Mentor Academic Outreach Program

Cost to Participants: $250

Graduate Credit(s) Available: 2 semester credits at an additional cost of $200

A four-day faculty development experience that focuses on improving the professional conversations that occur in educational settings as teachers work to enhance teaching and learning in their schools and support the induction of new teachers into the profession.

Why develop mentoring skills?
With the implementation of the No Child Left Behind Act, more teachers are working with colleagues to support each others' learning so that every student can be successful. In addition, educators continue to be involved in many collegial interactions, such as: committee work, peer coaching, team teaching, and departmental decision-making. All of this work requires that teachers provide feedback and support for each other as well as deal with controversies and conflicts in ways they may not have had to before. In addition, teachers will be observing, conferencing and coaching new teachers as well as student teachers in order to retain effective and qualified educators. All of these roles require mentoring skills.

This hands-on learning workshop experience will include:

• Strategies for improving the effectiveness of your professional conversations
• Practice in observation and feedback skills to increase your comfort level when providing feedback.
  Exploration of the role of the mentor and cooperating teacher and the expectations related to this work
• Definition and exploration of the role of supervisor or evaluator in the mentoring process

What can you expect?
Dialogues for Mentor Teachers is a combination of discussion, practice and reflection that provides the opportunity to discuss communication strategies within a supportive, collegial environment. Based on the case method approach, participants will analyze communication situations that focus on dialogues with both student teachers and peers. In addition, several evaluation tools, such as the PATHWISE model and Charlotte Danielson's Framework for Teaching, will be reviewed as potential instruments for providing feedback. The course will be taught in a relaxed discussion/activity format with participants involved in small group and partner activities as well as presentations and practice sessions.

Facilitator:
Debra Pitton, Ph.D., an Associate Professor of Education at Gustavus Adolphus College will be leading this development experience. Dr. Pitton, author of Stories of Student Teaching: A Case Approach to the Student Teaching Experience and Mentoring Novice Teachers: Fostering a Dialogue Process, has taught this course for the college in previous summers. Debra is on the board of directors for MN ASCD and is currently serving as president. She has been a school board member and an assistant superintendent and at Gustavus, she teaches Middle Level Methods, Secondary Methods & Instruction, supervises student teachers and provides in-service and support for educators working with Gustavus student teachers.

Location: Chaska High School , Chaska, MN

Schedule: The workshop will run Monday through Thursday, July 28-31, 2003, from 9:00 a.m. to noon and 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. every day.