students.”

“I went to her when I thought a student should be referred to for special education services. She said thought it would be a waste of time, nothing would ever happen anyway. I went to her with my concerns, I thought we can always improve in something. Her harsh response was almost disrespectful.”

Questions

1.  How did other people’s perceptions about Jacob’s job change impact his new position?  Generally, why do you think people had the reactions they did to Jacob’s decision to become a classroom teacher again?
2.  What could a mentor do to ensure that Jacob’s experience in a new school went smoothly?  What would be some things for a mentor to avoid?
3. What were the forces at work that caused Jacob’s relationship with his mentor to be strained?
4.  What are some strategies that Jacob could use to make his relationship with his mentor more positive?

Another Look

Jacob’s situation is a classic case of an experienced educator that does not need a professional mentor.  Jacob’s ability to teach is never in question.  Both the school principal and his assigned mentor recognize that he is highly qualified.  So why is he assigned a mentor?  The answer to the question is simple: the district requires teachers new to a school to be assigned a mentor.  Rather than assess the situation on the needs of Jacob, the principal decided to give him a mentor regardless of the fact that the pairing was doomed to failure.  Schools must recognize that experienced teachers new to a district require very little mentoring when it comes to day-to-day practices.  What they require is someone to help them navigate the new cultures of a school.

In the event that an unnecessary mentoring pair is established, this pair should be dissolved entirely or the professional relationship should be modified to accommodate the needs of the new teacher.