An Example of a Plan For the Mentoring Year

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Barry's materials have been licensed for use with all school districts state-wide through the Transition to Teaching Program of the Public Education Department, Santa Fe, New Mexico.

An Example of a Plan For the Mentoring Year

This calendar was derived from the one I actually used in the mentoring program I coordinated from 1988 to 1992. My program was originally a two year program and this is the first year. Of course, this plan has been revised many times as I have worked with dozens of programs nation-wide and continued to learn more. What is offered here is both the most effective and practical.

Activities which involved mentors and proteges were always suspended during the summer since getting full participation was impossible with vacations. However, program evaluation and improvement planning did involve some proteges and mentors who were available to participate in focus groups.

Note, this schedule was the primary one I used since most new hires began in August. However, I had a second variation of this schedule in which the months were NOT written in ahead of time, but were added when a group (cohort) of new employees was hired and assigned to start working with a mentor at some other time in the year.

Symbols Key: M = Mentor, P = Protege, S = Supervisor

Month	Activity	Meeting	Coaching	Who?	Required?
August	1st M-P contact by phone before meetings	-M. Training -P. Orientation Week		-M, S -M , P & S	Y Y
September	Daily M & P contact	-Make up M. Training	P observes M, no coaching	-M & P	Y
October	contact 2-3 /wk min.	-P. Support Group -M. Support Group	M observes P, no coaching	P M & P M	Y Y Y
November	• Minimum contact 1/wk	Coaching Training	Optional	M & P	Y
December	• Minimum contact 1/wk		start	M & P	Y
January	• Minimum contact 1/wk	-P. Support Group -M. Support Group	1 cycle	P M & P M	Y Y Y
February	• Minimum contact 1/wk		1 cycle	M & P	Y
March	• Minimum contact 1/wk	-P. Support Group	1 cycle	P M & P	Y Y
April	• Minimum contact 1/wk	-M. Support Group -Mentoring Info & Recruitment Meetings	1 cycle	M M & P	Y Y
May	• Minimum contact 1/wk • Mentoring Logs & program evaluations due by May 30	-M. Training			Y Y
June	• Minimum contact 1/wk • Mentor Recognition Dinner			M & P	N

Month	Activity	Meeting	Coaching	Who?	Required?
August	1st M-P contact by phone before meetings	-M. Training -P. Orientation Week		-M, S -M , P & S	Y Y
September	Daily M & P contact	-Make up M. Training	P observes M, no coaching	-M & P	Y
October	contact 2-3 /wk min.	-P. Support Group -M. Support Group	M observes P, no coaching	P M & P M	Y Y Y
November	• Minimum contact 1/wk	Coaching Training	Optional	M & P	Y
December	• Minimum contact 1/wk		start	M & P	Y
January	• Minimum contact 1/wk	-P. Support Group -M. Support Group	1 cycle	P M & P M	Y Y Y
February	• Minimum contact 1/wk		1 cycle	M & P	Y
March	• Minimum contact 1/wk	-P. Support Group	1 cycle	P M & P	Y Y
April	• Minimum contact 1/wk	-M. Support Group -Mentoring Info & Recruitment Meetings	1 cycle	M M & P	Y Y
May	• Minimum contact 1/wk • Mentoring Logs & program evaluations due by May 30	-M. Training			Y Y
June	• Minimum contact 1/wk • Mentor Recognition Dinner			M & P	N