Mentoring and Induction Program Evaluative Report 2019-2020
National Center for Urban Education College of Education – Illinois State University 773.522.1780 ncue.illinoisstate.edu
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Program Description ...... 3
Methodology ...... 3
MENTEE PARTICIPANTS ...... 4
Mentorship Effectiveness ...... 10
Mentorship Categories ...... 11
Mentee Open-Ended Responses ...... 12
MENTOR PARTICIPANTS ...... 15
Mentor Motivations ...... 20
Program Impact ...... 20
Mentorship Categories ...... 21
Mentor Open-Ended Responses ...... 22
2 Program Description In 2019-2020, Illinois State University's National Center for Urban Education™ (NCUE) worked to support alumni who have recently begun teaching in Chicago Public Schools (CPS) and Peoria Public Schools (PPS) with induction and mentoring programs. These programs are designed to assist beginning teachers develop in their careers. NCUE recruits veteran in-building teachers to pair with recent ISU graduates. These experienced teachers support the novice teacher as they develop their skills as an educator. In addition to the mentoring services, NCUE offers professional development, mentor training, and NCUE and ISU campus resources for eligible participants. The professional development sessions are designed primarily to support and improve teaching and improve student achievement. Mentors are also provided training on how to facilitate and improve the mentoring relationship.
Methodology A program evaluation survey was developed by project personnel and distributed to all mentoring participants (both mentees and mentors). A total of 49 respondents provided feedback; 23 mentees, and 26 mentors. Of the 49 respondents, 41 were in CPS and 8 in PPS.
3 MENTEE PARTICIPANTS
n = 23 (19 from Chicago, 4 from Peoria)
Student Teaching 19 - CPS (82%) 4 - PPS (18%) District
13 - Traditional (72%) Student Teaching 4 - PDS (22%) Program 1 - Unreported (6%) (Only CPS participants were asked this question)
• Beard Elementary School (3) • Blair Early Childhood (1) • Carl Schurz High School (1) • Chavez Elementary School (1) • Curie Metro High School (1) • Farragut Career Academy (1) • Grover Cleveland Elementary (1) • Hamline Elementary (1) • Harrison Community Learning Center (1) School Principally • Joseph Jungman Elementary School (1) Placed at • Keifer Academy (2) • Mather High School (1) • Peoria High School (1) • Peter Cooper Dual Language Academy (1) • Simeon Career Academy (1) • Southside Occupational Academy (1) • Telpochcalli School (1) • UCAN Academy (1) • Volta Elementary School (1)
ISU Graduation Year 1 - 2015 4 - 2017 12 - 2018 6 - 2019
Average Years 1.57 years Teaching in CPS/PPS
17 - Student teaching/PDS 8 - STEP-UP NCUE Participation as 10 - Redesigned urban course/clinical visit to CPS a Student 1 - UNITE 2 - Other
4 4 - ESL 3 - Bilingual 2 - LBS1 2 - Special Education 1 - Early Childhood What endorsement(s) 1 - ELA do you have? 1 - H.S. Physics 1 - Language Arts 1 - Middle School English 1 - Middle School Science 1 - Social Science 1 - Urban Education
Teaching in 19 - No (83%) Subject/Areas where 4 - Yes (17%) not Endorsed
2 - Magnet 12 - Neighborhood 1 - Program 1 - Public High School 1 - School of choice School Classification 1 - Selective Enrollment 1 - Semi-selective enrollment 1 - Separate Day School 2 - Specialty school 1 - Therapeutic day program
20 - Students from predominately low-income families School Composition 3 - Students from a mixture of low income and middle-class families 0 - Students from predominately middle- and upper-class families
Average Classroom 16 Students Size Contact with other 20 - Yes (87%) ISU Graduates in the 3 - No (13%) same area Contact with former 19 - Yes (83%) ISU Professors 4 - No (17%)
Participation in any 6 - Yes (26%) Mentoring Programs 17 - No (74%)
2 - Golden Apple (33%) Previous Mentoring 1 – ISU Special Education (17%) Experience 1 – A school-based mentorship program (17%) 2 – Did not respond (33%)
5 Previous Program’s Effectiveness (1 to 10)
1 = Not Effective at all M = 7.2 10 = Extremely
Effective
• To have PD opportunities. • The content did not relate to me. • It has teachers from various years mentor young teachers, and it was inspirational Effective or and honest, but it didn’t ever discuss the inequality of the education system, didn’t Ineffective Aspects of include community organizations, didn’t involve the communities they were the Previous Program discussing. • They paired me with a veteran teacher, who knew more about the school than I did. She was able to share knowledge with me and answer most of my questions.
