- In what ways can you relate to the information shared?
- In what ways do you think you can support a new teacher.
- What concerns do you have about meeting the needs of your intern?
I very much can relate to the feelings and phases described in the articles. I believe a improved mentor program would have been a huge help to me as a new teacher at SH. I don't know if it was the person I was working alongside when I was new or the program but I did not feel as though I received much support for my first year and at times felt lost.
I think that I can support a new teacher in multiple ways. Being in the district for 20+ years and taking on different roles provides me with a perspective that I feel can be helpful in discussions, especially as a new teacher experiences the frustrations that come with the role. As an instructional technology coach, I can help with lesson planning and integrations. Learning the platforms and HOW to do many of the necessary things is a large hurdle to get over as a new hire and I feel I can help mitigate that tremendously.
I think that my biggest concern would be time-related, both on my end and the intern's. I know the time it takes for a new teacher to feel prepared and I am sure giving some of that time up is challenging when they have all the other meetings and responsibilities that a new teacher has. Likewise...I feel time is precious and I would want to ensure that I am not simply meeting for meetings sake and that we could be productive so that experience is worth while on both ends.