Roz's+Lit+Reviews

Gilles, C., Davis B., & McGlamery, S., (2009). Induction Programs that Work. //Phi Delta Kappan//, 92(2), p. 42-27.

Carol Gilles, an associate professor of literacy and language arts at the University of Missouri, Barbara Davis, the director of the Teaching Fellows Program at Texas State University and Sheryl McGlamery, a professor of science education from the University of Nebraska describe the benefits of the Comprehensive Teacher Induction Consortium model. This innovative program has four crucial components: • A full year of mentored support from a full-time master teacher (Note: the master teacher mentors new teachers for 1/3 of the time, assists with special school projects for another 1/3 of time and works with the university for the last 1/3 of time • Coursework leading to a master’s degree • A cohort group of beginning teachers • Action research projects Similar to Kent et al. (2009), the implementation of this program at various universities, teacher success and retention rates have increased, and many teaching fellows (mentors) have been fast tracked to leadership roles. The implications

Kent, A.M., Feldman, P., Hayes, R. (2009). Mentoring and induction New Teachers into the Profession: An Innovative Approach. //International Journal of Applied Educational Studies//, 5, p. 73-95.

Andrea M. Kent, Phillip Feldman and Richard Hayes from the Education Department of the University of South Alabama, describe a Mentoring Teaching Program (MTP) designed to address the bridge the gap between pre-service and inservice teaching. This year-long program allowed first year teachers to begin their teaching careers as full-time instructors in regular classrooms with the support and guidance of a full-time mentor and university supervisor. The focus was on: • Partnering with a local school district to reduce the number of teachers leaving in the first five years • Providing teacher candidates with the skills needed to teach in “hard to staff schools” • Identifying the support systems in a school district that would be necessary for a mentoring or induction program to be successful

It is clear that new teachers need guidance and support and similar to Gilles et al. (2009), formal partnerships between universities and school districts will help beginning teachers to be successful in the classroom.

Mandel, S. (2006). What New Teachers Really Need. //Educational Leadership//, 63(6), 66-69.

Scott Mandel, an English, History and Musical Theatre teacher at Pacoima Middle School, interviewed mentors and beginning teachers to identify the real needs of new teachers. According to his research, beginning teachers want help with practical information and skills, which include: • Setting up the classroom and preparing for the first few weeks of school • Covering the prescribed curriculum • Grading fairly • Dealing with parents • Maintaining personal sanity Unlike Moir (2009) and Renard (2003) who describe systemic supports for beginning teachers, Mandel specifically identifies the practical information and skills necessary for teachers to feel greater success and will keep more teachers in the profession.

Moir, E. (2009). Acceleration Teacher Effectiveness: Lessons Learned from Two Decades of New Teacher Induction. //Phi Delta Kappan//, 91(2), p. 14-19.

Ellen Moir, the executive direction of the New Teacher Center in Santa Cruz California describes how induction programs go beyond the new teachers and their mentors who work with them. The research describes the lessons learned over the past twenty years, which include: • Induction programs require system wide commitments to teacher development • Effective induction programs combine high quality mentoring with communities of practice • Online communities provide timely, cost-effective supports for mentoring • Induction programs build a pathway for leaders Implementing an induction program can be difficult, and similar to Renard (2003), there are specific strategies that can be used to help beginning teachers to be successful.

Renard, L. (2003). Setting New Teachers up for Failure…or Success. //Educational Leadership//, 60(8). p. 62-64.

Lisa Renard, an experienced teacher from the Stafford, Virginia School District and the Peak System Team in Colorado describes the struggles of new teachers and describes how schools and district administrators can support new teachers through induction and mentoring programs. Suggestions for supporting new teachers include: • Avoiding the most challenging classes and grades • Limiting the number of preps • Limiting the coaching and extracurricular activities • Ensuring that mentors and new teachers have the same planning periods for collaboration Implementing techniques and scaffolding will allow the teachers to feel more confident, empowered and supported to become an effective classroom teacher. This is similar to Moir (2009), who identifies characteristics of effective induction communities.

Huling, L. & Resta, V. (2001). Teacher Mentoring for Professional Development. //ERIC Clearinghouse on Educational Management//. (ERIC Document Service No. ED 460125).

Leslie Huling and Virgina Resta identify the benefits for mentors as professional development. According to the research, the benefits of mentoring for the mentor include: • Increased competency • Reflective practice • Professional renewal • Psychological benefits – increased self esteem and feeling of empowerment • Increased collegial interaction • Improved teacher leadership skills Similar to Wollman-Bonilla (1997), the benefits of mentoring programs are clear for the new teachers, but the implications for the mentors are just as important and should be considered when administrators decide about funding programs from year to year. Supporting mentoring programs benefits both the new teachers and mentors themselves.

Wollman-Bonilla, J. E. (1997). Mentoring as a Two-Way Street. //Journal of Staff Development//, 18, p. 50-52.

Julie E. Wollman-Bonilla, an associate professor in the Department of Elementary Education at the Rhode Island College, investigated the benefits of mentoring programs on the mentors themselves. Traditionally, mentoring programs have been designed to support new teachers. However, the Barrington, Rhode Island’s mentoring program coincidentally also supported experienced mentor teachers with exceptional professional development opportunities by: • Boosting self esteem – mentors felt honored to be recognized for their teaching abilities • Reducing feelings of isolation – mentors had colleagues to share with • Allowing teachers more opportunities for reflection • Learning from the new teachers It is clear that new teachers benefit from mentoring programs, and similar to Huling-Resta (2001), mentors also greatly benefit as it provides another avenue for professional development.

National Center for Research on Teacher Learning. (1992). Mentoring in Context: A comparison of Two U.S. Programs for Beginning Teachers. East Lansing, Michigan: Feiman-Nemser, S. & Parker, M.B.

Sharon Feiman-Nemser and Michelle B. Parker from the National Center for Research on Teaching Learning at Michigan State University compare two mentoring program, one in Los Angeles and another in Albuquerque. Although both programs rely on experienced teachers to guide and support beginning teachers, the way a teacher is mentored can take one of three forms: • A mentor as a local guide • A mentor as an educational companion • A mentor as agents of change Regardless, beginning teachers will benefit if they both engage in regular experiences of observation and conversation as tools for improving practice. This study is important as it sheds light about how mentors can support beginning teachers.