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Peggy,<BR>
<BR>
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.<BR>
<BR>
Chris<BR>
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From: Peggy Holman <pholman@msn.com><BR>
To: OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU<BR>
Subject: Re: new teacher mentorship model<BR>
Date: Tue, Jul 4, 2000, 7:54 PM<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BLOCKQUOTE><FONT SIZE="2"><FONT FACE="Arial">Chris,<BR>
</FONT></FONT> <BR>
<FONT SIZE="2"><FONT FACE="Arial">What an inspired idea! I look forward to hearing how it goes.<BR>
</FONT></FONT> <BR>
<FONT SIZE="2"><FONT FACE="Arial">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.<BR>
</FONT></FONT> <BR>
<FONT SIZE="2"><FONT FACE="Arial">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.<BR>
</FONT></FONT> <BR>
<FONT SIZE="2"><FONT FACE="Arial">Peggy<BR>
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<BLOCKQUOTE>----- Original Message ----- <BR>
<B>From:</B> Rhett Hudson/Chris Weaver <<FONT COLOR="#0000FF"><U>mailto:rhett&chris@MAIN.NC.US</U></FONT>> <BR>
<B>To:</B> <FONT COLOR="#0000FF"><U>OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU</U></FONT> <<FONT COLOR="#0000FF"><U>mailto:OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU</U></FONT>> <BR>
<B>Sent:</B> Thursday, June 29, 2000 6:53 PM<BR>
<B>Subject:</B> new teacher mentorship model<BR>
<BR>
Dear OSLIST,<BR>
<BR>
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.<BR>
<BR>
PS TO MICHAEL HERMAN: Where would be the best niche for posting this type of item on the openspaceworld website?<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
LEARNER-BASED COMMUNITY MENTORSHIP for NEW TEACHERS<BR>
Draft, 6/30, by Chris Weaver<BR>
<BR>
RATIONALE<BR>
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 <I>should be driven by each teacher's priorities, </I>rather than by the agenda of an individual mentor or support program. The new teachers <I>should have effective access to a wide variety of mentoring expertise.<BR>
<BR>
</I>END RESULT<BR>
At the end of the Formation Meeting, each new teacher will have chosen <I>a number </I>of mentors whom they can easily contact for different types of advice. Each mentor will have identified <I>a number </I>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.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
I. FORMATION MEETING<BR>
When? Mid-August<BR>
Where? NCTeach University Host Sites<BR>
Who? All New NCTeach Teachers<BR>
All available mentors (LEA, Coach-to-Coach, NCTeach Master Teachers, Available <BR>
NCTeach Faculty) <BR>
How Long? 3 1/2 hours (in this example, 6:00 to 9:30 pm) <BR>
Process? Open Space Technology<BR>
Description:<BR>
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 <I>reflecting the needs of the teachers</I> (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.<BR>
6:45 to 7:30 - Focus Groups, session I<BR>
7:30 to 8:15 - Focus Groups, session II<BR>
8:15 to 9:00 - Focus Groups, session III <BR>
The convenor of each focus group is responsible for facilitating that group, and for ensuring that a simple report is compiled.<BR>
9:00 to 9:30 - Whole Group Closing Meeting<BR>
FOLLOW-UP - All focus group reports will be compiled and distributed, electronically and/or hard copies, to all participants within 24 hours.<BR>
<BR>
II. SUSTAINING MEETINGS<BR>
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.<BR>
<BR>
III. SUPPORT BETWEEN MEETINGS<BR>
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.<BR>
<BR>
IV. MENTOR ROLES AND COMPENSATION<BR>
In this structure, mentors are compensated for their participation in the monthly Open Space meetings and for <I>being available </I>to the new teachers<I> </I>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.<BR>
<BR>
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