Recruiting/Assigning Mentors
Recruiting Mentors
Excellent veteran teachers should be recruited from all subject areas to serve as mentors. This recruitment will occur in the spring and be initiated by the Mentor Program Coordinator working with building administrators. Building administrators should consider recruiting from the ranks of recently retired teachers as well. A surplus of mentors should be recruited and trained to meet the varying subject needs of incoming teachers from year to year.
Potential mentors may volunteer themselves or their peers or be chosen by their building administrators. Those interested should submit their names to their building administrators and/or department coordinators at AHS.
Assigning Mentors to Beginning/New Teachers
Assigning mentors to beginning/new teachers should take place at the building level and should not be decided until after the beginning/new teacher is hired and his/her individual needs are considered in the match. Every effort should be made to match the beginning/new teacher to a mentor as close as possible to the hiring date so mentoring can begin before the start of the school year. Mentoring during the summer is not a mandate, but those do begin in the summer are happy they did.
What are qualities of a good mentor?
1. Proven track record as a successful classroom teacher (or as another school professional) with at least six years of experience in Attleboro and whose teaching reflects the following:
* Excellent content knowledge including the State Curriculum Frameworks;
* Deep knowledge of pedagogy, a variety of instructional practices that makes learning accessible to all students, and a willingness to model and share these practices;
* Skill in unit design and lesson planning that incorporates standards, learning outcomes, and assessment;
* Perseverance and confidence-building with resistant students and slow learners; high expectations for all students;
2. Demonstrated enthusiasm and commitment to one’s own professional growth and the Attleboro Public Schools as demonstrated by life-long learning habits and participation in extracurricular activities such as student activities, School Council, PTO, PIM, etc.
3. A strong belief that effective effort is the key determinant of student success
4. A love of learning and an ability to convince students that learning is good, natural, and enjoyable
5. Ability to listen reflectively and with empathy to understand the needs of beginning/new teachers and to discuss issues to determine what support is needed
6. Ability to analyze instruction and to provide helpful feedback to beginning teachers on instructional strategies
7. Knowledge about the professional and community resources of the school and district
8. Willingness to make a long-term commitment to the mentoring role, the mentee, and the mentor program
9. Willingness to participate in mentor training to build skills in observing, analyzing, diagnosing, and being articulate about skillful teaching
N.B. We are flexible on the six years of Attleboro experience if, in the building administrator's judgment, someone with fewer than six years would make an excellent mentor. We ask that mentors have professional status.
Who receives a Mentor?
Component A Mentors
1. All teachers who have a Massachusetts
initial, preliminary, or temporary certification
AND are beginning their first year of teaching OR their first year teaching in a Massachusetts public school system.
2. All Massachusetts certified (initial or preliminary) teachers from the previous year who were hired after the beginning of last year and therefore did not participate in the Teacher Induction Program and/or receive a mentor should be assigned a Component A mentor.
3. All teachers in the system who have earned theirMassachusetts (initial or preliminary) certification since the previous school year should receive a Component A mentor.
4. All Massachusetts certified (initial, preliminary, or temporary) beginning/new teachers hired after the beginning of the year and who received a Component A mentor must receive a Component A mentor the following year for the period of time the beginning/new teacher missed the previous year.
Component B Mentors
5. All those beginning/new teachers who lack certification OR who have a preliminary, initial, or professional certificate AND have taught for at least a full year in another Massachusetts public school system.
Building administrators are asked to check certification carefully before assigning mentors. Please email the Mentor Program Coordinator with concerns and questions.
How does the mentor matching process work?
1. By the close of the school year, the Mentor Program Coordinator will provide building administrators with a pool of trained and in-training mentors in their buildings from whom to choose. This list is also available on this site under "Current Mentor Program.” The list will be updated several times throughout the year as changes occur.
2. The State mandates that all mentors be trained. All Component A mentors must be trained or in training if they wish to mentor. Untrained teachers may become Component A mentors if they participate in training in the fall of the year in which they mentor. Component B mentors do not need to be trained although it would be helpful.
