Mentoring in schools full self-evaluation and development plan

Mentoring in Schools Self-Evaluation & Development Plan

How to use this document

FOR THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR OF THIS DOCUMENT 1. Complete the section for Module 4 all the way at the end of the document 2. Complete the background information in the table below this list 3. Copy paste your work from Modules 1 -3 into this document. 4. Save the document in Word or Open Office format. Please do NOT save it in pdf format. 5. Submit the document in section 4.6 of the course

FOR THE REVIEWER OF THIS DOCUMENT

1. Provide feedback comments in the right hand column of the table. Take into account the background information provided.

2. Save the document in Word, Open Office or pdf format 3. Submit the document as part of the review stage in section 4.6

BACKGROUND INFORMATION : ELENA PEZZI (teacher of Spanish in an upper secondary school in Bologna – Italy)

Years of Mentoring Experience Since 2006

Brief description of your mentoring situation

Student teachers (from the University) and newly appointed teacher (in my school)

School-based or External Mentor?

Both (School, University, eTwinning community)

Email (optional) [email protected]

Link to your Learning Diary (optional)

https://tackk.com/mentoring

MODULE 1:

Current Practice Desired Practice Steps to achieve Desired Practice

Reviewers comments

Describe in 1-3 sentences how you see your role as a mentor. Focus on the type of mentoring that you currently provide (or plan to provide) your mentee. In this context think about the different types of mentors identified by Professor Feiman-Nemser in section 1.1. of the course to guide you in your description:

Local guides – show mentee

how things work

Educational companions -

teachers of teaching, keep

their eye on long-term goals

of mentee’s learning

Agents of change – create

Describe in 1-3 sentences how you would like to develop as a mentor in general. Are you satisfied with your own work as a mentor? What general changes would you want to see in your current practice.

Describe in a bulleted list what you need to do in order to achieve any desired changes/developments identified in the previous column. Try to identify small concrete steps that will allow you to realistically progress towards your desired practice.

If you are the original author of this plan, leave this section blank. If you are reviewing this plan as part of section 4.6, then please add comments in this section for each of the items, focusing on if the steps and actions identified will achieve the desired practice.

mailto:[email protected]

https://tackk.com/mentoring

collaborative school

environment where mentee

can feel safe and supported

across the school

I've been mentoring some colleagues in the last ten years and I've been also teacher trainer at the University, for student teachers. Moreover, I have been eTwinning Ambassador since 2009 and I think that mentoring and eTwinning can work together very well ... Helping newly appointed eTwinners or new teachers at school allows me to deeply understand my own way of teaching and doing things and I feel much more engaged in my teaching process than I was before. In my mentoring activity I always try to do what my two first colleagues did with me: they never "taught" me, they shared, suggested, led ... In a word: they showed me the way, they were my “educational companions”. I also try to be an agent of change, by creating collaborative school environment where mentee can feel safe and supported across the school.

Although I feel quite satisfied with my role as a mentor, I always think that I can improve my practice and do something better. For instance, I would like to pay more attention to my mentees’ needs in terms of methodology and school organization. Of course, I also would like to involve more my other “senior” colleagues in order to share a common mentoring attitude in our school.

more detailed first

“interview/talk” with the mentee

regular meetings with senior colleagues in order to share common goals in mentoring

use of common tools and practice to observe/follow mentees

{ENTER YOUR

FEEDBACK

COMMENTS HERE}

Describe in 1-3 sentences how you usually start (or plan to start) a mentoring relationship. What do you do with your mentee in your first session? What do you do in preparation for your first session? When I first meet a mentee, I try to find a good place at school (or even outside) when we can be relaxed and take the time to get to know each other. I try to welcome him/her with some coffee/tea/pastries and show my interest not only for his/her professional experience but also for his/her whole personality. Of course, we don't have to become best friends, but we have to spend time together with mutual trust. I do not use any formal observation tool during the first session, because what I need the most is to set up a good personal relationship. All formal steps will come later.

Describe in 1-3 sentences how you would envision an ideal beginning to a mentoring relationship. What needs to be in place in order to develop a trusting and positive relationship right from the start? As I have said in the previous column, my ideal setting for the first meeting is a friendly environment where we can “feel” a positive attitude. It should be an informal conversation rather than a structured interview. It should outline the positive aspects of being in that school (negative/critical aspects will appear later…)


look for a good place to

meet the mentee

start talking in an informal way

underline positive aspects of your school

take the time to show way of teaching and working together with other fellow colleagues

{ENTER YOUR

FEEDBACK

COMMENTS HERE}

http://www.aracneeditrice.it/pdf/9788854816145.pdf

Describe in 1-3 sentences how you help your mentee in finding their place at the school. What specific advice do you provide? Do you introduce your mentee to relevant colleagues, administrators, etc.? Do you rehearse certain out-of-class situations with your mentee? Depending on the classes/groups where the mentee will work, I always introduce him/her to the colleagues, above all the class coordinator/tutor. What I find particularly positive in my school (and reassuring for a new teacher) is the overall attitude of the majority of the colleagues: they are friendly, open-minded and willing to help newcomers. Depending of the nature of possible needs and problems for the mentee, I try to give him specific advice and tell him who could help in any case (a sort of “in case of” … list). Of course I tell him that he can come to me in any moment (by mail, phone, wsapp and so on). Feeling immediately involved in the educational community is what I experienced when I started teaching and it is something that I strongly try to do now.

