Around 10 years ago I expressed interest in becoming a formal mentor with my school board. I contacted the person responsible for mentorship in my board and was told that they had all the mentors they needed. I ended up working with a Vice Principal who had been a formal mentor before becoming an administrator. I asked him if he would be willing to speak to the mentorship gatekeepers on my behalf, thinking that the word of someone they knew would help, no luck.
I recall feeling frustrated. I felt like I was doing a good job in the classroom and was on top of my game (as much as one can be). My Principals were supportive and said that they thought it would be a good idea to be a mentor. It seemed like I had the prerequisites - just wasn't the right time.
Fast forward to the birth of the NTIP program. In our Board the system put out a request for teachers to put their name forward to be added to a list so that new teachers could connect with a mentor of their choice. Prior to this, it seemed like the people running the program would decide who to put together.
Since the roster of mentor teachers was created I have been lucky enough to work with three teachers in my system, one of which decided to make it formal as we had started working together through the digital OnEdMentors Connect initiative. I have to say that I am enjoying the mentor/mentee process and look forward to continuing to assist teachers if and when the opportunity arises.
From the perspective of the Catholic Leadership Framework, being a mentor allows me to work with others in order to set direction, build relationships and develop people, develop the organization to support desired practices, improve instructional programs, and secure accountability.
Setting Direction
The opportunity to work with a new teacher to set a a shared vision - one that includes what our schools and our system value, that energizes our work, and is embedded in the Gospel values - is beneficial to all stakeholders in education.
Building Relationships and Developing People
The mentor/mentee experience also allows both parties to create a strong professional relationship with room for both parties to grow and develop as educators.
Developing the Organization to Support Desired Practices
From the perspective of a mentor I see my role as one that involves developing the organization by sharing my knowledge and practices to support desired practices that connect to our board's mission, vision, priorities, and improvement plan.
Improving the Instructional Program
From my experience, the time and work that is done around the organization's priorities ends up leading to improving the instructional program. As a mentor my role involves guidance/support on matters involving assessment/evaluation, pedagogy, classroom management, innovation, and anything else that the mentee would like to ask about/work on.
Securing Accountability
Last but not least, discussions about accountability are critical. How are we sharing what we are accountable for and why is it important to do so? Building a sense of internal accountability is important for us as it supports our professional learning and practice. A big one for me lately has been self reflection and how I document my thinking in order to track my development. This is something I share with my mentees, that is if they are interested in the topic.
Can you see why I am so pumped about being a mentor? I really enjoy it. I also enjoy being a mentee. Hopefully I can put together a blog post about being a mentee from afar. It's now been added to the list of things I would like to reflect on!
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