3. Every attempt should be made to match the mentor with a beginning/new teacher as close to the hiring date as possible.
4. Once the match is made, building administrators should notify the mentor with the mentee’s name and contact information.
5. Per the State, all mentor/mentee matches must be made by the end of the second week of school at the latest and should be communicated to the Director for Teaching and Learning Excellence and the Mentor Program Coordinator by that time.
6. If there are not enough mentors for the building’s needs, administrators are encouraged to seek out qualified experienced teachers to become mentors. (SeeMentor Qualifications above)
7. Because of the intensity and time commitments of the mentoring program, only ONE formal mentee will be assigned to each mentor. There are some exceptions to this when there are not enough mentors.
What are Attleboro’s Criteria to Match Mentors With Beginning/New Teachers
The mentor should
1. teach the same content and the same grade level (or in the case of the non-classroom teacher, have the same position as the mentee);
2. have a classroom or office in close proximity to that of the mentee;
3. have some compatible planning time (at least first semester at AHS).
Top priority MUST be given to these items. They rank first in priority in the nation, State, and Attleboro.*
* Jon Saphier, Susan Freedman, and Barbara Ascheim. Beyond Mentoring, 2001.
Massachusetts Induction Programs, DOE, 2001.
Attleboro Mentor Program Evaluations, 2005/2006-2008/2009
Additional Information
1. It's difficult to assign an in-building mentor to a new teacher who is the only one in that position in the building (e.g., art teacher, adjustment counselor, etc.). In this case, an out-of-building mentor who shares the same position should be assigned. However, an in-building go-to person should also be assigned to help the new teacher with building-related issues such as the schedule, parent conferences, communication, etc. This is a very informal postion with no stipend or job description.
2. All formal mentors receive 15 PDPs from the State upon completion of a full year’s mentoring.
3. If a mentor loses his/her mentee because of resignation, termination, sickness, leave, etc. during the school year, the mentor’s stipend will be pro-rated and the mentor’s name will be returned to the mentor pool.
4. ONE Component A mentee only will be assigned to each mentor.
Excellent veteran teachers should be recruited from all subject areas to serve as mentors. This recruitment will occur in the spring and be initiated by the Mentor Program Coordinator working with building administrators. Building administrators should consider recruiting from the ranks of recently retired teachers as well. A surplus of mentors should be recruited and trained to meet the varying subject needs of incoming teachers from year to year.
Potential mentors may volunteer themselves or their peers or be chosen by their building administrators. Those interested should submit their names to their building administrators and/or department coordinators at AHS.
Assigning Mentors to Beginning/New Teachers
Assigning mentors to beginning/new teachers should take place at the building level and should not be decided until after the beginning/new teacher is hired and his/her individual needs are considered in the match. Every effort should be made to match the beginning/new teacher to a mentor as close as possible to the hiring date so mentoring can begin before the start of the school year. Mentoring during the summer is not a mandate, but those do begin in the summer are happy they did.
What are qualities of a good mentor?
1. Proven track record as a successful classroom teacher (or as another school professional) with at least six years of experience in Attleboro and whose teaching reflects the following:
* Excellent content knowledge including the State Curriculum Frameworks;
* Deep knowledge of pedagogy, a variety of instructional practices that makes learning accessible to all students, and a willingness to model and share these practices;
* Skill in unit design and lesson planning that incorporates standards, learning outcomes, and assessment;
* Perseverance and confidence-building with resistant students and slow learners; high expectations for all students;
2. Demonstrated enthusiasm and commitment to one’s own professional growth and the Attleboro Public Schools as demonstrated by life-long learning habits and participation in extracurricular activities such as student activities, School Council, PTO, PIM, etc.
