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An EXAMPLE
of One District's Mentor Guidelines on
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THE TYPICAL NEEDS OF BEGINNING
EDUCATORS
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© 2006 by Barry Sweeny
One District where I have worked had set the following
guidelines for mentors in 1992 as areas which the district
program felt the novice teachers needed assistance. These
were apparently established when the program was two years old
and after some surveys for each of those two years indicated novice
teachers also agreeed on these as their needs.
Keep in mind, however, that those surveys were conducted
at the end of the novices' first year (May), when they
had a year of experience. I mention this as I am quite confident
that, earlier in the same year, those novices would not have agreed
that all these items were their "need". In other words,
my observations lead me to believe that needs for orientation,
class management, and other issues may not be perceived as priorities
by novices early in their experience, and that only once they
have more experience do they agree with the district that these
issues WERE needs they had.
This difference is important, not so much that
it would change what novice teacher training or other support
programs address, but that when these supports are planned, it
should be done realizing that program participants may not see
the need for what the district is asserting is important.
With this in mind, it may be advisable to invite
one or two second year teachers to express early in the training
that earlier they felt the topic was not a big deal, and why they
now know these are critical areas for new teacher learning and
growth. Such peer testimonies can be invaluable in catching the
attention of novices whose own experience may not tell them to
"pay attention".
Also, be aware that these were written and based
on data from a period prior to the onset of major accountabilities
for student achievement, standards, and engaged learning principles,
all major issues today but not in 1992. Those and similar current
topics should be a part of any novice teacher assessment of needs
your program might conduct. See an example of a new teacher needs
assessment elsewhere on this web site.
NEW EDUCATORS NEED ASSISTANCE WITH:
1. ORIENTATION TO THE GRADE OR DEPARTMENT,
SCHOOL, DISTRICT, & THE COMMUNITY
2. ORIENTATION & HELP IN ADJUSTMENT TO
THE ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF A PROFESSIONAL EDUCATOR
3. ACCESSING THE NECESSARY INSTRUCTIONAL
MATERIALS AND RESOURCES
4. PLANNING AND CONDUCTING EFFECTIVE INSTRUCTION
5. CREATING ACTIVITIES WHICH ENGAGE STUDENT INTEREST &
MOTIVATE EFFORT & LEARNING
6. ADAPTING PLANS & STRATEGIES TO ADDRESS INDIVIDUAL
STUDENT NEEDS, INTERESTS & ABILITIES
7. MANAGING THE CLASSROOM AND STUDENT BEHAVIOR
8. ASSESSING STUDENT LEARNING & EVALUATING INSTRUCTION
SO BOTH ARE CONTINUALLY IMPROVING
9. INCORPORATING EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH & THEORY WITH
REFLECTION ON EXPERIENCE TO DEVELOP AND USE A KNOWLEDGE BASE OF
EFFECTIVE TEACHING PRACTICES & INSTRUCTIONAL OPTIONS
10. MANAGING NON-TEACHING PROFESSIONAL TASKS AND RESPONSIBILITIES,
INCLUDING COMMUNICATION WITH COLLEAGUES, ADMINISTRATORS, AND PARENTS
11. EMOTIONAL SUPPORT & ENCOURAGEMENT, ASSISTANCE WITH
TASKS & MODELLING OF QUALITY PRACTICES