completely unfamiliar moderately unfamiliar neutral familiar extremely familiar
Familiarity with Current Mentor before 2 6 6 5 4 Program Began
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% 1 month or less 2 to 4 months 5 to 7 months 8 to 10 months A year or more
Duration of Mentoring Relationship 1 3 9 10
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% daily several times a week once a week few times a month once a month never
Frequency Meeting with Mentor 4 12 1 4 1 1
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Have you had the opportunity to be 13 - Yes (57%) observed by your 10 - No (43%) current mentor, this year?
daily several times a week once a week few times a month once a month never
Frequency of Mentor Observing Mentee 1 1 2 9
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Have you had the opportunity to observe the teaching 17 - Yes (74%) of your mentor or 6 - No (26%) another teacher, this year?
6 daily several times a week once a week few times a month once a month never Frequency of Mentee Observing the Teaching of their 1 3 13 Mentor or Another Teacher, this year 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Mentor Teaching the 19 - Yes (83%) same (or similar) 4 - No (17%) Grade Level
Mentor Teaching the 17 - Yes (74%) same Academic 6 - No (26%) Subject(s)
Formal Written…
Formal Verbal Type of Mentor 24% Feedback Informal Verbal 55%
Informal Written 16%
Mentor Effectiveness 1 = Not effective at all M = 5.57 to 5 = Extremely Effective
• My mentor helped build my teaching philosophy during my time with her as a student teacher. The structures in my classroom mocked hers (same grade and disability) and were beneficial. She provided advice as I implemented structures, strategies, and interventions that I gained from her in my own classroom. She listened and provided constructive criticism and delivered it in a way that improved my practice and strengthened our mentor/mentee relationship. She provided great insight working with admin as she was once admin herself. She helped provide emotional support as I endured a series of difficult situations that included working in a toxic work environment. Aspects of Mentor • My mentor offered ongoing advice throughout the year and kept an open door of Effectiveness or communication. Ineffectiveness • shared passions • My mentor was extremely effective in supporting me through my first year of teaching. We developed a respectful and meaningful relationship which helped me in feeling comfortable going to her with any questions or concerns. I am extremely lucky to have had [Mentor] as a mentor during my first year of teaching. • [Mentor] was truly amazing and I would not be the teacher I am today without her influence. • In offering help • My mentor is effective because she is consistently there for me and providing a comfortable space to allow me to continue to learn and ask questions. She is always
7 accessible and provides me with truthful information/observations. • Easy to talk to and comfortable expressing anything with, but we did not really focus on teaching strategies or some of the items from previous questions. • She was willing to be honest, flexible, and logical. She always showed alternative ways to teach and allowed a space to be able to let me process. • She’s always available when I need her and always willing to help. She’s super positive and always helpful. • She is amazing at behavior management and is always willing to set aside her time to share resources and advice. • Having a mentor was a great experience and I do not know what I would’ve done without her! • "My mentor succeeded in the following: -Professional/Educational support -Emotional support -Providing resources for BOTH mentee and students -Formal and informal feedback -Check-ins and follow-ups -Organization -School culture and climate • If it had not been for my mentor, I believe it would take me a lot longer to grow and develop as an educator and professional." • constructive criticism and honestly • Did not teach my content, was new to it • She helps me in all subject matters of teaching and with mental health. She is truly a unique human that has grown my teaching abilities. Desire to continue participating in this 17 - Yes (74%) Mentoring Program 5 - No (22%) Next Year 1 - Did not respond (4%) (2020-2021) 15 - Yes (65%) Desire to continue 2 - No (9%) with the same Mentor 6 - Did not respond (26%) Felt Support 1 - Less (4%) (Compared to Peer 6 - More (26%) Teachers in-building) 16 - Same (70%) Do you live in the neighborhood/ 4 - Yes (17%) community in which 19 - No (83%) you teach? Are you aware of community-based organizations in the 19 - Yes (83%) neighborhood/ 4 - No (17%) community in which you teach? Do you work with any community-based organizations in or 6 - Yes (26%) outside the 17 - No (74%) neighborhood where you teach?
