Induction and Mentoring Programs - Essay Example

Slide: The Impact of New Induction/Mentoring on Beginning Teachers in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Good day! I am proud to present a proposalfor a study that hopes to effect positive changes in the area of teacher development. This study will deal with the evaluation of induction/ mentoring programs of new teachers in Charlotte-Mecklenburg schools in North Carolina. Slide 2: Let me begin with a meaningful quote about teachers from an unknown source: Teachers who inspire realize there will always be rocks on the road ahead of us. They will be stumbling blocks or stepping-stones; it all depends on how we use them. This quote may be interpreted in the context of a mentor-protege relationship between a wise and experienced teacher who takes under her wing an idealistic new teacher. Slide 3: New teachers fresh out of their college education face a whole new world filled with excitement and trepidation. For most, they can be utterly clueless on how to apply the knowledge and skills they have learned in the comfort of the four walls of their classrooms. However, being in the real world with real students is something different, and they stand to face the challenges posed at them and hope they survive it. To support these new teachers, Induction and Mentoring programs have been designed. For this study, such programs will be investigated in relation to three main questions: 1. How do beginning teachers receive support and to what extent does this help them develop their decision to stay in the teaching profession? 2. How do acts of mentoring influence the development of the beginning teacher? 3. How is the mentor program evaluated for its effectiveness in improving teacher retention? This study will explore various facets of an induction program in a large urban school system in order to decide whether the programs are valuable and effective or if they need improvement or complete eradication. Slide 4: Induction and Mentoring programs for new teachers have been designed to address the needs of these teachers. Research has shown that nearly 50% of all teachers quit within the first five years due to these issues (Scherff, Ollie, &Rosencrans, 2006). The identified factors that determine whether new teachers quit or stay in their jobs in the first few years are the following: Many teachers feel they isolated and are unsatisfied with the inconsistencies that plague the profession. The pay may not meet their expectations student behavioral issues emerge, inabilities to participate in decision-making will dishearten new teachers. Undesirable working conditions Lack of teacher preparation Lack of an effective mentor. It is the efforts of the North Carolina Beginning Teachers Support Program to resolve such problems and provide better support to beginners (Britton, Paine, Pimm, &Raizen, 2003). Slide 5: the North Carolina Beginning Teacher Support Program (NCBTSP) starts with a two week teacher-preparation seminar including classroom management, lesson planning, a synopsis of examinations, assessments, identifying student disabilities, classroom organization, instructional feedback that reflects on the lessons taught, and a host of other essential matters. Slide 6: Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools have taken up the Santa Cruz New Teacher Project. Induction programs, primarily in North Carolina, have intentions to fulfill requirements of the NCLB Act 2001 by providing skills that will help retain newcomers. According to the State Board of Education, Charlotte-Mecklenburg schools coordinate induction activities that give a framework to carry out teacher licensure programs. In the induction program, exemplary mentors meet on a weekly basis with first and second year teachers. The mentees and mentors are matched according to subject expertise, and meet for two hours before, during, or following class. This project has shown dramatic changes when implemented and “only 5% of participants in the project have left the teaching profession after 14 years” (NC General Assembly. 2007, p. 12). Slide 7: According to Hanes and Mitchell (1985), mentors are usually chosen by principals to act as role models for beginning teachers. How are these mentors trained? Preferably, training is conducted as a group depending on numbers available. Many programs suggest that sessions should last up to two hours. The potential mentor’s signs an agreement according to the program and are issued reference handbooks (Locklear, 1991). Aside from these materials, three other components are essential for concentration: classroom guidance, emotional support, and practical functions. In the classroom, mentors are trained offer knowledge regarding school policies and profession, the community’s educational anticipations and share one’s wisdom of the field. Slide 8: . Mentors are trained in giving regular feedback, taught to display confidence and create a fun environment to minimize stress, which are emotional considerations on which to focus. Moreover, mentors are encouraged to join local teacher organizations, to inform newcomers of district instructions, and participate in research projects. Pertinent to mentor selection and preparation, mentors must meet minimum qualifications; possess exceptional instruction skills, and academic maturity (Bercik, 1994). Slide 9: This study will undertake mixed methods in gathering data. The reason to combine both qualitative and quantitative is to understand this research problem by joining both sets of data as this will allow the researcher to better understand the research problems by the trends from both quantitative and qualitative research data in a single stage (Creswell, 2008). Slide 10: The study’s setting will be in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS) located in the southwest region of North Carolina. Target participants are new teaching professionals, current mentors, and school administrative staff (primarily school principals). For the purpose of this study, new teaching professionals include teachers with three or fewer years of experience, including lateral entry teachers. All 1,250 beginning teachers, 900 current mentors, and 176 principals in the district will be asked to complete the evaluation. Slide 11: Some issues that may arise from this study will be the integrity of the data gathered. The possibility always exists that the participants may not be honest in their responses and evaluations, thus this research relies on the truthfulness of the participants. Another issue is the return of the survey. The sheer number of participants makes it overwhelming to collect all the survey questionnaires back. The researcher, however, expects about a 65% return rate on the survey. Slide 12: The value of this study will greatly depend on its results. It will provide a better method of the implementation of induction and mentoring programs and will ensure a quicker and more cost effective development of new teachers into experienced and qualified teachers. It will also be openly shared to the school system, allowing development of new courses for beginning teachers, and strategies to advance the mentor program. Additionally, since the participants are teaching professionals, it will allow for an effective in depth study of their concerns (Jorissen, 2002). This study will have a great impact on the accountability of the mentor program. Research shows that induction programs that include mentoring are highly effective in transitioning teachers from university classrooms to elementary, middle and high school classrooms (Feiman-Nemser, 1996). Research further supports that induction programs including mentoring improve retention rates (Feiman-Nemser, 1996). Slide 13: Mentorship may be described as reaching out to a novice to give light and direction towards his desired path to success and entails a mentor joining him in his journey. A mentor is someone revered by a mentee as a knowledgeable guide molded into wisdom by his vast experiences in a field desired by a mentee to be part of. He takes special interest in the mentee, or his protege, as he takes her under his wing and guide her in decision-making, attitude, behavior and specific tasks related to the field he is mentoring her with. Now, I proudly present to you the findings of my study on “The Impact of Induction/ Mentoring on Beginning Teachers in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. Slide 14: Participants of the Study I successfully recruited the following who participated in the study: 136 mentors: more than half are site-based mentors with tenures in CMS not exceeding 5 years; almost 40% are administrators while the rest are teachers or facilitators. 