Heather+Arkell+DelBagno



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**Developing a Teacher Mentor Program**



 * //How do we get everyone on board?//**

The most difficult part of this school improvement plan is for all stakeholders to develop a shared understanding and meaning of a Teacher Mentor Program. The plan developed will be comprehensive and requires complete participction of all involved in the school comunity in order for it to work. The first step is for everyone in the school to develop a shared understandings of the need, the purpose, and the goals.

In order for everyone to develop a mutual vision of change, the principal must be an active participant in the Teacher Mentor Program. Author Tom Gasner in his article //The principal as new teacher mentor, Leader's active support keeps the wheels turning// from the //Journal of Staff Development// posted on the National Staff Development Council website, claims that the success of a teacher mentor program depends on the principal's active support. He believes that the principal should be a mentor by taking an active role in every aspect of the teacher mentor program. Gasner also suggests that the principal inform every member of the school community about the teacher mentor program and help teachers understand how it fits in with other forms of professional development.

[|National Staff Development Council]

// **What makes teachers leave? What makes teacher stay?** // An important thing to consider when trying to understand why teachers leave or stay in their schools and in their professions is the growing teacher shortage in our country. According to the National Education Association, there will be a teacher shortage in this county in the next decade. Rising student enrollments and increased teacher retirement impact the rate but are only part of the explanation for the shortage. Keeping good teachers is a challenge for both urban and suburban schools and retention of new hires is difficult. According to statistical data reported by the NEA, twenty percent of new teachers leave the profession within three years and urban districts report loosing fifty percent of new hires within five years.

[|NEA: Teacher Shortage]

Befor a school can understand what should be done to improve teacher retention, it needs to uncover what makes a teacher leave and what makes them stay. There are two articles from //American Educator// posted on the American Federations of Teachers website that provide rationales for why teachers leave and why they stay. Author Leslie Baldacci in her article //Why Teachers Leave//.... recalls her first teaching experience at a poor, troubled urban Chicago school. After two exasperating years of feeling undervalued and unsupported, she leaves to find employment at a better school. In the counterpart article .....//And Why Teacher Stay// by Susan Moore Johnson concludes that there are three things teachers take into consideration when deciding whether to stay at a school: they are open to job switching, are they getting what they want, and do they feel supported in their schools. Both articles provide an insight to what should be evaluated when developing a plan to improve teacher retention. Schools need to understand what factors makes teachers leave and stay and create a good teacher program that implements steps that will meet teacher's needs.

[|American Federation of Teachers]

//**What makes a good plan?**//

In order for the teacher mentor program to be a success, it is important to create a plan that works. Every school community has unique needs and the plan for a teacher mentor program should take those factors into consideration. How will a shared understanding of the need be created? Who will serve as mentors? What type of training should be offered? These and other important questions should be addressed before developing and implementing the plan. The National Education Foundation website details the criteria to use when creating a teacher mentor program. It provides a step-by-step plan for developing a comprehensive teacher mentor program from its begining rationale to the way it is evaluated at the end of its implementation.

[|NEA Foundation]
 * //Who will be the mentors?//**

When choosing mentors, there are many questions to consider. Choosing the right mentors for the teacher mentor program is key to its success. When exploring the options, many school districts have decided to use retired teachers as mentors in their teacher mentor programs. Retired educators bring much to the table and should be considered when designing a teacher mentor program They are seasoned veterans with a wealth of experience, expertise and time available to devote to new teachers. The AARP and Maryland county paper Gazette.net both post articles on their websites that detail the numerous benefits of using retired teachers as mentors in teacher mentor programs.

[|AARP] [|Gazette.net]


 * //Teacher Mentor Program Development//**

Many school districts around the country are beginning to understand the need for develping teacher mentor programs. They understand its importance with the increased demand for teachers and the revenue lost in replacing those who leave. Below are additional links to websites that detail the cost of replacing teachers and teacher mentor program development.

[|Missouri Mentoring Framework]

[|New Teacher Center]

[|National Council for Teaching and America's Future]