Beyond Mentoring: The Career Paths of Veteran Mentors and How They Use Their New Skills as Teachers, Leaders, and Colleagues
Presenter: Ellen Moir
New Teacher Center, University of California at Santa Cruz
Ellen Moir is Executive Director of The New Teacher Centre, University of California at Santa Cruz. The NTC has been a leader in developing numerous local, state and national partnerships in teacher induction. Ellen Moir was awarded the 2005 Harold W. McGraw Jr. Prize in Education for her pioneering work in teacher induction.
This study examines how mentoring contributes to the professional development of experienced teachers and how they apply the skills and knowledge they gained as mentors after they finish their mentorship. Using survey and interview methods with 50 former mentors, the study looks at the effects of being a mentor on being a teacher, a leader, and a colleague. Results suggest that teachers who take time away from classroom teaching to be mentors in an induction program are likely to return to positions as school leaders with an increased interest in working in a professional learning environment. Administrators faced with funding decisions regarding mentoring programs should consider the potential benefits and challenges of mentors returning to their school districts with greater capacity to be leaders.
Key Ideas/Findings:
- Essential components of an induction program include:
- Program vision
- Institutional commitment and support
- Professional standards
- Classroom-based teacher learning
- Quality mentoring
- Classroom Based Mentoring Model:
- Observing and giving feedback
- Analyzing student work
- Using data to inform instruction
- Planning standards-based instruction
- Building school wide collaborative practices
- Ongoing assessment of teacher practice
- Instructional Mentors
- Criteria for Mentor Selection
- Formative Assessment
- Impact on Veteran Teachers
Links:
- Hanson, S., & Moir, E. (2006, November). Beyond mentoring: How veteran
mentors apply their new skills as teachers and leaders in schools. In J.
Kitchen (Ed.), Teacher Induction, Mentoring and Renewal: Selected
Conference Papers (pp. 67-77). Toronto, ON: Centre for Teacher
Development, OISE/University of Toronto.
- Moir, E. (2006, November). Beyond mentoring. [PowerPoint slides]
- Moir, E. (2006, November 3). Beyond mentoring. Video Retrieved from
http://www.curriculum.org/NTIP/videos.shtml
