Archbishop Mitty High School provides significant professional development support to teachers new to Mitty during their first year of service at the school and, occasionally, to teachers beyond their first year of service. One critical component of that program is the Mentor Teacher Program. The program includes the features described herein.
Mentor Teacher Program: First-Year Teachers
Mentor Teacher: Each first-year teacher (i.e., in the first year of service to Archbishop MItty) is paired with a seasoned teacher designated as his or her mentor teacher. A mentor teacher serves at the request of the Associate Principal. Typically, though not always, a mentor teacher teaches in the same department as does his or her mentee.
Duties: During the first year of service, the new teacher is supported by the mentor as follows:
- Regular meetings during the summer prior to the first year of service: On at least two occasions prior to the beginning of classes, the mentor teacher is to meet with his/her mentee. The agenda for each of these meetings should be developed by the mentor teacher in consultation with the mentee, and the agenda should cover various of the topics listed below (see Topics).
- Weekly meetings during the first semester of service
- Training and guidance in the use of Mitty information systems, including myMitty, Compass, and grade reporting systems
- Review of best practices relative to pedagogy, classroom management, and curriculum development
- Training in various protocols on campus—e.g., use of copy center; access to teaching materials; daily schedules, etc.
- As requested, meetings with the Associate Principal.
Topics: The issues and points of information shared by a mentor teacher vary, based on the needs of his or her mentee. What follows is a listing of more-or-less typical topics that are candidates for explication, training, and review:
- School information sources, e.g., school’s website, Compass, fileserver, etc.
- Course information platform, i.e., myMitty
- Email and voicemail systems
- School technology resources, e.g., Smartboards, AppleTV, etc.
- School grade reporting systems, i.e., OnBoard
- Duplication resources on campus, i.e., Copy Center, local copy machines
- Campus protocols related to daily announcements, parking, lunch, use of common areas, etc.
- Parker Hall and other faculty desk area protocols
- Daily, weekly, and semester schedules of classes
- Best practices related to communication with parents
- Best practices related to pedagogy, grading, and classroom management
- Do’s and don’t’s relative to grading
- Campus emergency procedures
- Responsibilities relative to one’s academic department
- Assistance with course curriculum development
- Processes for classroom observation, annual professional development plan, self-evaluation, etc.
Mentor Teacher Program: Support in Subsequent Years
Selected teachers in their second year of service or beyond to the school may benefit from continued interaction with a mentor teacher. A mentor teacher may be assigned as a result of mentee request or administrative directive.
The focus for mentor and mentee after the first year of service to the school by the mentee shifts from a concern that the mentee’s transition to Mitty be smooth to include significant discussion on pedagogy, classroom management, curriculum development, the mentee’s continuing professional development, and other such topics as may be identified as areas of potential growth for the mentee.
The duties of a subsequent-year mentor are the following:
- Establish and conduct weekly meetings with the mentee
- Promote reviews by the mentee of curriculum, pedagogical methods, classroom management protocols, and knowledge and skills within the subject area
- Promote regular classroom visits by the mentee of other teachers on campus who might serve as models for the mentee of superior teaching.
- As requested, meet with the Associate Principal
