new teacher mentorship model

Wed Jul 5 00:26:12 PDT 2000

Peggy,

    Thanks for this.  I believe you are right that some teachers would
prefer a one-on-one relationship, and that it would help facilitate this to
suggest it as one of the possible outcomes.  I wonder:  will the people feel
awkward about finding partners, as if they're back at a high school dance?
As a way to relieve pressure on the interaction in the focus groups, could
"connecting with your mentors" be organized somehow as a convergence
activity?  Thanks for your continued advice.

Chris

----------
From: Peggy Holman <pholman at msn.com>
To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
Subject: Re: new teacher mentorship model
Date: Tue, Jul 4, 2000, 7:54 PM

Chris,

What an inspired idea!  I look forward to hearing how it goes.

Here's one small suggestion.  Some folks really do learn best one-on-one and
benefit from an ongoing relationship.  I'd encourage any new teacher who
wishes to do so to ask someone to be their mentor.  They will have the
experience of the Open Space to notice who has interest in supporting the
areas they are interested in and to see the mentors in action so they have
some insight into the chemistry.

You can certainly conclude that this would happen in some cases whether
specifically encouraged or not.  Since the new teachers probably have a lot
coming at them, I see value in an explicit suggestion to find someone to
work with if they so desire.

Peggy

----- Original Message -----
From: Rhett Hudson/Chris Weaver <mailto:rhett&chris at MAIN.NC.US>
To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU <mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU>
Sent: Thursday, June 29, 2000 6:53 PM
Subject: new teacher mentorship model

Dear OSLIST,

I'm all excited and bleary-eyed from one of those sweet breakthroughs into a
new application of Open Space.  I've drafted an Open-Space-based design for
a mentorship project for new public school teachers (with help from Esther,
BJ, and Chris Corrigan).  I'm striking while the iron is hot - this could be
piloted state-wide in North Carolina by the fall, bringing together a number
of teacher-support programs who have never worked in consort.  I share it
with you in its newly-created form for your feedback, and of course in the
hope that it might be useful to someone else out there.

PS TO MICHAEL HERMAN:  Where would be the best niche for posting this type
of item on the openspaceworld website?

LEARNER-BASED COMMUNITY MENTORSHIP for NEW TEACHERS
Draft, 6/30, by Chris Weaver

RATIONALE
New teachers are working in highly complex environments and have multiple
layers of needs.  They are constructing their own practice in individual
ways based on their diverse professional strengths and the diverse
environments in which they work.  The mentoring they receive should be
driven by each teacher's priorities, rather than by the agenda of an
individual mentor or support program.  The new teachers should have
effective access to a wide variety of mentoring expertise.

END RESULT
At the end of the Formation Meeting, each new teacher will have chosen a
number of mentors whom they can easily contact for different types of
advice.  Each mentor will have identified a number of new teachers whose
needs match their area of expertise.  In the ongoing contact and meetings,
these multiple mentor-mentee relationships will deepen, and new
relationships will be easily formed based on the needs of the new teachers.

I.  FORMATION MEETING
    When?         Mid-August
    Where?        NCTeach University Host Sites
    Who?            All New NCTeach Teachers
                        All available mentors (LEA, Coach-to-Coach, NCTeach
Master Teachers, Available
                        NCTeach Faculty)
    How Long?    3 1/2 hours (in this example, 6:00 to 9:30 pm)
    Process?      Open Space Technology
    Description:
                        6:00 to 6:45  -  All teachers and mentors meet.
Each participant is given a list of all participants, with individual
contact information (particularly email addresses) and room for note-taking
below each name.  Instructions are also included for ongoing listserv and/or
web-based communication.  Open Space process is introduced.  Participants
are invited to convene focus groups on a particular topic reflecting the
needs of the teachers (e.g. High School Biology, classroom management,
Standard Course of Study and Projects, homework expectations, Inclusion, EOG
7th grade reading Benchmarks...)  The convenor of each focus group (could be
a teacher or a mentor) selects a time and location for their conversation.
Schedule is posted on the agenda wall.  Participants know that they may move
freely between focus groups at any time, to find the place where they can
learn or contribute to the highest degree possible.
                        6:45 to 7:30  -  Focus Groups, session I
                        7:30 to 8:15  -  Focus Groups, session II
                        8:15 to 9:00  -  Focus Groups, session III
The convenor of each focus group is responsible for facilitating that group,
and for ensuring that a simple report is compiled.
                        9:00 to 9:30  -  Whole Group Closing Meeting
                        FOLLOW-UP  -  All focus group reports will be
compiled and distributed, electronically and/or hard copies, to all
participants within 24 hours.

II.  SUSTAINING MEETINGS
    Sustaining meetings will be held monthly throughout the school year,
following the same Open Space Process.  Focus groups will continue to be
convened around specific teacher needs.  New teachers will thus deepen their
relationships with established mentors while maintaining access to new
mentors.  New teachers will also learn collaboratively from one another, and
mentors will learn from all participants.  Focus group reports will be
compiled and distributed following each Open Space meeting.

III.  SUPPORT BETWEEN MEETINGS
    New teacher support between meetings will be driven by teacher needs and
requests.  Communication will occur on-line, as well as by phone and in
person as requested.  A fund will be established to pay for substitutes so
that mentors can make classroom visits to new teachers when requested
whenever possible.

IV.  MENTOR ROLES AND COMPENSATION
    In this structure, mentors are compensated for their participation in
the monthly Open Space meetings and for being available to the new teachers
between meetings.  Mentors will be compensated by their sponsoring
organizations (NCTeach, Coach-to-Coach, local District/LEA).  In this
learner-based structure, the actual hours spent in mentoring work will be
impossible to precisely predict.  Data on this will be collected as the
program unfolds, and adjustments in compensation/workload will be negotiated
as needed.

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