8 Likelihood to collaborate with a community-based M = 4.43 organization, if
connected/supported 1 = Extremely Unlikely to 5 = Extremely Likely As long as I am able Until I am eligible for retirement Until something better comes along Plan on leaving as soon as possible Undecided
How long do you plan to remain in 18 4 1 teaching?
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
• If I would leave teaching, it would be to explore and admin role. • I do not plan on leaving teaching. • Another role in ed. • I would like to get my master’s in educational psychology and become a community college professor or work on teacher prep programs at a university. If you plan to leave • I would want to also create a space for POC, Queer, Trans, and non-binary people teaching, what is your and women. Artist. plan? • Move to another role in the education field. • If I were to ever transition out of the classroom, I would look into clinical psychology. • Not sure. • Other role in education. • I would go into the path of social work.
9 Mentorship Effectiveness
A mentorship feedback instrument was developed by the research team to assess the effectiveness of the mentor/mentee relationship, from the perspective of mentees. The figure below depicts the results.
My mentor provided emotional support 4.83
I share my mentor's teaching philosophy 4.57
My mentor assisted me in setting goals and objectives 4.74
My mentor has had a positive impact on my teaching 4.74
My mentor modeled best practice 4.65
My mentor helped me to better understand the students in this community 4.57
My mentor helped me learn how to effectively relate to school 4.57 administrators
I have adequate opportunities to reflect on my practice with my 4.61 mentor
I feel that my mentor had received adequate training to assist 4.70 me
My mentor was available to assist me in a timely manner 4.73
My mentor helped me to grow as a professional 4.74
My mentor encouraged me to think about the effectiveness of 4.82 my teaching
My mentor provided helpful feedback to me about me teaching 4.77
My mentor is a good listener 4.74
My mentor introduced me to instructional approaches/strategies that I was not aware of before 4.61
I can talk openly and honestly with my mentor about my teaching 4.70
My mentor teacher and I had sufficient contact during my 4.52 experience
1 2 3 4 5
10 Mentorship Categories
A second measure was developed by the researchers to assess how effective mentors were in meeting the needs of specific issues of the mentee’s teaching, from the perspective of the mentee. The figure below depicts the average ratings for each category.
4.43 Knowledge of the evaluation process
4.17 Differentiating instruction
Using data to plan instruction 4.22
Developing and demonstrating professionalism 4.35
Lesson planning 4.26
4.09 Motivating students
3.87 Using technology to enhance instruction
4.17 Self-reflection
Working with school/district administration 4.35
Communicating with parents and families 4.17
Communicating with students 4.22
4.22 Classroom management
Student assessment 4.13
Goal setting 4.04
4.3 Instructional techniques/strategies
Knowledge of resources for teaching (textbooks, technology, 4.09 etc.)
Knowledge of subject matter 3.87
1 2 3 4 5
11 Mentee Open-Ended Responses Mentees were asked open-ended questions to gather feedback. Responses have been categorized and are presented below.
Why did you pursue employment in CPS/PPS? • I enjoy working in an urban environment that pushes me to grow as human and educator. Working in an urban environment such as Peoria encourages me to to view conflicts and subjects from multiple perspectives, reflect and identify cultural differences and their impact on my teaching, and continually adapt to my environment. Peoria is also the closest urban environment to my home. • I loved it. • I live in the area and have grown up in the district. • I enjoy the community and was intrigued by urban education. • Passion for urban ed and city life. • I grew up in the city of Chicago and my family members are all teachers in Chicago Public Schools. • Because I wanted to be in urban education and I loved the community and neighborhood and school climate. • I am a product of CPS. • I loved working in a district that allowed me to better understand individuals in low-income areas and how I can become a more well-rounded teacher. • I enjoyed the diversity that Chicago Public Schools has to offer. • It was my plan going into student teaching, I honestly am not sure why I chose CPS along the way but I always had it as my goal. • Chicago is where I wanted to be. It is where I wanted to share my growth and myself with other communities and my students. • I really liked the school I student taught at and had the opportunity to begin teaching there right after graduation. I enjoy the urban setting for teaching and how my school focuses on the behaviors of students. • I love Chicago and wanted to live in the city. • For the dual language program. • I enjoy working in the city and fell in love with my school after student teaching. • I fell in love with my school, students, and other teachers! • I wanted to become a part of district that has such strong individual communities within it. • I fell in love with the school I was placed at and they had an opening. • As an urban educator, I was striving to understand the complexities of learning that encompass inclusion, equity and justice for students. I felt as if my current school setting allowed me the opportunities to embrace this mindset and engage in racial justice in the school setting. • Curie High School.