28 principals: ? work in the elementary setting; almost all have site-based mentors; work no longer than 5 years with CMS 393 beginning teachers: nearly half are in their first year in CMS; 1/5 are on their second year; 1/3 are on their third year Slide 15: Research Questions: To determine the impact of mentoring programs, these following research questions were posed for this study: 1) How does the support new teachers receive affect their decision to stay in the teaching profession? 2) How does support influence the development of the beginning teacher? 3) How is the mentor program evaluated for its effectiveness in improving teacher retention? These research questions permitted the discussion of key factors which were related to the assessment of effectiveness of mentoring programs within these schools and in the professional development of new educators. The effectiveness of such programs has substantial effects on the teacher’s effectiveness within the classroom, assisting them as they confront the challenges and difficulties inherent in the job. Addressing these questions allowed for the in-depth investigation of the factors which influence retention rates, allowing school stakeholders to leverage on the factors that make such programs effective and dovetail interventions for improvement areas. Slide 16: Data Collection and Analysis The data for this study was gathered through: Electronic survey gathering both quantitative and qualitative information through Survey Monkey. Quantitative information was analysed using frequencies, percentages, means and standard deviation are transported onto the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS), version 17. While Qualitative information gathered made use of thematic analysis Slide 17: Research Question # 1: How Does the Support New Teachers receive affect Their Decision to Stay in the Teaching Profession? Slides 18 & 19: Supports: These slides summarize the supports that teachers in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools are provided. (Discuss details to your preference). CMS New Teacher Orientation Ideas, information, strategies and tips about teaching CMS policies, pay, benefits and licensure References and tools Opinions of teachers: Program needs more information and ideas Provision of more training and workshops and greater teacher support Helpful; venue for knowing staff members, policies/rules and procedures Clarification of job expectations “Why Didn’t I Learn This in College?” book Mentoring Veteran teacher paired with a new teacher Some teachers reported their mentors did not observe them in the classrooms Mentoring sessions were mostly done on a weekly basis, but it may be helpful to increase the frequency. Mentor contact support Regular meetings with their paired teachers Also support the mentors Principal support Slide 20: It is fulfilling to find out how the support system provided by CMS influences its beginning teachers regarding their future plans. 56.5% plan to have a long career in teaching 5.1 % plan to have a career in teaching in another state 9.2% plan to have a short career in teaching and further their education 4% plan to have a short career in teaching and change profession 25.2% are unsure Most of the respondents expressed that their decision to stay is affected by the extension of support received from their mentors. Slide 21: Research Question # 2: How does Support Influence the Development of the Beginning Teacher? Slide 22: For this research question, the following information was gathered: (Elaborate per bullet point to your preference) There is a clear misalignment between beginning teachers’ and mentors’ perceptions on the frequency of professional development sessions. Professional training of mentors help them in the communication, administrative, mentoring/ coaching, listening and observation skills necessary to helpnew teachers. Both teachers and mentors expressed need for more training and professional development. Slide 23: Research Question # 3: How is the Mentor Program Evaluated for its Effectiveness in Improving Teacher Retention? Slide 24: The Mentoring Program of CMS were evaluated based on these two main points: (Elaborate according to your preference). On its influence for teachers’ decision to stay within the teaching profession Majority of the teachers plan to have a long career in teaching Supportive relationship between mentors and teachers Majority of the teachers trusted their mentors Slide 25: Summary, Conclusion and Recommendations We now come to the highlight of the research, as I reveal the conclusions of this study. Slides 26 & 27: Conclusions: The thorough and exhaustive study’s strength is the use of a large number of participants which adds to the reliability and validity of the results. In the context of CMS, this study concludes that: Mentors provide beginning teachers with classroom strategies; guidance and emotional support; and practical administrative support, which are all effectual in their effective transition into the teaching role. Sharing of teaching strategies, classroom observations, planning, and other such conferences are found helpful by the beginning teachers, and even express wanting more time for such sessions and for classroom training. the overall effectiveness of the mentoring program of CMS schools influence the retention of beginning teachers, the current study has found the mentoring program of CMS is very strong, with best practices in place. effective mentoring has led to a trust-based relationship between the mentor and the mentee Slide 28: Improvements Needed in Mentoring Program Two main improvements were also pointed out in the course of gathering data for this study, which are noteworthy for the school administrators of CMS to consider: Mentor observation sessions should be more frequent. More opportunities for giving corrective feedback, criticism and praise where necessary deserved should be provided. Slide 29: Recommendations Apart from the improvements suggested, the following recommendations were also made: More time for sharing of ideas and information. Design individual development plans for mentors and mentor contacts. Follow-up research, additional methodologies such as focus-groups, interviews to further probe effectiveness of mentoring programs. Slide 30: Let me end with this quote by Henry Brooks Adams, which simply summarizes the wisdom gained from this dissertation: “A teacher affects eternity: he can never tell where his influence stops”. Thank you very much and I do hope you learned much from this dissertation, my humble contribution to the field of education. Read More