So are you planning to be a teacher mentor? Here’s a brief overview on what awaits you in this challenging role.
What is a Teacher Mentor? A teacher mentor, or teacher coach, helps mentor new teachers by giving ongoing guidance on areas of lesson planning, classroom management and classroom organization. Usually, teacher mentors are teachers themselves and have undergone similar challenges that first year teachers know well.
At teacher education programs at colleges and universities, there are mentoring programs for new teachers such as a student teacher mentor program. non dual teacher There are also teachers at school who mentor student teachers, and new teachers as well. Mentoring first year teachers is not an easy job, and it takes a special kind of teacher mentor to fill in the shoes.
Mentorship Training Before they begin their jobs, teacher mentors receive extensive training from teacher education programs. They need to be familiar with pertinent issues that face a new teacher and what to do if a pre-service teacher-student is experiencing a difficult year particularly with classroom management issues. They also need to work closely with the new teacher, using special strategies such as coaching sessions and reflective journal techniques for easing the new teacher into the classroom. They can then discuss these during their one-on-one sessions. In addition, teacher mentors need to be prepared to enter a classroom as a last resort if needed.
Teacher mentors need training in the interpersonal dynamics of this challenging job. Helping a new teacher feel confident with his/her authority as a classroom manager is a difficult job. Helping a new teacher who isn’t yet sure of how to prepare lessons for difficult lessons is another difficult job.