Describe in 1-3 sentences how you would like to support your mentee to become more comfortable at whole-school level and to make effective use of school processes, colleagues, partners, etc. The overall suggestion is to create a friendly environment and to let the mentee know all relevant colleagues at school. Depending on the different topics it could be interesting to have regular meetings (or at least the opportunity to have them) with people responsible or aware of them

escribe in a bulleted list what you need to do in order to achieve any desired changes/developments identified in the previous column. Try to identify small concrete steps that will allow you to realistically progress towards your desired practice.

I will put here some tips that I have just read in: http://inservice.ascd.org/ten-tips-on-how-to-effectively-mentor-new-teachers/ Make every effort to

make the new teacher feel welcomed and a part of the school family.

Provide opportunities for the new teacher to learn the ins and outs of the classroom from the start of the school year.

Give the new teacher a myriad of opportunities to plan and collaborate as well as learn “best practices” from job embedded professional development.

Expose the new teacher to authentic teaching experiences and allow opportunities for rich reflection on a daily basis.

Support the new teacher as much as possible.

{ENTER YOUR

FEEDBACK

COMMENTS HERE}

MODULE 2:


Reviewers comments

Describe in 1-3 sentences how collaborative your current mentoring relationship is. Think about the definition of collaboration used by Rachel in section 2.1 and if possible briefly describe an example/situation that illustrates a collaborative practice. If you are not yet in a mentoring relationship identify the focus and nature of collaborative work you plan to do with your mentee.

Beginning from the ideas that Rachel says in her video ("Let's

Describe in 1-3 sentences what level of collaboration you would like to achieve with your mentee. Think about what level of collaboration is realistic, taking into account time constraints, different interests, etc.. Try to identify the level of collaboration that you would be comfortable with.

Luckily I have a very


Always give space

If you are the original author of this plan, leave this section blank. If you are reviewing this plan as part of section 4.6, then please add comments here, focusing on if the steps and actions identified will achieve the desired practice. {ENTER YOUR

FEEDBACK

COMMENTS HERE}

http://inservice.ascd.org/ten-tips-on-how-to-effectively-mentor-new-teachers/



give each other space to think, put in practice, review, then come back"), I've asked (and thought together with my mentee) about the idea of having a common way of teaching a foreign language.

We both agree that PBL methodology is one of the best way to develop real learning and interaction in our classrooms. That is why we have decided to dedicate some time - during our mentor/mentee relationship - to investigate on how to implement it in our teaching and to put it in practice through step-by-step activities.

One of the most important aspects - that Rachel underlines - is the word TOGETHER that regularly appears in the video itself and in other colleagues' posts. It can be associated to other words: solidarity, collaborative conversation, trust, feeling not to be judged, etc.

good relationship with my mentee and it does not bother me to spend time collaborating with her.

We often meet in teachers’ room, but even more often we go out for a coffee and there we discuss together about activities, methodologies, problems, hopes and experiences.

I could not think about a mentor/mentee relationship without a strong level of trust and collaboration. To tell the truth I have been very lucky so far because I have always met great mentees!

and time to talk together with your mentee

Stimulate a friendly

relationship: have a coffee, have lunch together if you have to stay at school in the afternoon ...

Feel free to talk

about issues, problems but also positive aspects.

Avoid any

“authoritative position”: you have got to learn a lot from your mentee

Describe in 1-3 sentences the level of trust that exists from both sides in your mentoring relationship What do you do to build such trust? What did you or the mentee do to destroy trust? If you are not yet in a mentoring relationship describe the level of trust that existed in a similar type of relationship you have experienced in the past (when you were a mentee yourself or with a more senior colleague) as well as how trust/distrust developed.

Everything began when I started teaching ... I have to give a million of thanks to my two dear and unforgettable mentors!

They immediately showed me that they trusted in me, sharing with me little but important details of their way of teaching.

Describe in 1-3 sentences the level of trust you would like to achieve with your mentee. Think about to what extent you are comfortable to open up and tell your mentee about your weaknesses, fears, etc. and how comfortable are you for the mentee to open up for example about personal issues that might play into their wellbeing at school. I would like to keep my doors open which an attitude of innate trust, a disposition of being changed by the other.

