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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Chris,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I have no doubt there are many ways to handle the
matching; perhaps it is best left to the rhythm of each individual to sort
out. I recently attended a 10-day workshop in which the suggestion to
choose a mentor was made near the beginning. That was about all that was
said. Beyond that, we were interacting with the staff throughout the time
and whatever arrangements you wished to make were up to you. I'm sure some
chose mentors, others not. I must admit there were times when I ate lunch
with different staff members where I had the feeling that I was interviewig
possible candidtates for being my mentor. Other than taht, I felt it my
responsibility to handle.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>If you want something with more form, something a
colleague in Open Space, Michael Lindfield, does might work. When the
circle reconvenes at the end of an event, he'll have a 15-minute "taking care of
business" marketplace. Essentially, anyone is invited to do any individual
follow-up with anyone else within the bounds of the circle. So, I might
take my calendar, walk across to the circle to where you're seated and set up a
time to meet with you. That time could be to ask someone to be a mentor or
any other sort of follow-up in the moment I want to handle.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>So there are two possibilities...</FONT></DIV>
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<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=rhett&chris@MAIN.NC.US
href="mailto:rhett&chris@MAIN.NC.US">Rhett Hudson/Chris Weaver</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A
title=OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
href="mailto:OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU">OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU</A>
</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Wednesday, July 05, 2000 12:26
AM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: new teacher mentorship
model</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>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><BR>----------<BR>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></FONT></FONT> <BR>
<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></BLOCKQUOTE></BLOCKQUOTE></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>