21st Century Mentoring

What does it mean to be a 21st Century Mentor to a beginning teacher?

• A chance to have a new teacher take on some of the duties and responsibilities I can't seem to manage on my own.
• One more thing for public education teachers to do...sigh!
• An opportunity to make a little bit of extra money.
• An opportunity to share the wisdom, knowledge and passion I have for teaching with someone new to the profession.

Mentors can serve as Peer Observers for the Beginning Teachers to which they are assigned.

• True
• False

The 21st Century Mentor Standards are:

• Really not that important to the mentoring process.
• The same standards that the Beginning Teachers must follow in order to get a "continuing" license.
• Completely aligned with the NCEES standards.
• Evaluated by school administrators.

There are six mentor standards that must be followed by the 21st Century Mentor.

• True
• False

It is not necessary for the 21st Century Mentor to meet with the first year Beginning Teacher on a weekly basis if the BT says that they are "doing fine."

• True
• False

Only 21st Century Mentors who mentor first year beginning teachers receive a stipend.

• True
• False

The first 21st Century Mentor Standard is "Supporting BTs to Demonstrate Leadership." What are two other standards included within the other four standards?

• Establishing a Respectful Environment and Knowing the Content They Teach
• Effective Co-Teaching and Meeting the Needs of Special Learners
• Participating in PLCs and Effective Lesson Planning
• How to Balance Work and Personal Life

It is important for 21st Century Mentors to build strong, mutually trusting relationships with their assigned beginning teacher. This is a great way to begin building that relationship:

• Perform a daily check-in to see if your BT is "okay" or if he/she needs any assistance with anything.
• Meet weekly to assist with lesson planning, gathering resources and with developing formative assessments.
• Eat lunch together as much as possible and introduce the BT to other colleagues in the building who may also be able to assist.
• All of these answers along with genuinely showing concern for the BT and his/her well-being.

The MGSD Mentor Log must be completed at each weekly meeting and should be submitted to HR:

• Weekly
• Monthly
• At the end of each semester
• At the end of the school year

Being a reflective practitioner is extremely important in becoming a master teacher.  As a 21st Century Mentor, I can help my BT reflect by:

• Providing a professional book on effective teaching and having him/her to answer some reflective questions at each weekly conference.
• Asking reflective questions about their practice, providing professional resources, and encouraging the BT to share updates on his/her progress in each of the specific evaluation standards at our weekly conferences.
• Talking about how I became a master teacher and how I am accomplished in all of the evaluation standards.
• Copying my lesson plans and having the BT implement them weekly in his/her classroom.