Changes are always positive, above all in our job, we are "neverending changing


I try to:

always keep the doors of my classroom open

let my mentee (as well as my colleagues) enter my classroom to collaborate or

{ENTER YOUR

FEEDBACK

COMMENTS HERE}

We soon formed a good team and they helped me to raise the necessary self-confidence in my teaching skills... Afterwards, when I became a mentor, I tried to do the same with my mentees and I have to say that it works as well with them...

I think that trust can be destroyed by envy and false behaviours. Be sincere and “open” as much as you can and you will enjoy your relationship (as any relationship in life....)

teachers" and we can do that only if we keep our doors open: those of our mind, heart, convictions, behaviours...

Just a little example: I always keep my classrom's door open, so that colleagues can enter and interact - if they want to - with me and my students, to make our lesson richer.

On a metaphorical point of view, I try to keep the door of my eyes wide open when my mentee is asking me how to deal with a specific topic or a personal issue

share ideas with me

be friendly and honest with him/her

invite him/her for a coffee to talk about school and/or personal topics

involve him/her in our school environment (meeting colleagues, participating in activities, etc.)

Describe in 1-3 sentences what you do to stimulate and scaffold your discussions with your mentee. Refer to the Conversation Map introduced in section 2.3 for this and think about your process of listening. What specific strategies/phrases do you use to stimulate reflection and forward thinking? How well do they work? If you are not yet in a mentoring relationship describe how you proceed in similar relationships, possibly with students in class or when marking work.

My process of listening and scaffolding is the following: I try to go step by step. I always say something like: Tell me if I understand well…; Would you like to share your thoughts with me?

I know that a good idea is to congratulate the mentee for his/her ideas and add something more with a positive attitude I often try to have an "external eye » in order to learn one from each other (mentor and mentee). This attitude helps also to raise

Describe in 1-3 sentences how you would ideally stimulate and scaffold reflection and discussion with your mentee. Which approaches explored in section 2.3 would you want to implement?

I definitely will implement the following approach:

Elegant paraphrase Explore options Plan next steps Self evaluation

as explained in my learning diary and in the forum


Let's go step by step...

Always say: Tell me if I understand well…; Would you like to share your thoughts with me?

Congratulate for his/her ideas and add something more with a positive attitude

Try to have an "external eye » in order to learn one from each other

Try to raise him/her

{ENTER YOUR

FEEDBACK

COMMENTS HERE}

http://www.europeanschoolnetacademy.eu/web/mentoring-in-schools/forum/-/message_boards/message/2932779#_19_message_3017393

mentee’s self confidence in him/her competences or skills

The main aim of the whole process is to make feel the mentee more at ease in his attempts, not to feel him alone in his struggle and give him effective help without any "you have to..." attitude.

self confidence Think about setting

up things together Make feel the

mentee more at ease in his attempts,

Not to feel him alone

Give him effective help without any "you have to..." attitude

MODULE 3:


Reviewers comments

Describe in 1-3 sentences how you currently prepare for a lesson observation. Do you discuss a focus for the observation with your mentee? Do you plan on how to gather information and data about the observation focus? Do you use a pro-forma already as part of your preparation? If you have never observed anyone, think about how things were done when you were observed yourself.

In my case, it depends a lot on the mentees ... I mean: if the mentee is a student teacher coming from the University, he/she normally comes with a pro-forma already established by the University and we have to use it (mentees have to put it in their final report). But anyway the positive aspect is that we have a double-sided observation (both of mentor and mentee), so that we can discuss together the results of these observations.

In the case of an "internal" observation, we also have a pro-forma, but we have much more freedom to adapt it according to our common needs and - yes - we normally focus on some specific aspects and not on the whole teaching. We decide it together before the observation period and we

Describe in 1-3 sentences if and how you would like to develop your lesson observation planning and preparations. How would you want to change the pro-forma you are currently using? What questions would you want to ask your mentee? What other preparations do you think would be useful? The pro-forma we use at school is basically a check list. I would like to change it by adding some more “personal” answers concerning specific aspects of the class observation (I mean, each class and each mentee have their specific nature) Previous questions to ask my mentee: “Have you got any specific aspect that you would like me to observe in order to find answers, solutions, suggestions?” “Which teaching aspects do you consider of importance to be observed in your classroom?” “Do you think that it could be useful a “double-sided observation” (I observe your class / you observe mine)”?


having a meeting with colleagues in charge of mentee’s observation at school in order to modify pro-forma

having a pre-observation talk with mentee in order to better identify specific aspects to be observed

thinking about having a “double-sided observation” both in mentor’s and mentee’s classroom

If you are the original author of this plan, leave this section blank. If you are reviewing this plan as part of section 4.6, then please add comments here, focusing on if the steps and actions identified will achieve the desired practice. {ENTER YOUR

FEEDBACK COMMENTS

HERE}

come back to it to see how/if it worked.

