In what ways can you relate to the information shared? I can relate to the first article, which mentions that having a mentor can help new teachers not feel as overwhelmed, especially as they are learning new vocabulary, school culture, and procedures. Sweet Home is a unique district, and there are many things to learn such as a new curriculum, special extracurricular opportunities, and online platforms, such as Northstar and Seesaw, that may be unfamiliar to new teachers.
In what ways do you think you can support a new teacher? As an ENL teacher, there are many procedures unique to the ENL department that a new teacher must learn. When I was a new teacher, my mentor taught me. I feel very inspired to teach my mentee these procedures by walking him/her through them several times as well as creating checklists to refer back to. For example, there are 10+ steps that must be completed by the ENL teacher when a new ENL student enters the district mid-year. Similarly, giving state assessments and sending them in to be scored might be brand new procedures for a new teacher. I look forward to making these tasks clear and attainable for my mentee. Where do your strengths lie? The second article explains each of the emotional phases in the life of a first-year teacher. Two of my strengths are empathy and hopefulness. I will strive to be empathetic and hopeful if my mentee is experiencing the “disillusionment” phase by helping ensure that he/she does not feel alone. For example, if my mentee is struggling with classroom management and expresses that he/she would like some help in this area, I can offer an anecdote about a time I was also struggling with classroom management and brainstorm strategies that I found beneficial. I enjoy hearing stories from my mentors at work, and I hope that my stories can also inspire others.
In what ways do you think you can support a new teacher? As an ENL teacher, there are many procedures unique to the ENL department that a new teacher must learn. When I was a new teacher, my mentor taught me. I feel very inspired to teach my mentee these procedures by walking him/her through them several times as well as creating checklists to refer back to. For example, there are 10+ steps that must be completed by the ENL teacher when a new ENL student enters the district mid-year. Similarly, giving state assessments and sending them in to be scored might be brand new procedures for a new teacher. I look forward to making these tasks clear and attainable for my mentee. Where do your strengths lie? The second article explains each of the emotional phases in the life of a first-year teacher. Two of my strengths are empathy and hopefulness. I will strive to be empathetic and hopeful if my mentee is experiencing the “disillusionment” phase by helping ensure that he/she does not feel alone. For example, if my mentee is struggling with classroom management and expresses that he/she would like some help in this area, I can offer an anecdote about a time I was also struggling with classroom management and brainstorm strategies that I found beneficial. I enjoy hearing stories from my mentors at work, and I hope that my stories can also inspire others.