Foundations of Mentoring
FALL 2023
FOUNDATIONS OF MENTORING:Online Training for Teachers Who Wish to Mentor
Instructor: Jeanette Wolters-Lennon
4 CTLE Hours Grades: K-12
Online and asynchronous, beginning on October 3, 2023 and ending on November 1, 2023.
Mandatory Mentoring Forum (1 hour) Online and Synchronous -November 2, 2023 7-8 p.m.
No Fee for OWL Consortium Teachers(Lindenhurst, N. Babylon, Wyandanch) ; $15 fee for all others
You must be a tenured teacher in order to participate in this training.
New teachers often struggle with a predictable dichotomy. On one hand, they have completed their initial course work, and have been hired to teach. On the other hand, they are new to the profession, and don’t have the experience they might need to handle multiple, complex issues that arise with their students. They wish to appear competent since they are “real” teachers and they are expected to know what to do. They want their colleagues and supervisors to respect their position and knowledge, and don’t want to appear unsure. Enter the proficient mentor, who is able to develop a trusting relationship with the new teacher and help them navigate the many pitfalls of first-year teaching.
This training will be presented in two parts. The first 3 hours is an online, asynchronous basic training recommended for anyone who wishes to mentor colleagues. The second part consists of a one hour mandatory synchronous meeting, described in detail below, which will help mentors internalize the skills and strategies of effective mentoring.
Teachers who complete all four hours of training will receive a certificate for 4 CTLE hours.
Introduction to Mentoring (3 hours)
Introductory level background in mentoring including the need for confidentiality, trust and rapport
Introduction of important verbal skills, including
Choosing between open- and closed-ended questions
Using confirmatory paraphrasing to determine a new teacher’s “agenda”
Appropriately use positive phrasing and/or approval statements to overcome resistance
Introduction of classroom visitation cycle (pre-visitation conference, visit, post-visitation conference with new goal setting)
Discussion, Q and A.
Lindenhurst teachers will become part of the district mentor pool if all 4 hours are completed.
