ACE Mentor Program

The Alliance for Catholic Education 3 Pillars

o Professional Development Graduate level training (Master of Education degree) and

immersion teaching experience Two intensive summer programs at Notre Dame

o Community Life Houses of 4-7 ACE Teachers Building Communities of Faith, Hope, and Love

o Spiritual Growth Retreats Community Prayer Develop reflective professional educators and people of faith

Mentoring and Research Mentoring energizes schools and teachers. Strong

mentors… cut new teacher attrition rates in half (Ingersoll,

2000) improve teacher quality - often moving the skill level

of a teacher finishing the first year to that of a 4th year teacher (Villar, 2004)

improve student assessment and achievement (Claycolmb & Hawley, 2003)

benefit veteran teachers through new leadership opportunities and time for professional reflection and development (Villar, 2004)

Mentors…o Act as a Trusted Supportero Orient Novice Teachers to the School

Environmento Meet Consistently with the Novice

Teachero Assist with Planning and Curriculumo Help Analyze Student Work and

Achievement Datao Conduct Non-Evaluative Observations

ACE Mentor Responsibilitieso Orient ACE Teacher to their School

o Meet Consistently with the ACE Teacher

o Observe and Conference with ACE Teacher

o Provide Feedback in a Timely Manner

Orientation

Orient ACE Teacher to School and Local Context (pg. 9)Acculturation to the School and Cityo Local history, customs, practiceso Significance of naming, significant figures

in neighborhood, city or school historieso Cultural and economic context of school

community and surrounding settingo A focus on welcoming ACE teacher into a

place with an ongoing and rich history with important traditions

Orient ACE Teacher to School and Diocese (pg. 10)

o Checklist for Classroom Organization and ProceduresResources, procedures, paper work,

classroom set-up, important dates, diocesan policies

o Meeting to Discuss ACE Teacher’s Classroom Management Plan

Consistent Meetings

Meet Consistently with ACE Teacher (pg. 11)

o Strong mentors help new teachers address timely issues before they become problems

o 1st Year, 1st Semester - Meet Weeklyo 1st Year, 2nd Semester and 2nd Year – Meet

Every Two Weekso When to Meet?

Before or After School, Lunch 20-30 minutes to check for questions and reflection

Monthly Meeting Log & Calendar (pp. 11-13)

o Monthly calendar provides timely topics for discussion

o Meetings may pinpoint areas for improvement, problem-solve management issues, brainstorm unit activities, identify growth, or analyze student achievement:

• Log meeting dates in log and email to ACE TA

1st Year ACE Teacher 2nd Year ACE Teacher

1.Review the classroom management plan and discuss the successful aspects and what changes might be necessary.

2.Discuss progress reports and how they should be presented to parents and students.

3.Conduct a short, informal observation.

1.Discuss methods of summative assessments in your current units.

2.Discuss ways of incorporating spirituality outside of daily prayer.

3.Conduct a short, informal observation.

September (Example)

Always Timely -Planning: Units & Lessons Units

Effective way to engage students beyond learning at the memory level

Centered around a unifying concept or essential question

Excel Template for both unit and lesson planning

Example Unit Planning Template (pg. 33)

ACE Planning: Unit Goals and Assessments (pg. 32)o Unit Goal:

Uses clear, observable, challenging verbs States what students will know and be able to do at the unit’s conclusion Student-centered: written as “SWBAT” - “Students will be able to…” Example from Middle School American History

• SWBAT analyze three reasons as causes for the decline and fall of the Roman Empire.

o Unit Assessment: Satisfies the unit goal Student works independently and individually Often framed in a real life situation Example for above goal:

• Given a description of four major policies and practices in the United States today, students will independently and individually analyze how these may have delayed or hastened the fall of the Roman Empire.

Lesson Plans and Sequencing (pg. 33)o Charts the task, time, and methods used for daily activitieso 2-4 day plan focusing on a major idea and its partso Lesson Plan Objectives

Use clear, observable, challenging verbs Represent the steps necessary to achieve the unit goal

o Objective is assessed in some manner

o Early lesson plans of a unit are often teacher centered and focus on acquiring knowledge

o Later lesson plans of a unit shift to a group or individual focus and extend the knowledge and use it meaningfully

Example Lesson Planning Template (pg. 35)

Observations & Conferences

Observe and Conference with ACE Teacher (pp. 14-16)o Non-evaluative - an instrument for growtho Pre- and Post-Observation Conferences encourage self-

reflection and articulation of goals Use open-ended probing questions Let the ACE teacher steer the conversation Remain non-judgmental

o An informal observation early in 1st semester, a formal observation in October & again in March Focus on strengths and areas for improvement Focus on areas discussed in the pre-observation

conference.

Provide Feedback in a Timely Manner

Provide Feedback in a Timely Manner (pg. 17)

o Complete Mid-Semester Feedback Form each semester. This asks you to provide strengths and areas for improvement in the following domains: Planning and Preparation Classroom Environment Instruction Professional Responsibilities Contributions to the Community Fostering Spirituality

o Not based solely on Mid-Semester Observation, but on entire semester so far—observation only one element used for feedback

o Stored in permanent electronic portfolio (p. 3); provides a developing two-year record of growth and challenges to be met.

o Remarks non-judgmental and non-evaluative

Submitting Mentor Forms and Logs Electronically via Email (pg. 3)

Accessing Forms1. When a form is due, the ACE TA will send an email reminder to you and to

your ACE Teacher 2 weeks prior to the due date. This e-mail will contain the Word Form that you need.

2. The direct URL for the Forms however is: http://ace.nd.edu/academic-programs/teacherprogram/principals-mentors/

Filling out and Saving Forms1. To insert comments, type in the gray expandable boxes.2. For checkboxes, place an x in the box or click on the appropriate box.3. Please save the form by adding the ACE teacher’s name to the name of the

form. Example: Caitlin Cameron Mentor Mid-Semester Form 11.docSubmitting Forms

• E-mail all forms as an attachment to the ACE TA at aceta@nd.edu• The ACE TA will upload these forms to the portfolio for you.3. Please keep an electronic copy or paper copy for your own files.

Expectations for the ACE Teacher

Expectations for ACE Teachers

o Abide by the diocesan and school calendars and policies o Work toward improving in the areas of the 3 ACE pillars:

Professional Teaching, Community, and Spirituality

o Turn in all forms and assignments online in a timely fashion

o Provide aid in accessing all online forms for mentors and principals

o Submit guided reflections every two weekso Consult with mentor teacher, principal, and other

colleagues to improve planning and teachingo Provide classroom portfolio for University Supervisor visits

From ACE Teachers, Faculty and Staff

Thank you for your commitment as an ACE mentor and for your contributions to Catholic Education.