Teacher mentoring programs - Improved professional competence and Educational Reform
Friday, November 12, 2010 | Labels: Mentoring | |
Many schools in the U.S. have formalized the mentoring process for beginning teachers as their way of incorporation of new teachers in teaching. They run teacher mentoring programs that allow a beginner to adapt to the new career in education with the help of an experienced teacher. In these programs, the experienced teacher, mentor, coaches the new teacher on several areas of education, such as how to prepare lesson plans and conduct, how students of different ages and characteristics to handle, how to more effectively teach various institutions how conflicts of class, etc. to solve.
Benefits for new teachers
The program not only results in better teaching skills but also to greater job satisfaction of new teachers. According to Evenson in his book on mentoring teachers, the benefits of new teachers in three ways. First, the program allows the teacher to adjust to new school environments. In addition to helping new teachers familiarize themselves with the school staff and facilities, the mentor also teaches him how to observe and to the school rules and regulations.
Second, the program allows the teacher the jurisdiction of the education establishment. This is done as the new teacher mentoring offers the opportunity to observe, assess, and practice the teachings of his and other teachers. The process encourages feedback and constant communication with the mentor.
Finally, the program allows the teacher to teaching as a profession and sustained development for life. If the new teacher believe he gets as much support as he can from his colleagues and school administration, he will probably stay in this profession and will continue to be available for both prospective teachers who need help.
The program not only results in better teaching skills but also to greater job satisfaction of new teachers. According to Evenson in his book on mentoring teachers, the benefits of new teachers in three ways. First, the program allows the teacher to adjust to new school environments. In addition to helping new teachers familiarize themselves with the school staff and facilities, the mentor also teaches him how to observe and to the school rules and regulations.
Second, the program allows the teacher the jurisdiction of the education establishment. This is done as the new teacher mentoring offers the opportunity to observe, assess, and practice the teachings of his and other teachers. The process encourages feedback and constant communication with the mentor.
Finally, the program allows the teacher to teaching as a profession and sustained development for life. If the new teacher believe he gets as much support as he can from his colleagues and school administration, he will probably stay in this profession and will continue to be available for both prospective teachers who need help.
Other program benefits
The benefits of mentoring programs are far reaching. It's not just new teachers benefit from the program, but all participants in the program including the mentor, the student and the school as a whole as well. Thus, mentoring programs have seen not only as a form of support to the teacher again, but as a vehicle for improving the entire school education system. For the mentor, the program is another opportunity for its rich experience, knowledge and skills sharing. Many of these skills and knowledge found in books or reference materials. They have over time through accumulated extensive training and professional practice. Without mentoring programs, these experiences, knowledge and skills over time may gradually fade.
Somehow, the mentor also improve himself as a teacher in the mentoring process. He did as he revisits his professional experiences within and outside the classroom and when he gives advice and guidance for new teachers. In addition, the mentoring program provides an additional source of income as mentors are usually compensated for the extra services they provide. Students are directly and indirectly benefit from this type of program that their new teachers teaching skills and knowledge that is communicated to acquire. Eventually, students will learn more things and enjoy their classes more than the teacher is prepared and well versed in the subjects he discussed.
Research conducted by Southwest Educational Development Laboratory of the mentoring programs in Texas to study shows that many districts see mentoring programs for teachers as a strategy of life support. The study acknowledges that the flow of new teachers is one of the causes of the shortage of teachers in some schools.
The benefits of mentoring programs are far reaching. It's not just new teachers benefit from the program, but all participants in the program including the mentor, the student and the school as a whole as well. Thus, mentoring programs have seen not only as a form of support to the teacher again, but as a vehicle for improving the entire school education system. For the mentor, the program is another opportunity for its rich experience, knowledge and skills sharing. Many of these skills and knowledge found in books or reference materials. They have over time through accumulated extensive training and professional practice. Without mentoring programs, these experiences, knowledge and skills over time may gradually fade.
Somehow, the mentor also improve himself as a teacher in the mentoring process. He did as he revisits his professional experiences within and outside the classroom and when he gives advice and guidance for new teachers. In addition, the mentoring program provides an additional source of income as mentors are usually compensated for the extra services they provide. Students are directly and indirectly benefit from this type of program that their new teachers teaching skills and knowledge that is communicated to acquire. Eventually, students will learn more things and enjoy their classes more than the teacher is prepared and well versed in the subjects he discussed.
Research conducted by Southwest Educational Development Laboratory of the mentoring programs in Texas to study shows that many districts see mentoring programs for teachers as a strategy of life support. The study acknowledges that the flow of new teachers is one of the causes of the shortage of teachers in some schools.
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