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by Declan Flynn

Nov 9, 2011

I am new to the siteI am a UK teacher and am actually mentoring for the first time as opposed to being in charge of a trainee student teacher. Any advice and tips from experienced teachers would be appreciated.

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Sara On 11/09/11, Declan Flynn wrote: > I am new to the siteI am a UK teacher and am actually > mentoring for the first time as opposed to being in charge > of a trainee student teacher. Any advice and tips from > experienced teachers would be appreciated.

An "open door" policy in so far as you're able to can be helpful - I certainl...See More

Nov 10, 2011

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Declan Flynn On 11/10/11, Sara wrote: > On 11/09/11, Declan Flynn wrote: >> I am new to the siteI am a UK teacher and am actually >> mentoring for the first time as opposed to being in charge >> of a trainee student teacher. Any advice and tips from >> experienced teachers would be appreciated. > > An "open door" policy in so fa...See MoreOn 11/10/11, Sara wrote: > On 11/09/11, Declan Flynn wrote: >> I am new to the siteI am a UK teacher and am actually >> mentoring for the first time as opposed to being in charge >> of a trainee student teacher. Any advice and tips from >> experienced teachers would be appreciated. > > An "open door" policy in so far as you're able to can be > helpful - I certainly appreciated that when I was a brand new > teacher. I also appreciated that my mentor said positive things > to me and knew I couldn't learn everything in a day. > > Having mentored myself what I find most difficult is when I > think I need to say something... my mentee used 'contracts' - > something I firmly believe doesn't work in our school and > doesn't fit in with the philosophy of the school. It's easier > to mentor when the mentee comes in with questions and needs > encouragement and suggestions but much harder when you see the > mentee going down the wrong path - with determination - and you > feel you need to redirect them. > > I ask my mentees to think of the best teachers they had and > then - what did those teachers do? "Model the behavior you > expect from your students" is another favorite line of mine to > use with new teachers. > > Thanks for your advice. I am sitting down with the students as often as a full timetable permits. The discusiions are revolving around support needed, pacing and planning of lessons, expectations, discipine and any other issues that arise. It is quite a responsibility and time consuming.I have asked 2 colleagues to sit down separately with the students to discuss my mentoring and at the end of the placement I will reflect on their feed back to see where my mentoring could be improved for future reference. I like the idea of letting them set the agenda. I don't know about you but during lesson observations especially with my examination/certificate classes, i find it very hard not to intervene when I think that things are not going well, I am finding a conflicting mindset with what a teacher would/should do and what a mentor should/would do. This is a difficult process of trying to steer/facilitate the mentee without actually telling them what to do. What about you?? Stay in touch Declan

Nov 23, 2011

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Sara br> >> Thanks for your advice. I am sitting down with the students as > often as a full timetable permits. The discusiions are revolving > around support needed, pacing and planning of lessons, > expectations, discipine and any other issues that arise. It is > quite a responsibility and time consuming.I have asked 2 > collea...See Morebr> >> Thanks for your advice. I am sitting down with the students as > often as a full timetable permits. The discusiions are revolving > around support needed, pacing and planning of lessons, > expectations, discipine and any other issues that arise. It is > quite a responsibility and time consuming.I have asked 2 > colleagues to sit down separately with the students to discuss my > mentoring and at the end of the placement I will reflect on their > feed back to see where my mentoring could be improved for future > reference. I like the idea of letting them set the agenda. I > don't know about you but during lesson observations especially > with my examination/certificate classes, i find it very hard not > to intervene when I think that things are not going well,

Yes but I never do because it would upset the teaching in training so much they would have a "chip on their shoulder" towards me and my mentoring from then on. I wait until the two of us can talk and then ask why they chose to do it the way they did? I share my concerns but often this leads - and has to - to philosophical discussions. I find most young teachers have not given active thought to what they believe about school and its place in society. They haven't thought about what's realistic.

What any teacher does should reflect the outcome of what they're trying to achieve. That simple truth is lost on many people, teachers or not. "Begin with the end in mind."

So I can ask - what outcome are you trying to achieve when you had them copying notes from the board? Was that just a moment to fill or did you have a greater purpose in mind?

I advise young teachers to do the things that build a strong relationship with the class. But at the same time, I know different things are possible for different teachers and I'll let them go on a bit to see what happens. For one example, sitting down. I almost never sit down when a class is my room - that doesn't work for me. But it can work for some other teachers.

Each teacher has to find what works for them with their students - what fosters a good classroom environment. And many of us have to learn by trial and error - I may say "I think that's an error to have them copying notes from the board but let's see."

> finding a conflicting mindset with what a teacher would/should do > and what a mentor should/would do. This is a difficult process of > trying to steer/facilitate the mentee without actually telling > them what to do. What about you?? > Stay in touch > Declan

Nov 23, 2011

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Declan On 11/23/11, Sara wrote: > I am finding the opposite of upsetting the teachers in training. They are telling me that they are finding the feedback as quite a useful exercise and that it has helped them with observed lessons when their tutors have come out from college. i have taken your point of refelection on board and getting them to think abo...See MoreOn 11/23/11, Sara wrote: > I am finding the opposite of upsetting the teachers in training. They are telling me that they are finding the feedback as quite a useful exercise and that it has helped them with observed lessons when their tutors have come out from college. i have taken your point of refelection on board and getting them to think about why they are asking the pupils to do what they are doing and why. Good classroom environment is what comes with experience- trying to get the students to reflect on what went well and what didn't without me jumping in is proving difficult to resist but we are getting to the stage of a more collaborative dialogue. >>> >>> Thanks for your advice. I am sitting down with the students as >> often as a full timetable permits. The discusiions are revolving >> around support needed, pacing and planning of lessons, >> expectations, discipine and any other issues that arise. It is >> quite a responsibility and time consuming.I have asked 2 >> colleagues to sit down separately with the students to discuss my >> mentoring and at the end of the placement I will reflect on their >> feed back to see where my mentoring could be improved for future >> reference. I like the idea of letting them set the agenda. I >> don't know about you but during lesson observations especially >> with my examination/certificate classes, i find it very hard not >> to intervene when I think that things are not going well, > > Yes but I never do because it would upset the teaching in training so > much they would have a "chip on their shoulder" towards me and my > mentoring from then on. I wait until the two of us can talk and then > ask why they chose to do it the way they did? I share my concerns but > often this leads - and has to - to philosophical discussions. I find > most young teachers have not given active thought to what they > believe about school and its place in society. They haven't thought > about what's realistic. > > What any teacher does should reflect the outcome of what they're > trying to achieve. That simple truth is lost on many people, teachers > or not. "Begin with the end in mind." > > So I can ask - what outcome are you trying to achieve when you had > them copying notes from the board? Was that just a moment to fill or > did you have a greater purpose in mind? > > I advise young teachers to do the things that build a strong > relationship with the class. But at the same time, I know different > things are possible for different teachers and I'll let them go on a > bit to see what happens. For one example, sitting down. I almost > never sit down when a class is my room - that doesn't work for me. > But it can work for some other teachers. > > Each teacher has to find what works for them with their students - > what fosters a good classroom environment. And many of us have to > learn by trial and error - I may say "I think that's an error to have > them copying notes from the board but let's see." > > >> finding a conflicting mindset with what a teacher would/should do >> and what a mentor should/would do. This is a difficult process of >> trying to steer/facilitate the mentee without actually telling >> them what to do. What about you?? >> Stay in touch >> Declan

Nov 28, 2011

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Nov 28, 2011

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