3. A strong belief that effective effort is the key determinant of student success
4. A love of learning and an ability to convince students that learning is good, natural, and enjoyable
5. Ability to listen reflectively and with empathy to understand the needs of beginning/new teachers and to discuss issues to determine what support is needed
6. Ability to analyze instruction and to provide helpful feedback to beginning teachers on instructional strategies
7. Knowledge about the professional and community resources of the school and district
8. Willingness to make a long-term commitment to the mentoring role, the mentee, and the mentor program
9. Willingness to participate in mentor training to build skills in observing, analyzing, diagnosing, and being articulate about skillful teaching
N.B. We are flexible on the six years of Attleboro experience if, in the building administrator's judgment, someone with fewer than six years would make an excellent mentor. We ask that mentors have professional status.
Who receives a Mentor?
Component A Mentors
1. All teachers who have a Massachusetts
initial, preliminary, or temporary certification
AND are beginning their first year of teaching OR their first year teaching in a Massachusetts public school system.
2. All Massachusetts certified (initial or preliminary) teachers from the previous year who were hired after the beginning of last year and therefore did not participate in the Teacher Induction Program and/or receive a mentor should be assigned a Component A mentor.
3. All teachers in the system who have earned theirMassachusetts (initial or preliminary) certification since the previous school year should receive a Component A mentor.
4. All Massachusetts certified (initial, preliminary, or temporary) beginning/new teachers hired after the beginning of the year and who received a Component A mentor must receive a Component A mentor the following year for the period of time the beginning/new teacher missed the previous year.
Component B Mentors
5. All those beginning/new teachers who lack certification OR who have a preliminary, initial, or professional certificate AND have taught for at least a full year in another Massachusetts public school system.
Building administrators are asked to check certification carefully before assigning mentors. Please email the Mentor Program Coordinator with concerns and questions.
How does the mentor matching process work?
1. By the close of the school year, the Mentor Program Coordinator will provide building administrators with a pool of trained and in-training mentors in their buildings from whom to choose. This list is also available on this site under "Current Mentor Program.” The list will be updated several times throughout the year as changes occur.
2. The State mandates that all mentors be trained. All Component A mentors must be trained or in training if they wish to mentor. Untrained teachers may become Component A mentors if they participate in training in the fall of the year in which they mentor. Component B mentors do not need to be trained although it would be helpful.
3. Every attempt should be made to match the mentor with a beginning/new teacher as close to the hiring date as possible.
4. Once the match is made, building administrators should notify the mentor with the mentee’s name and contact information.
5. Per the State, all mentor/mentee matches must be made by the end of the second week of school at the latest and should be communicated to the Director for Teaching and Learning Excellence and the Mentor Program Coordinator by that time.
6. If there are not enough mentors for the building’s needs, administrators are encouraged to seek out qualified experienced teachers to become mentors. (SeeMentor Qualifications above)
7. Because of the intensity and time commitments of the mentoring program, only ONE formal mentee will be assigned to each mentor. There are some exceptions to this when there are not enough mentors.
What are Attleboro’s Criteria to Match Mentors With Beginning/New Teachers
The mentor should
1. teach the same content and the same grade level (or in the case of the non-classroom teacher, have the same position as the mentee);
2. have a classroom or office in close proximity to that of the mentee;
3. have some compatible planning time (at least first semester at AHS).
Top priority MUST be given to these items. They rank first in priority in the nation, State, and Attleboro.*
* Jon Saphier, Susan Freedman, and Barbara Ascheim. Beyond Mentoring, 2001.
Massachusetts Induction Programs, DOE, 2001.
Attleboro Mentor Program Evaluations, 2005/2006-2008/2009
Additional Information
1. It's difficult to assign an in-building mentor to a new teacher who is the only one in that position in the building (e.g., art teacher, adjustment counselor, etc.). In this case, an out-of-building mentor who shares the same position should be assigned. However, an in-building go-to person should also be assigned to help the new teacher with building-related issues such as the schedule, parent conferences, communication, etc. This is a very informal postion with no stipend or job description.
2. All formal mentors receive 15 PDPs from the State upon completion of a full year’s mentoring.
3. If a mentor loses his/her mentee because of resignation, termination, sickness, leave, etc. during the school year, the mentor’s stipend will be pro-rated and the mentor’s name will be returned to the mentor pool.
4. ONE Component A mentee only will be assigned to each mentor.
