SEPTEMBER 2002 PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT NEWSLETTER
SEPTEMBER 2002 PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT NEWSLETTER
THEME: COACHING AND MENTORING
Coaching and mentoring are powerful strategies for supporting new and experienced teachers. Coaching and mentoring can assist teachers in developing and refining their professional practice, and can support professional growth. This edition of the Professional Development Newsletter offers resources for developing coaching and mentoring programs.
1. Coaching Overview<?xml:namespace prefix = o />
2. “Coaching Isn't Just for Athletes”
3. Coaching Groups
4. Middle School Coaching Programs
5. Supporting New Teachers Through Coaching
6. Increasing Teacher Retention Through Coaching
7. How to Create a Mentoring Program
8. How Principals Can Reduce New Teacher Attrition
9. Supporting New Teachers Through Mentoring
10. Mentoring Mentors
11. Train Mentors for Maximum Success
12. Attributes of Good Mentors
13. Foundation Offers Mentoring Resources
1. COACHING OVERVIEW
“Coaching provides a model of respectful collegial reflection about instructional decisions. The benefits are seen in student learning gains, increased teacher efficacy, and increased satisfaction with one’s work and the collaborative culture found in the school,” states author Kathryn Harwell-Kee in the article “Coaching” (Journal of Staff Development, Summer 1999). This concise article presents key ideas about coaching and the coaching process. http://www.nsdc.org/library/jsd/harwell203.html
2. “COACHING ISN'T JUST FOR ATHLETES”
The article "Coaching Isn't Just For Athletes: The Role of Teacher Leaders" (Phi Delta Kappan, June 2001) outlines the impact and benefits of coaching programs for teachers and administrators. http://www.pdkintl.org/kappan/k0106gui.htm
3. COACHING GROUPS
“Just Showing Up: Supporting Early Literacy Through Teachers' Professional Communities” (Phi Delta Kappan, May 2001) describes a collaborative coaching effort involving two university researchers and primary grade teachers at three schools attempting to improve the literacy skills of children at risk of school failure. Authors Gloria Ladson-Billings and Mary Louise Gomez describe the process they used, and the results achieved. The authors state: “We . . . believe that the only way to improve the quality of teaching and learning is to improve teachers' skills and abilities. Thus we see professional development as the linchpin of school reform aimed at raising academic performance.” http://www.pdkintl.org/kappan/k0105lad.htm
4. MIDDLE SCHOOL COACHING PROGRAMS
The article “Teachers Get Help from the Guide on the Side” (Fall 1999) by John Norton describes a teacher coaching program used at Long Beach Unified School District middle schools, and the learning process that both the district and teacher coaches went through in planning and implementing the program. http://www.middleweb.com/CSLB6guide.html
5. SUPPORTING NEW TEACHERS THROUGH COACHING
“Ongoing, Job-Embedded Informal Learning” from WestEd describes professional development practices identified by teachers that result in student learning. Coaching is one of these strategies. Also included is a related article, “Coaching at Montview Elementary School.” http://web.wested.org/online_pubs/modelIPD/22_ongoing.shtml
6. INCREASING TEACHER RETENTION THROUGH COACHING
“Teacher Coaching: A Tool for Retention” (The School Administrator, January 2001) an article in the online version of the American Association for School Administrators journal, discusses ways in which the Design for Excellence: Linking Teaching and Achievement (DELTA) coaching program can support new teachers. http://www.aasa.org/publications/sa/2001_01/griffin.htm
7. HOW TO CREATE A MENTORING PROGRAM
"Creating a Teacher Mentoring Program,” outlines issues and questions that school districts, teacher associations, and universities should consider when developing mentor programs. These questions reflec the experiences and observations of teachers, district administrators, higher education faculty, and teacher association leaders who possess first-hand knowledge about what to seek and what to avoid when creating a mentor program. http://www.nfie.org/publications/mentoring.htm
8. HOW PRINCIPALS CAN REDUCE NEW TEACHER ATTRITION
Amy C. Colley, writing in the Principal Magazine (March 2002) notes three major roles that principals can play in fostering the support and retention of new teachers. One of these roles entails serving as “mentor coordinator”. In the article, "What Can Principals Do About New Teacher Attrition?" Colley outlines steps principals can take to support new teachers with teacher mentors. http://www.naesp.org/comm/p0302b.htm
9. SUPPORTING NEW TEACHERS THROUGH MENTORING
“The Things We Leave Behind” from the “Voices from the Field” series published by The LAB at Brown University describes ways in which one district utilized a formal mentoring program to provide support for new teachers. http://www.lab.brown.edu/voices/2qtr2002/mentoring.shtml
10. MENTORING MENTORS
Author Monica Janas discusses considerations in planning professional development for mentors in the article “Mentoring the Mentor: A Challenge for Staff Development” (Journal of Staff Development, Fall 1996) published by the in the National Staff Development Council. Janas provides counsel on selecting and training mentors, matching mentors with protégés, setting goals and expectations, establishing mentor programs, and implications for staff developers. http://www.nsdc.org/library/jsd/janas174.html
11. TRAIN MENTORS FOR MAXIMUM SUCCESS
“The Mettle Of A Mentor” (Journal of Staff Development, Fall 2000) examines seven competencies that mentors should have in order to skillfully support new teachers with whom they work. Authors Denmark and Podsen state “Perhaps with a formal mentoring program established in schools, the new generation of teachers will have a more caring, nurturing, and successful rite of passage into the teaching profession.” http://www.nsdc.org/library/jsd/denmark214.html
12. ATTRIBUTES OF GOOD MENTORS
Author James B. Rowley identifies qualities of an effective mentor in the article “The Good Mentor” published by the Association for Supervision and Crriculum Development (Educational Leadership, May 1999). According to Rowley, the good mentor is committed to the role of mentoring, accepting of the beginning teacher, skilled at providing instructional support, effective in different interpersonal contexts, is the model of a continuous learner, and communicates hope and optimism. Rowley expands on these key points in his article. http://www.ascd.org/readingroom/edlead/9905/rowley.html
13. FOUNDATION OFFERS MENTORING RESOURCES
The George Lucas Educational Foundation provides an extensive array of resources on mentoring. Click “Mentoring” in the left hand column of the Web site. Then, when you are on the “Mentoring” page, click on “The Big List” on the right hand side of the page. http://glef.org/
This electronic newsletter is sponsored by the Region 8 California Professional Development Consortium (CPDC) administered by the Kern County Superintendent of Schools Office.
To subscribe or unsubscribe from this newsletter, or to subscribe to our other our free electronic Newsletters for Professional Development or Middle School issues, email call or fax Christina Doyle: email - cdoyle@kern.org, phone (661) 636-4331 or fax (661) 636-4135.
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