What are your biggest challenges as a new teacher? Specific to Public Schools? • Keeping up with new policies that are implemented, Low/inconsistent student attendance, Low parent/guardian involvement. • Behavior management and purchasing my own supplies. • Being able to speak up for students and lack of accountability and consequences. • Better servicing children of need. • Getting used to all the paperwork. • Having the resources/time/etc. to best help my students reach their goals/potential. • It was made known that the long-term sub would not be leaving after accepting the job. We had a different teaching philosophy which was source of conflict. Adults that have not been properly trained were another source of conflict. • Managing all aspects of teaching and finding the balance within it all. It can be extremely overwhelming trying to maintain best practices in all domain areas. • New ideas in an old school. • No support for special education. Lack of funding. 12 • Parent and Family involvement, Language Barrier. • Remote learning, going through a new contract strike, assessment. • Resources, supplies, learning the curriculum. • Student engagement, classroom management, learning how to create new lessons that are more deeply tied to student experience to increase engagement, finding structure in every way possible. • Support within my actual school. There isn't any intentional support, all has been outsourced. If it were not for I & M and the CPS New Teacher Cohort, I fear I would have been an oversight this year. • The district assessments and their deadlines. • Too many students in one class. • Working with classroom staff-paraprofessionals and 1:1's when they have a lack of knowledge about the students and no training related to their position.
How could ISU have better prepared you? • Digital literacy/incorporating technology in the classroom. The Teacher Prep Program does not touch on this topic very much. • Have classes on classroom management, disparities in the system around the world, actually how to be a teacher in the content area before senior year. • I feel fully prepared. • I feel that I was well prepared through STEP-UP and PDS. • I remember only doing one assignment about working with paraprofessionals. We had to make a paraprofessional resource guide. This guide was helpful and I edited it to use with my classroom staff, but I am not sure what more could be done. It is a lot of learning in the moment. It is more about your personal mindset and being prepared. • I think implementing coursework and experiences that would push educators to facilitate IEP meetings and working with parents and paras. Even working on dissolving conflicts and conflict resolution with problems that occur frequently in the classroom would be beneficial. • ISU did a fantastic job preparing me for my teaching career. • ISU did a great job of preparing me. • ISU prepared me well. • It's tough because each district is different. • Knowledge of all the tests we need to administer and creating rubrics/grading. • Meeting with teachers in urban areas. • More onsite help. • More professional development or resources. • More/different required classes for education rather than my content field. I wish I would have had more experience in teaching before entering student teaching, and the education classes were more interactive and intense. • Supported me in writing an IEP through SSM.
How do you feel about the program’s virtual transition due to COVID-19? How effective was it? • I think that the PD went well and provided a lot of beneficial information. My contact with my mentor has been very crucial during this COVID-19 period. We were able to come up with an online structure together and share resources that I can use in the future. As well as emotional support or validation of feelings while instructing during remote learning. • I felt it was very effective since we were able to fully present by sharing screens. • The virtual transition did not affect the program much because we only had one more session. The session that we did have felt like an on-line seminar which was great. • Supportive. • It was really effective. • Good. • It was effective and everyone was still available and able to participate in non-traditional ways. Very flexible on
13 everyone’s behalf. • I love the in-person sessions, so although it was enjoyable and informative, I truly felt less empowered at the end. I always gain a new burst of energy at the end of the PDs and I didn't feel this as much. I am thankful for the transition and the information though, and hope we still have these meetings. • Tough to manage all the things all the time. • Wasn’t in contact as much with my mentor because we could not pop into each other’s classrooms but still felt supported by her. • My school has a strong program. I don’t personally know if I’m asking too much or not enough from my students. • I did not mind switching to Zoom meetings. • It was extremely effective, and I loved the virtual PD. • I really appreciate your dedication to virtual transition. I feel guilty because I did not take advantage of it due to the stress of remote learning. • It was good. • Very effective due to the circumstances.
