The Importance of New Teacher Mentor Programs
Written by: Nikia Garland
When I first began my teaching career over twenty years ago, I was practically thrust into the classroom with little support in any areas. The veteran teacher who I was paired with immediately concluded that I did not need her and therefore never met with me. To start, I didn’t know much about building culture and politics. Nor did I know how to request a day of absence…Resilient, and determined not to fail, I did indeed figure things out on my own. However, it is difficult to build a plane while flying it.
Additionally, every new teacher does not have the drive to figure things out. Oftentimes, they simply do not wish to impose on other educators with their seemingly endless questions about pedagogy and protocol. Nor is it fair to place them in such positions in which they must scavenge and hunt for adequate support to successfully reach the high standards set forth by most school leaders.
Therefore, it is critical to establish new teacher mentoring programs. Teaching is a field with a high turnover rate due to various factors, sometimes outside of local control. Developing a system that serves to help beginning teachers familiarize themselves with building policies as well as best practices in education, such as how to write effective learning targets, foster student engagement or efficiently manage a classroom, can help reverse this trend and develop teacher confidence exponentially. Helping prepare teachers for the long-haul is within the jurisdiction of schools and will undoubtedly pay dividends for years to come.
“Helping prepare teachers for the long-haul is within the jurisdiction of schools and will undoubtedly pay dividends for years to come.”
A new teacher mentor program is a cost-effective way to retain teachers in the field. A stipend, continuing education credits or other incentives can be offered to veteran teachers willing to take on this role. Many experienced teachers enjoy helping their inexperienced colleagues acclimate themselves to the demands of teaching and will approach the task with both vigor and fidelity. The buy-in would be minimal as most teachers want to see other teachers succeed.
Let’s look at six reasons in which developing a new teacher mentor program will benefit your school in the future:
- Eases Anxiety: Teaching is not easy, and in fact, it has gotten increasingly more difficult with the greater demands placed on educators. Many first-year teachers get easily overwhelmed with the heavy workload, classroom management, building relationships with students, communicating regularly with parents, the overall politics of education, and everything else they must deal with to do the job well. This burden is greatly reduced when you have someone to turn to for guidance or sound advice.
- Serves All Parties: Not only does the partnership benefit both the novice teacher, but it gratifies the veteran as well. Being chosen to help grow and mold a new educator can be viewed as an honor with the message being that the principal acknowledges your pedagogical strength and professionalism. It also helps hone the leadership skills of the mentoring teacher. Surprisingly the principal can benefit from this program as well. Typically, when a teacher has questions, the first source they turn to is the building leader. Having a mentor program in place can alleviate stress from the principal in that they don’t have to be the first point of contact when a need arises.
- Confidence Builder: When a teacher can do their job well without the hindrance that a lack of knowledge can bring, it contributes to a healthy building culture. Morale is boosted not only in the teacher but can then be instilled in the students as a result. The ability to function independently creates confidence.
- Keeps New Teachers Informed: It’s good to have someone who can help keep you accountable and get mandatory tasks completed. Teachers can unintentionally miss important deadlines when they are inundated with managing the school day – not to mention the many other professional obligations set forth such as replying to daily emails and other forms of communication they receive and are expected to promptly address. For instance, teachers are evaluated several times throughout the year and must submit twelve artifacts based on the Danielson Rubric. Sometimes it is not clear what constitutes an acceptable artifact. With the assistance of a mentor teacher, these types of concerns can quickly be addressed without consulting the principal.
- Creates Value: Having a program dedicated to new teachers is a small way for a principal to show their advocacy. This gesture suggests they want to see the teacher succeed and are willing to provide the tools to assist with development. Furthermore, a teacher who has benefited from mentoring is more likely to mentor in return.
- Relieves Pandemic Pressures: Teaching during the pandemic has been a challenge for all educators, but especially so for newcomers. In addition to teaching remotely on new technological platforms, educators still bore the responsibility of attending various trainings and professional development workshops, contacting parents, responding to email in a timely manner, implementing SEL practices, making accommodations for both SPED and ELL learners, differentiating learning, creating relevant, engaging content, analyzing student data-all while battling Covid induced anxiety. This has made the challenges in education more acute. The veteran teacher has the experience to be able to reinvent themselves in times of crisis. This resiliency can be passed down to mentees. The emotional support of just knowing that someone else understands your plight is invaluable.
“Having a program dedicated to new teachers is a small way for a principal to show their advocacy. This gesture suggests they want to see the teacher succeed and are willing to provide the tools to assist with development.”
Research clearly shows new teachers who have the backing of their principal through the implementation of mentoring programs stay in the field much longer than those without. Schools have the job of promoting continuous education and lifelong learning. Our new teachers deserve the same consideration. Additionally, this courtesy can also be extended to teachers not new to the field, but new to the building or district. They also need to have accommodating measures in place. It is no longer wise to expect them to perform at optimal levels without the supports necessary for them to arrive at this level.
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