The Edutopia Poll
by Sara Bernard
One question in our 2007 Readers’ Survey asked what would do the most to prevent new-teacher burnout. “Mentoring” turned up as the number-one response. New teachers need dedicated veteran educators, respondents said, to guide them through those rocky first years. Do you agree? Is mentoring gaining the cachet survey respondents suggest it should?
Are new teachers at your school assigned a mentor?
Yes. We have at least one teacher mentor on staff, assign veteran teachers as mentors to new teachers, or otherwise make sure all new teachers have access to a mentor.
67% (52 votes)
No. Our school does not provide mentors or assist with finding mentors for new teachers.
19% (15 votes)
No, but we have ample time for professional development, where new teachers can ask questions and collaborate with colleagues.
13% (10 votes)
None of the above. (Comment below.)
1% (1 vote)
Total votes: 78
articles on special ed burnout/parents help or resources
Submitted by Janice Horner (not verified) on January 29, 2008 - 05:22.
I could not figure out how to e mail this page or site to my daughter. She teaches special ed at Azusa Pacific university. She is researching this right now and this would help. How about mentors, other then the teacher, for the parents of special ed students as well?
Thank you.
mentors
Submitted by Susan (not verified) on June 30, 2007 - 21:13.
The school I was at last year provided mentors for new teachers in the district. I've always thought that having a mentor was an excellent idea. I was in a different situation- I was new to the district, but hired through an outside source, so I had no mentor. It was somewhat frustrating because it was my first real teaching job. I found a teacher that didn't mind answering my questions and also offered excellent advice. Sadly, the grant I work through this year has placed me at a different school next year. The good news is that my car pooling buddie has become my mentor. Funny how things work out.
Having a mentor would have
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on September 26, 2007 - 18:13.
Having a mentor would have been great. I am now in my third year of teaching. I was new to a school last year and feel it would have been a wonderful help to have a mentor. I was fortunate to have great teachers answering all of my questions and guiding me through the year, but one designated mentor teacher would have been great.
Mentors
Submitted by Ellie Depew (not verified) on June 29, 2007 - 12:48.
Every teacher with 3 years of experience or less is assigned a mentor teacher in my school. (This is a state requirement.) These relationships often grow into long-term friendships after the mentoring period has expired. The mentors, who teach a full load of classes, meet regularly--and invidually--with the new teachers, observe them, and provide support in many ways.
At my school, we also have a "buddy" system for teachers who are new to the building, but not to the profession. "Buddies" help these teachers to acclimate themselves to their new setting and to become a part of our school "family."
teacher mentoring
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on July 13, 2007 - 15:51.
I'm really not trying to be nosey, but you said it is state required that a teacher with 3 years or less be given a mentor. I think this is a great idea and am curious what your state is and how I would go about finding out what other states require the same. I am a grad student doing research on mentoring and this information would help.
cg
Mentoring New Teachers
Submitted by Leonard Isenberg (not verified) on June 28, 2007 - 21:48.
While mentoring new teachers is an excellent idea, what it has degenerated to in many parts of the Los Angeles Unified School District is just another perk for old-guard teachers who seem to care only about protecting and expanding their privileged position and compensation. Mentors get an additional stipend as mentors whether or not they actually help new teachers.
Several years ago, I interviewed for a position at Venice High School that consisted of being a traveling teacher who taught 3 English and 2 U.S. History courses in 5 different rooms- a formula for burn-out in one year for some unsuspecting first-year teacher.
When the school found out that I had more seniority than most of the present teaching staff and could bump them from their less stressful classes, I was not even considered for the open position that they were interviewing for.
Rather than dividing up these students with poor English skills- that were likely to act out due to the frustration of low academic skills- among the more seasoned teachers- you know, the same ones who are qualified to be mentors -the school just hired a new teacher ever year to deal with the students that the mentor types were unwilling to deal with.
With an attrition rate as high as 50% of new teachers quiting the profession within 5 years, true and verifiable mentoring and sharing of difficult classes should not be a choice for the old-guard with high seniority, but rather an obligation. This would go a long way toward lessening the hemorrhaging of new teachers and the billions of scarce educational dollars that would not have to be spent to constantly replace them.
It is only short-sighted big inner-city school districts, administered by ex-teachers with no business skills, that thinks it is saving money with this constant destablizing turnover, because they do not appreciate that the moderate savings they will achieve by hiring a cheaper new teacher is dwarfed by the costs related to constant teacher replacement.
mentors
Submitted by jlkaupp (not verified) on June 28, 2007 - 17:24.
Our school has 6 mentors but they also teach a full load and must work around their normal teaching assignments to find time with their new teachers. Another 6 of us have begun training to become mentors and will have the same situation this upcoming year. Because we also teach in teams and are a project based school we invariably have new teachers on most teams annually. Any of us who have had the training find ourselves trying to help new teachers in any way we can.
teacher mentors
Submitted by Jackie (not verified) on June 28, 2007 - 10:46.
We have two full time teachers on special assignment as mentor teachers in our district. They work with first year teachers, observe them officially twice a year although they have many, many hours in beyond that and actually do their evaluations for the first year. These mentors make a recommendation to a Mentor Review Panel as to whether a teacher should go on to the second year, during which they work with the building administrator. The administrator is only minimally involved with a teacher in the first year.Our district has received awards for this program; a concern that we have though is that with many, many retirements this year the caseload for next year for the mentors may be too large!
mentoring
Submitted by Kristyn (not verified) on April 29, 2008 - 10:12.
Could you please send me more information about your TOSA positions with mentoring in your school. We are trying to set up the same idea. Thank You
Our school assigns two
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on June 28, 2007 - 09:39.
Our school assigns two people to help out each new teacher. Their mentor comes from their own department, and is often someone teaching some or all of the same classes. They also get assigned a "buddy," someone from a different department, who helps them more with the culture of the school, helping them find their way, helps introduce them around, and generally becomes their friend.
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