Do you have suggestions to improve the program? • I love the yoga activities. I used some with my students and I wish I knew more. I will also love more information on how to start a strong parent/ teacher program/ communication. • It was a tough year with the strike and the virus, but I really enjoyed this program! It made me as a first-year teacher so much more relaxed because I had a mentor I could go to. I appreciate all you do and I hope you are able to do this program next year. • It was great thank you! • 10 – No suggestions.
14
MENTOR PARTICIPANTS n = 26 (22 from Chicago, 4 from Peoria) Illinois State 5 - Yes (19%) University 20 - No (71%) Alumni 1 – Did not respond (4%) 3 - Alternative (12%) 2 - Master's Program (8%) Program Type 1 - Project Futuro (4%) 19 - Traditional (73%) 1 - Teacher Certification (4%) Total Teaching M = 14.26 years Years CPS/PPS M = 12 years Teaching Years
Current School M = 7.52 years Teaching Years
• I have had two student teachers in years past. • I have received prior training through ISU for hosting previous field-based students as well as student teachers. • I mentored a first-year teacher and a second-year teacher through PPS. • I trained to be a PPS mentor. • Mentored 4 new teachers for the past 4 years (1 year per teacher). I also currently have a resident teacher that has been with me all year learning to become a teacher. • No, my first year of teaching the other preschool teacher helped me to get through the year but it wasn't like this program. I do wish I had something like this when I first started teaching 13 years ago. • This is my first experience in a mentorship program. • Yes, AUSL gave me a mentor for a year. • Yes, I had participated as a mentor for Students teachers with Chicago State University, Former Northeastern University and now in the Induction-Mentoring program at Illinois State University. Mentoring • Yes, I have been mentoring new teachers for 5-6 years now. Experience • Yes, I was a mentor in 2 of my former districts. I was also an AP for 2 years. • Yes, I went through the NBCT mentoring trainings. • Yes, just within our school. I serve as member of the ILT and I’m on the welcoming committee for novice/new teachers to Till. • Yes, through CCSD 130 and Governor State University I was mentored. It was not as involved or effective as CTP. • Yes. I was a mentor for CPS teachers. • Yes. I've been mentoring new teachers since 2008. This has happened as a Department Chair, Course Team Lead, Grade Level Lead, and as an experienced teacher in the school. This has included curriculum development, technology support, culture and climate, and peer-to-peer observations. • Yes. Through CPS.
3 – No Former experience.
15 8 - Bilingual/ESL 7 - LBS1 5 - Special Education 3 - ELL 3 - M.A. in Education 3 - Type 04 2 - Elementary Education 2 - Middle School Science 2 - Middle School Social Studies 2 - Music 1 - Associate Degree (Unspecified) 1 - Autism Certification 1 - B.A. in Music Education 1 - B.S. in Education 1 - B.S. Social Science 1 - Bachelor's Degree (Unspecified) 1 - Bilingual SPED 1 - Curriculum and Instruction: Trauma & Resilience What 1 - Dual Language Leadership endorsement(s)/ 1 - Ed.D degree(s) do you have? 1 - ELA 1 - H. S. History/Social Studies 1 - H.S. Biology 1 - H.S. Business and Administration 1 - Language Arts 1 - LBS1 Unlimited 1 - Master's Degree (Unspecified) 1 - Master's in Bilingual Education 1 - Master's in Teaching and Learning: Special Education 1 - Math 1 - Math 6-12 1 - Middle School 1 - Middle School ELA 1 - Middle School Gifted 1 - Middle School Math 1 - Reading 1 - Social Studies 1 - Spanish Language 1 - Type 03
15 - Elementary (58%) 1 - Elementary/Middle (4%) School Type 7 - High School (27%) 2 - Middle School (8%) 1 – Did not Respond (4%)
16 1 - Community Learning Center (4%) 2 - IB Neighborhood School (8%) 4 - Magnet (15%) School 15 - Neighborhood (58%) Classification 1 - Selective Enrollment (4%) 2 - Specialty (8%) 1 - Did not Respond (4%)
completely unfamiliar moderately unfamiliar neutral familiar extremely familiar
Familiarity with Mentee before 2 6 4 10 3 Program Began
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% 1 month or less 2 to 4 months 5 to 7 months 8 to 10 months A year or more Length of Time in Formal Mentoring Relationship with 1 2 6 16 Mentee
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Have you had the opportunity to 21– Yes (81%) observe your 4 - No (15%) current mentee 1 - Did not respond (2%) this year?
