Mentorship

Vincent Williams

As I reflect on the first three years teaching in a Clayton County public high school, I have noticed some areas that they should improve.  So, an improved mentorship program is highly recommended.  There are different types of mentorship programs.  Pre-service mentoring takes place during the training and education stage.  This is normally in teacher training programs, whether traditional or alternate route to certification.  Induction mentoring takes place in the school system during the first 1 – 2 years of teaching.  In-service or peer mentoring is when experienced teachers are aligned with new teachers to assist in catching the new teachers up to speed.  There are a number reasons why it is advantageous.  However, persuasion is outside of the scope of this reflection.  Just to name a few: it leads to higher performance, retention, attitude, and culture. 


Many teachers may feel they don’t need a mentor if they taught more than 3 years but, new to the school.  I feel like every teacher needs a seasoned teacher to help hone their craft and help to find their place on a new team.  Every school community is going to be different and they need to learn how to work together as a team to maximize student achievement.  Some of the elements of mentoring could be class observations, orientations, and assessments.  As far as the new teachers go, I have asked quite a few about the challenges.  Many say that managing the work load, lesson plans, and establishing respect are some of the things they experienced in the first few years.  These are all concepts that are not new and seasoned teachers SHOULD be excited to help develop new teachers.  In our district, it is left to the schools to develop their own mentoring program.  It is, in fact, the responsibility of the educational leader.  However, my school does not do the greatest job in this area.  The district should provide some assistance and possibly give some financial incentive for the seasoned teachers that mentor.   Also, a little accountability will never hurt. 

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