Experienced educators wishing to serve as mentor teachers during the 2010-2011 school year are encouraged to participate in this professional development to be certified as a mentor teacher. This session is geared toward experienced teachers who will work as mentors for new teachers. Both those who have never attended mentor training AND/OR those who attended mentor training prior to fall 2006 are invited to attend.
Teachers who receive effective support in their first few years of teaching are most likely to remain in the profession and become the committed, caring, quality educators of tomorrow. Mentors will receive training based on the New Teacher Center’s Foundations in Mentoring. This model focuses on the knowledge, skills, and understandings for those who mentor new teachers. The mentor training is guided by the belief that learning to teach is a career-long developmental process that involves a continuous cycle of planning, teaching, and reflecting. Some of the key concepts included are the following: • Creating a Vision of Quality Teaching • Defining Mentoring Roles • Identifying New Teachers' Needs • Building an Effective Mentoring Relationship • Selecting Support Strategies • Establishing an Environment for Professional Growth • Highlighting the Role of Professional Standards in Mentoring
Participation is limited to 60 per location.