Thesis: Goals
My goal for the program was to have training and support that would create strong mentors. Based on my research and investigations, I knew that mentors would need some “hard” knowledge such as which forms to fill out, when the deadlines were, and what the state requirements are; and some “soft” knowledge such as communication styles, emotional phases of new teachers, and flexible mentoring roles. Additionally, they needed time to practice skills that were a blend of both “hard” and “soft:” using video observations and holding reflective conversations; facilitating Looking At Student Work protocols, for example.
What should the mentor component of MTI Program look like?
To achieve this goal I built a program that has two full days of training before mentors meet their interns and begin working with them. There are two additional days, one in fall and one in spring, to review and refresh these skills and address any needs throughout the year. Mentors also attend monthly meetings to keep updated and continuously develop their skills. During the initial training, and reenforced thereafter, mentors learn about, discuss, and role play the skills and knowledge they will need to be successful with their mentoring relationship:
How will I share this work with others?
The MTI Program is not “my” program; it is a living process of education and a work in progress as Magnolia prepares to launch it in Fall of 2012. Therefore, the work I have done must be accessible to more than just those who know me AND must be readily adjustable as needs shift or new strategies come to the forefront. It is my hope that educators beyond the Magnolia family of schools will also find this work useful just as I was inspired by the work of other successful schools.
To this end, I created the Mentoring Hub: an online “manual” for mentoring that walks a visitor through the program Magnolia will use and links to all the relevant documents, forms, resources, and websites. In designing the Hub, I wanted to be sure that it was thorough enough for anyone to come to it and gain a complete understanding of the MTI Program’s mentoring component YET to be elegant and simple enough for a first time or experienced visitor to navigate with a minimal number of “clicks” or searching. I tried to imagine someone coming to the Hub hoping to start a mentoring program. Could they understand all the strategies referenced and taught in the MTI Program without meeting me in person? In most cases, yes: there are plenty of wonderful resources already out there that I provide links to or explain. The one area that was difficult to relay, and one I have mentors role playing during training, is conducting successful reflective conversations after a video observation. To remedy this, I worked with my fellow mentor staff to create “correct/incorrect” video clips that show how poorly a conversation can go when either the mentor or the intern is participating incorrectly in contrast to how well a conversation can go when both parties are participating correctly.
How will I assess the effectiveness of my thesis work?
There are two ways to track the effect of the mentoring program:
#1 How many people visit the Mentoring Hub website: I have embedded a visitor counter which tracks how many unique visitors come to the site. If the site is useful, I will see an increase in visitors starting by Fall of 2012 when the MTI Program launches and should see a sustained number of visitors after that as mentors/interns access the site.
#2 Feedback from MTI Program participants: The MTI Program has both formal and informal feedback built in. At the end of each year, participants rate the program as a whole, including the mentoring component. Also, monthly mentor meetings include time for questions, concerns, and suggestions. Also, the weekly Group Practicum uses the Looking At Student Work protocol which includes time to debrief the protocol.
Obviously, the MTI Program as I have designed it now will change based on who directs the program and the unique needs and personalities of the campuses and teachers it serves. As Magnolia has not previously had a mentoring or intern credentialing program, it is difficult to compare its effects. I hope I have designed a program that is well accepted and garners positive feedback but I also hope that the blueprint I have drafted here is only the springboard for a live and growing culture of mentoring at Magnolia and beyond.
What should the mentor component of MTI Program look like?
To achieve this goal I built a program that has two full days of training before mentors meet their interns and begin working with them. There are two additional days, one in fall and one in spring, to review and refresh these skills and address any needs throughout the year. Mentors also attend monthly meetings to keep updated and continuously develop their skills. During the initial training, and reenforced thereafter, mentors learn about, discuss, and role play the skills and knowledge they will need to be successful with their mentoring relationship:
- understanding the phases new teachers go through
- setting norms and goals as mentors
- understanding and role playing the roles that mentors take
- understanding and self-assessing their communication skills
- becoming familiar with the coursework and state requirements interns will be working on
- becoming familiar with the paperwork, resources, and tools they will need
- practicing video observations and reflective conversations
- learning how to Look At Student Work when facilitating a Practicum Group Meeting
How will I share this work with others?
The MTI Program is not “my” program; it is a living process of education and a work in progress as Magnolia prepares to launch it in Fall of 2012. Therefore, the work I have done must be accessible to more than just those who know me AND must be readily adjustable as needs shift or new strategies come to the forefront. It is my hope that educators beyond the Magnolia family of schools will also find this work useful just as I was inspired by the work of other successful schools.
To this end, I created the Mentoring Hub: an online “manual” for mentoring that walks a visitor through the program Magnolia will use and links to all the relevant documents, forms, resources, and websites. In designing the Hub, I wanted to be sure that it was thorough enough for anyone to come to it and gain a complete understanding of the MTI Program’s mentoring component YET to be elegant and simple enough for a first time or experienced visitor to navigate with a minimal number of “clicks” or searching. I tried to imagine someone coming to the Hub hoping to start a mentoring program. Could they understand all the strategies referenced and taught in the MTI Program without meeting me in person? In most cases, yes: there are plenty of wonderful resources already out there that I provide links to or explain. The one area that was difficult to relay, and one I have mentors role playing during training, is conducting successful reflective conversations after a video observation. To remedy this, I worked with my fellow mentor staff to create “correct/incorrect” video clips that show how poorly a conversation can go when either the mentor or the intern is participating incorrectly in contrast to how well a conversation can go when both parties are participating correctly.
How will I assess the effectiveness of my thesis work?
There are two ways to track the effect of the mentoring program:
#1 How many people visit the Mentoring Hub website: I have embedded a visitor counter which tracks how many unique visitors come to the site. If the site is useful, I will see an increase in visitors starting by Fall of 2012 when the MTI Program launches and should see a sustained number of visitors after that as mentors/interns access the site.
#2 Feedback from MTI Program participants: The MTI Program has both formal and informal feedback built in. At the end of each year, participants rate the program as a whole, including the mentoring component. Also, monthly mentor meetings include time for questions, concerns, and suggestions. Also, the weekly Group Practicum uses the Looking At Student Work protocol which includes time to debrief the protocol.
Obviously, the MTI Program as I have designed it now will change based on who directs the program and the unique needs and personalities of the campuses and teachers it serves. As Magnolia has not previously had a mentoring or intern credentialing program, it is difficult to compare its effects. I hope I have designed a program that is well accepted and garners positive feedback but I also hope that the blueprint I have drafted here is only the springboard for a live and growing culture of mentoring at Magnolia and beyond.