daily several times a week once a week few times a month once a month less than once a month never Frequency of Mentor Observing 1 2 6 3 9 Mentee
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Has your mentee had the 17 - Yes (65%) opportunity to 8 - No (31%) observe your 1 - Did not respond (4%) teaching this year?
daily several times a week once a week few times a month once a month less than once a month never Frequency of Mentee Observing 1 1 3 12 Mentor
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
17 Mentee Teaching 17 - Yes (27%) the Same (or 8 - No (31%) Similar) Grade 1 - Did not respond (4%) Level
Mentee Teaching 17 - Yes (27%) the Same 8 - No (31%) Academic 1 - Did not respond (4%) Subject(s)
Formal Written 6%
Formal Verbal 18% Type of Informal Verbal Feedback 51% Informal Written 25%
How many mentor trainings M = 2.50 did you participate in? Training Effectiveness 1 = Not at all Effective to 5 = M = 4.50 Extremely Effective
• For the REACH one, some mentors knew more about the topic than others, so if it's possible, maybe some differentiation or options. • I did not attend any Mentor training. • I thought the mentor trainings were very valuable and allowed me to be reflective of my own practices in the process Suggestions to • I would like to say THANK YOU! Those PD's increase my knowledge and motivate me to do Improve great things. Trainings • Loved the networking and resources and just learning about where we're all coming from. • Some of the resources are dated. • They were very good
6 – No suggestions. Desire to Continue
Participating in 21 - Yes (80%) this Mentoring 3 - No (12%) Program Next 2 - Did not Respond (8%) Year (2020-2021)
18
Felt Supported 1 - Less (4%) (Compared to 17 - Same (65%) Peer Teachers in- 6 - More (23%) building) 2 - Did not Respond (8%)
Do you live in the neighborhood/co 7 - Yes (27%) mmunity in 17 - No (65%) which you 2 - Did not Respond (8%) teach?
Are you aware of community- based organizations in 19 - Yes (73%) the 5 - No (19%) neighborhood/co 2 - Did not Respond (8%) mmunity in which you teach?
Do you work with any community- based 11 – Yes (42%) organizations in 23 – No (88%) or outside the 2 – Did not Respond (8%) neighborhood where you teach?
If connected/suppo rted, how likely would you be to collaborate with a community- M = 4.21 based organization? 1 = Extremely Unlikely to 5 = Extremely Likely
19 Mentor Motivations The figure below depicts the average ratings of agreement regarding reasons mentors chose to participate in the program.
I saw mentoring as a professional growth opportunity 4.92 for myself.
I valued the additional compensation offered to 4.36 mentors.
I thought that serving as a mentor would help me 4.68 improve my own teaching.
A school or district leader pressured me to be a 1.40 mentor.
I volunteered to serve as a mentor. 4.68
1 2 3 4 5
Strongly disagree Strongly agree
Program Impact The figure below depicts the average levels of mentors’ agreement regarding the program’s impact.
I feel a renewed commitment to teaching as a result of 6.48 serving as a mentor.
I found mentoring to be professionally rewarding. 6.84
My own teaching improved as a result of mentoring a 6.44 beginning teacher.
I was able to spend enough time with my beginning 5.96 teacher to be an effective mentor.
Serving as a mentor prompted me to reflect on my own 6.72 teaching practices.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Strongly disagree Strongly agree
20
Mentorship Categories A measure was developed by the researchers to assess how effective mentors were in meeting the needs of specific issues of the mentee’s teaching, from the perspective of the mentor.
Knowledge of the evaluation process 3.92
Differentiating instruction 3.72
Using data to plan instruction 3.40
Developing and demonstrating professionalism 3.64
Lesson planning 3.64
Motivating students 3.88
Using technology to enhance instruction 3.08
Self-reflection 3.44
Working with school/district administration 4.00
Communicating with parents and families 3.80
Communicating with students 3.76
Classroom management 3.88
Student assessment 3.48
Goal setting 3.56
Instructional techniques/strategies 3.80
Knowledge of resources for teaching (textbooks, 3.72 technology, etc.)
