What Does the Mentor Do?
The trained mentor, assigned by the school, acts as a resource for the beginning teacher. The following guidelines are based on the Utah Professional Teacher Standards (UPTS) and the Entry Years Enhancement (EYE) for Utah Teachers .
The Role of the Mentor
- Guides beginning teachers to meet school and district procedural demands (5).
- Orients the beginning teacher to the informal and formal operations of the school and school system.
- Orients the beginning teacher to the culture of the community, by supporting and facilitating meaningful parent and community involvement in and with the rest of the school.
- Provides communication strategies for beginning teachers working with principals, faculty, and parents.
- Provides moral and emotional support (5).
- Creates a supportive environment for addressing issues facing a beginning teacher.
- Models enthusiasm about being a positive role model, coach, and mentor for the beginning teacher.
- Models empathy, caring, adaptability, and enthusiasm about teaching and learning.
- Demonstrates a positive influence on good morale within the school.
- Assists the beginning teacher in identifying exemplary teachers in the building and arranging for opportunities for observation.
- Assists the Level 1 teacher in creating and maintaining a positive classroom environment (1).
- Assists the beginning teacher in creating an appropriate environment and implementing classroom procedures that enhance student learning.
- Models appropriate techniques for monitoring and correcting student behavior.
- Assists the beginning teacher with district and school student discipline policies.
- Provides classroom management and discipline ideas to beginning teachers.
- Assists the Level 1 teacher in planning curriculum and designing instruction (2).
- Assists the beginning teacher with interpretation of district and state core curricula.
- Provides ideas for academic planning.
- Assists the beginning teacher in selecting instructional goals based on student data.
- Values the opportunities that technology and new methodologies can provide for teaching and student learning.
- Assists the Level 1 teacher in engaging and supporting all students (3).
- Models the belief that all children can learn.
- Assists beginning teachers in understanding the learning needs of all students, especially those students at risk, with special needs, and from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds.
- Models appropriate strategies and teaching techniques.
- Engages the Level 1 teacher in self-assessment and reflection.
- Assists the Level 1 teacher in assessing and evaluating student learning (4).
- Assists the beginning teacher in assessing learning goals based on Utah Core Curriculum Standards.
- Assists the beginning teacher in translating diagnostic information into a sequence of appropriate instructional objectives.
- Assists the beginning teacher in recognizing the need of multiple sources of formal and informal assessment.
- Assists the beginning teacher with strategies for communicating feedback on learning progress to students and parents/guardians.
- Assists the Level 1 teacher in demonstrating professionalism (5)
- Exemplifies being a professional educator through self-reflection and improvement of practice.
- Assists the beginning teacher in setting high but realistic professional goals.
- Assists the beginning teacher in understanding district teacher assessment policies, procedures, and rubrics in order to set up self-assessment and reflection of his/her own practice.
- Assists the beginning teacher in understanding and acting consistently with educational law.
- Supports the beginning teacher in the initial process of constructing a professional portfolio which demonstrates standard-based practices.
- Challenges the beginning teacher to pursue professional development opportunities through inservice, professional organizations, and continuing education.
