Portner - Being Mentored

With profound admiration and respect, I dedicate this book to the men and women who have chosen to dedicate themselves to honing the intellect and empowering the creativity of their protgs: todays youth. It is you, serving as both mentors and teachers to your students, who pave the path to the future.

Copyright 2002 by Corwin Press, Inc.

First Skyhorse Publishing edition 2015

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available on file.

Cover design by Tracy E. Miller

Print ISBN: 978-1-63450-309-9

Ebook ISBN: 978-1-5107-0084-0

Printed in China

Contents

Preface

O ver the next 10 years in the United States alone, more than 2 million new teachers are expected to enter the profession. Every one of these beginners will have two jobs: (a) to teach and (b) to learn to teach better.

To help new teachers learn to teach better, most states in the United States require that every new teacher be matched with a trained mentor. In response to the challenge imposed by mandates to provide support for beginning teachers and in recognition of the promise mentoring holds as a vehicle for educational reform, increasing numbers of school districts have arranged for experienced teachers to help their new colleagues persevere and develop beyond their difficult first years.

Even with the support of a dedicated and knowledgeable mentor, a new teacher may not always be willing or able to get the most out of being mentored. To benefit fully from the experience, the teacher needs to be willing and able to seize opportunities when they are available and to create them when they are not. That is what this book is about.

WHO SHOULD READ THIS BOOK

Being Mentored: A Guide for Protgs is written for the potential teacher, the student teacher, and the new teacher who has, expects to have, is required to have, or hopes to have an experienced educator as a cooperating teacher or mentor. The book is intended as (a) a reference and workbook for the practicing or prospective new teacher; (b) a source book for both individuals and groups of participants in student teaching or practicum programs; (c) a practical resource for mentors, mentoring program coordinators, and mentoring committee members; and (d) a resource to include along with other orientation material for new teachers.

Experienced teachers new to a school or district should find many of the guides principles applicable to their situations, as will educators at practically any point in their careers.

OVERVIEW OF THE CONTENTS

Being Mentored: A Guide for Protgs contains thought-provoking activities and discussions of the essential skills, understandings, and behaviors needed to profit from being a recipient in the mentoring process. Each chapter provides a set of principles for success and offers suggestions for action. Also featured is an annotated compendium of publications and Internet sites of special interest to new teachers.

The introduction tells a little about the mentoring process and presents an overview of what it means to be a proactive protg.

, Participate, answers the question: How can protgs contribute to the development and maintenance of mentoring relationships?

, Take Responsibility, answers the question: How can protgs take responsibility and be proactive in the mentoring process?

, Observe, answers the question: How can protgs take advantage of opportunities to observe others teach?

, Ask, answers the question: How can protgs solicit and receive help?

, Chart Your Course, answers the question: How can protgs identify what they need to know and make decisions about their own professional development?

, Network, answers the question: How can protgs seek out and create opportunities to exchange information and support with their peers?

, Take Informed Risks, answers the question: How can protgs learn by trying something new or doing something differently?

, Reflect, answers the question: How can protgs critically examine the implications of their experiences in order to learn?

, Give Back, answers the question: How can protgs contribute to their schools programs, procedures, and culture?

, Internet Sites and Publications for New Teachers, presents an annotated selection of print and electronic materials that a new teacher may find useful.

, Professional Organizations and Their Web Pages, provides a representative list of subject-specific associations and their Web page addresses.

, Chatboard Exchange on the Internet, is a verbatim request for help from beginning teachers posed by a mentor teacher and the set of responses she received over the ensuing 24 hours.

Acknowledgments

M y profound thanks goes to the many teachers, professors, and student-interns whose comments, experiences, and reflectionssome related during conversations, several recounted in publications, and others posted on Internet chatboardswere the major impetus for writing this book.

Following are the full names of some of these individuals. Only a first name or some other descriptor was provided by additional people, and several more (they know who they are) prefer to remain anonymous:

Cathy Foltz, Phu N. Ly, Christopher Markofski, Michael Massailo, Patricia A. Jones, Jennifer Powers, Melanie Pritchard, Lisa Rock, Judith Smith, Lonna H. Smith, Cheryl, kwajmoon, Michelle J., Spineless, DJ, Jane, Jill S., A. Sills, Bitsy, Margaret M., Jeannette W., Ilene L., Melanie P., Julie, Judith S., Lisa R., Sharon, Jennifer, Gwen, Dan L., Betty S., Jamie, Emma, Kris, Rosa, Margaret M., and Ken R.

I am indebted to you all. You have my deep appreciation for your willingness to share and my utmost admiration for your insights, suggestions, and dedication to the profession.

I especially want to thank Robert Pauker, consultant and longtime associate; Janine Lapan, a second-year teacher; Jennifer Seydel, a teacher-education professor and student teacher advisor at Springfield (Mass.) College; and the knowledgeable peer reviewers selected by Corwin Press to be my critical friends. These colleagues have graciously reviewed drafts of the books manuscript. Many of their perceptive comments and thoughtful suggestions have been incorporated into this book.

I am fortunate to have had the opportunity of having Corwin Presss Robb Clause and Elisabeth Magnus as my editors. Their professionalism, encouragement, and flexibility, along with the timely cooperation of Robbs coworkers, are much appreciated.

Most especially, I admire, respect, and am indebted to my wife, Mary, who decided, after several successful years working in the private sector as a graphic designer, to change careers, go to graduate school, work as an Americorps volunteer with adjudicated youth in an inner-city school, and become a teacher. She has been not only my cheerleader while I was writing this book but also my sentinel in terms of the books relation to reality.