First Year of Teaching / Mentor /Leadership

The Mentor-New Teacher Relationship

In earlier articles, I have spoken about the importance of relationships.  We can never forget that just about everything we do in education is based on our relationships and our ability to build and sustain these relationships.  I contend that when a problem occurs at our school, in all likelihood, it is due to a breakdown somewhere along the way in a relationship.  Perhaps one of the most important relationships for a new teacher is with his / her mentor.  Most all states require some formal mentoring process.  Having a successful first year and moving on to a second year in the district may be a direct result of the relationship formed with the mentor.  Although, this mentor has no hiring or firing capabilities, the knowledge that this mentor may be able to pass on will in part help determine the new teacher’s survival.  Today’s article is not about the everyday tasks assigned to the mentor.  Like past posts, I hope this to be more of a reflective piece and perhaps touch on some of the things rarely spoken about.

Based upon my experience, I believe that most school districts grossly neglect this process. Mentors are assigned haphazardly at the very last moment before school starts.  Mentors tend to be poorly, if ever trained.  Little thought goes into the pairing of mentors with new teachers by the district.  Districts will go through the motions to complete a pencil and paper auditing requirement.  When this happens, it seriously decreases the probability for success of the first year teacher.  Mentors should be carefully selected and trained to truly nurture the growth of the novice.  This pairing must be perfect, taking into consideration, demeanor, grade, subject, needs, and the skill set of each party.  One size does not fit all.

The first year of teaching at times can be characterized as a struggle between good and evil.  This struggle will continue through the years until the novice has the confidence and the strength to navigate the social structure of the school. The school culture may pull the new teacher into a negative space.  Once on the “dark side”, it is hard to escape.  The “dark side” is populated and characterized by the malcontents and negative people that tend to lurk in many venues in a school building. I have seen these negative people be assigned as mentors.  One can only question why?

Success is based in part by effort and attitude.  I believe this is true in all occupations.  The teacher must frame every situation in “what is best for the kids”, not “what is best for the adults or status quo”.  This struggle can be characterized between the old way of doing things and the new ways of teaching. This struggle can drag on organizations.

I strongly suggest reading an article written by Jennifer Gonzalez entitled “Find Your Marigold:  the Essential Rule for First Year Teachers.”  It appears on her web site, www.cultofpedagogy.com.  It is a powerful article that should kick off any new teacher program.  It is a wonderful read for the mentor and novice to study together.  The article is a metaphor that explains how marigolds are planted in gardens to support, nurture, and encourage growth in contrast to walnut trees that are toxic and will kill anything planted around them. Schools are filled with teachers and people who are marigolds and likewise they are filled with walnut trees.  Once again, we see the struggle between good and evil.  Mentors must be 100% marigold.  New teachers have to seek and find every marigold and avoid every walnut tree. (Gonzalez, 2014)

I encourage districts to establish professional learning communities to support the work of mentors and the new teachers.  This is a powerful way to share information, problem solve, and support each other.

Today’s article is not about the long list of very tangible items a mentor needs to do such as observing, providing feedback and completing reports.  Mentors need to be reflective, life-long learners and possess a vibrant, enthusiastic personality.  The mentor must be prepared to provide a fresh outlook to teaching and learning.  They have to be knowledgeable and very effective communicators.

Mentors must also operate in an arena of trust and confidentiality.  The new teacher / mentor bond must be respected by administration.  The mentor must be a role model.  I personally expand this definition to both the professional and personal life of the mentor. Some will disagree here and I appreciate and respect that point of view.  Mentors must be all- around solid citizens.  The mentor must possess good listening skills, and be a strategic motivator.  Feedback must be provided in a candid, direct, yet supportive way.

One of the most important non instructional tasks of the mentor is to help the novice navigate the social structure of the school.  The school’s culture must be explored.  The mentor must never forget to help the new teacher meet and understand the role of the principal’s secretary and the head custodian, two hugely important gatekeepers in a school.  Many individuals have failed because of negative relationships with these people.  That may sound ridiculous, but it is true.

Many new teachers are overwhelmed with the amount of paperwork.  This is a common theme that resonates from teachers in their second and third years. Along with the paperwork, the novice must be taught how to navigate the district software.  For most people, sitting in a large lecture hall a day before school start does not work.  That method of training only confuses the person.

Second and third year teachers also report that they were sidetracked by having to learn how to deal with all of the diverse learners in a class.  Within each class will be gifted, exceptional learners, easily distracted emotional learners, special educational students and perhaps a myriad of English Language Learners.  Juggling this diverse population on a daily basis is a daunting task.  Many times this is the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back.  The mentor can be instrumental in providing strategies to the new teacher.  The mentor can also be a sounding board for problem solving.  Reading and studying in a teacher preparation program about classes with diverse learners’ styles and issues is one thing but managing it on a daily basis is quite different.

New teachers also report that they are overwhelmed with managing time. Once again, this is a good spot for the mentor to take a strong leadership role.  Time is fixed.  It is the one thing we cannot change. We can use it more wisely, but time slows down for no one. Balancing the curriculum, mountains of paperwork, students, grading, parents, and administrative needs pulls one very easily away from the task of teaching.

The novice teacher must take this mentor relationship very seriously.  It is critical to ask questions when clarity is needed.  Never worry about asking too many questions.  It is critical for a new teacher to keep their eyes wide open and keep their opinions to themselves.  Please do not infer that I am suggesting isolation.  Quite the contrary.  It is important to be engaged and involved with colleagues but be cautious.  Watch what you say and watch what you may text or e-mail.

For the new teacher, your road to success will be paved with many relationships along the way.  I hope in years to come you will look back fondly on most of these relationships, and you will have evidence that you grew from them.

For the mentor, my hope is that you will be able to pass along your knowledge and expertise to a new generation of teachers and continue to contribute and give back to the noble profession that you have chosen.

To all parties along the way, as Jennifer Gonzalez would say Find Your Marigolds!!

 References

Gonzales, J.  (2014) “Find Your Marigold:  The Essential Rule for First Year

Teachers”.  www.cultofpedagogy.com