Knowledge of subject matter 3.40
1 2 3 4 5
None at all A great deal
21 Mentor Open-Ended Responses Mentors were asked open-ended questions to gather feedback. Responses are presented below.
What challenges has this mentoring program presented for you? • Finding enough time to mentor well. • Finding the time to do it right. • It has been difficult for my mentee to observe my class due to schedule issues. • Probably the most difficult time during the first year my mentee and I were in different grade with different preps and lunch time. It caused a mutual agreement to meet before or after school. • The constant reminder of white saviors in teaching. • The lack of time to observe my mentee. I was only able to meet with her once a week. • The mentoring program did not present me with any challenges. • The pandemic however, we made it work by having weekly meetings. • There have been no challenges. I like this program and I wish other universities would offer it to their first-year teachers. • Time to observe each other and reflect on it. • We teach different subject areas so that is difficult for me to help her when I don't know her subject area. • 3 – Reported having no challenges.
What benefits have you garnered from this mentoring program? • A lot! The most important, be more reflective and increase my mentor skills. • A greater sense of teaching. I greater understanding of what being a first/second year teacher looks like. A clear understanding of the support that is needed for all teachers. • A wealth in knowledge. Forced me (in a good way) to take PDs I would otherwise never take. • Ongoing reflection with my mentee about teaching, about public school in general, and how to improve. • As an "experienced" teacher, I have found that mentoring helps keep me young and engaged in new technology. • Connecting with my mentee, learning about mentor/mentee relationships, development of my own skills. • Friendship. • I have gotten to talk to other mentor teachers and get advice from them. I like talking to young teachers for fresh ideas. • I have learned a lot about working with others and understanding how they think. • I was able to learn from my mentee and share ideas and teaching strategies. • More knowledge about our differences, more time to reflect on our practices. • My mentee was the most positive, helpful, and uplifting person I have ever met. Going through a move to a new school, new staff, new administrators, new coordinator, new procedures for doing things, and several negative situations throughout the school year (including the loss of my own positive outlook, changes in staffing, and starting remote learning) made it difficult at times to lead [Mentee] the way I wanted. Yet seeing the truly gifted and positive person [Mentee] was everyday helped me reflect on who I wanted to be. I believe it's true after teaching so long teachers can fall into a rut and not realize it. I did not realize it. Thanks to this program I am going to work on myself and my teaching to be a better teacher and better role model. • Networking and resources. • Professional development. • Resources that I can share with my mentee and my school. • The biggest one is on being a better communication partner and being a better listener. • The interaction with mentees and mentors has been rewarding • This program has brought new ideas to the table and has allowed my mentee and I to be more reflective of our practice.
How do you feel about the program’s virtual transition due to COVID-19? How effective was it? • Decent. • Going online was fine for the mentor training. • Great under the circumstances. • I enjoyed the way interactions were still made available through small group breakout sessions. The content was very good.
22 • I feel that [Presenter] did a great job leading the trainings digitally!! All of the trainings during this time were great given the circumstances. • I think it was fine. • I thought a fine job was done considering the circumstances. • I thought it was a good transition. While we weren't able to collaborate in person, I still think it was effective. • I thought the virtual meetings were excellent. • I thought the virtual PDs and mentor trainings were great for what was possible. I think it was just as effective as real-life PD. • It was an adjustment, but still very helpful. • It was done well. • It was effective. • It was somewhat effective it can be distracting to be at home. I found it difficult to do some of the assignments since moving from groups to groups can sometimes be difficult due to internet connections. • It went smoothly. • The training was well done and timely. I already had a strong connection with my mentee so that relationship continues. • They did a good job of offering online PD. • Very challenging! I really miss my kiddos and classroom environment. Another issue is the tech challenges for the parents especially because a minimal number of parents were not familiar with google tools. An incredible 2020 year. • Wonderful.
Suggestions to improve the program? • As aforementioned, maybe differentiated PD. Also, I felt like some of the PD from year 1 to year 2 was repetitive, but I know it's hard to not repeat when some teachers are year 1 and some are year 2. • I have been very impressed. • I would like to say just THANK YOU! for this opportunity. As a teacher, I really feel honored to participate as a mentor, especially with mentees very dedicated and open to hear my advice. • Keep up the good work. • Love the program. • Maybe some time for mentors and mentees to work together during joint sessions. • 3 – No suggestions.
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