Other preparation: an informal discussion about feelings and expectations before the observation

Describe in 1-3 sentences your current follow-up to a lesson observation and how you give feedback. What type of questioning do you use? Do you share all your notes with your mentee? What is the first thing you tell your mentee after the observation?

One of the major risks, when we consider ourselves "Proficient" or "Expert" teachers, is to have an attitude of #Iknoweverythingyoushoulddo ... Lack of understanding, assertive attitude, even humiliating words can harm colleagues and make them lose self confidence and motivation (my personal experience…)

That is why I always try to have a positive attitude both during and after the observation, highlighting beforehand what worked well.

I normally ask him his opinion about the activity and what he thinks about the best thing and the aspect to be improved.

I always share my notes with the mentee because you cannot build trust if you hide something important...

Describe in 1-3 sentences how you would like to develop your lesson observation follow-up. What would your ideal steps in the follow-up look like? What example phrasings can you identify that you think would work well in your situation? At the very end of the observation period: “It has been a pleasure be with you in the classroom…” “Have you noticed that XY was really involved in the lesson?” “The atmosphere was quite relaxed and friendly, do you agree?” “What’s your impression about this activity? Do you think that it worked?” “Do you think that there is something that could be improved?” “For instance, have you seen that … (some aspects to be improved)?”


having a positive and friendly attitude during the observation

congratulating for the positive aspects I have seen

asking for his opinions about good aspects and thing to be improved

decide next time/meeting to discuss and plan further steps

{ENTER YOUR

FEEDBACK COMMENTS

HERE}

MODULE 4:


Reviewers comments

Describe in 1-3 sentences if and how you currently use video as a tool in your mentoring practice. If you are not using video, you can leave this part blank. What type of tools are you using? What is the process of recording video? How

Describe in 1-3 sentences if and how you would like to use video in your mentoring practice. Which of the tools highlighted on the course could be used as part of this? What practical

Describe in a bulleted list what you need to do in order to achieve any desired changes/developments identified in the previous column. Try to identify small concrete steps that will allow

If you are the original author of this plan, leave this section blank. If you are reviewing this plan as part of

do you embed video into your mentoring conversations?

I have no specific experience

of using video in mentoring.

It could be also because I do

not like being recorded, so I

try not to record any

colleagues.

Nevertheless, I make a huge

use of videos with my

students (especially in case

of eTwinning or Erasmus+

projects) and I know that

they are not only very

motivating but also very

useful to stimulate debates

and discussions (for a

metacognitive learning).

I will definitely try to apply it

to my mentoring sessions...

improvements would you need (recording quality, etc.)? How would you want the use of video embedded into your mentoring conversations?

I think that videos can be

used as a supplement of

other ways of mentoring

and observing mentee’s

activities.

I mean that, for instance,

I don’t like to use them

to record all the lesson

but only some relevant

parts of it.

After recording it is

crucial to have a follow

up conversation with the

mentee in order to focus

on the aspects that the

video allows to

underline.

you to realistically progress towards your desired practice.

Don’t make a massive use of video in your mentoring practice

Record just small parts of mentee’s activities

After recording, always discuss with your mentee about his/her feelings and content of the video

Use the video to plan further steps/action to be taken in teaching

Store the videos in a shared repository together with all the other relevant documents

section 4.6, then please add comments here, focusing on if the steps and actions identified will achieve the desired practice. {ENTER YOUR

FEEDBACK

COMMENTS HERE}

Describe in 1-3 sentences if and how you mentor online. If you are not currently mentoring online you can leave this part blank. In what context are you mentoring online? What type of tools do you use? What process do you follow?

My experience of online mentoring is related above all with eTwinning. Last year we (three eTw ambassadors - Paola Arduini, Marilina Lonigro, Laura Maffei and I) run an online Learning Event for Italian teachers called "eTW and PNSD". It was a sort of online mentoring for less experienced teachers about important topics (digital implementations in schools, training for other teachers, etc.). However, what I like the most is a mix of online and face to face mentoring. In these last two years we (a Spanish eTw ambassador, Marta Pey, and I) have been running an eTw project called "Let's eTw

Describe in 1-3 sentences if and how you would like to mentor online. If you don’t see any application of online mentoring in your context you can leave this part blank. A world full of tools for online collaboration! I often need web tools for my online mentoring... I have tried a lot of them and I think that "simple" tools like Hangout or Skype are really useful. I often use them in association with Youtube (if you want to have a "live session" that could be recorded, Hangouts on Air is the best option). If you have more participants and want to stimulate debate, you can add a TodaysMeet underneath and... you've got video and notes

Describe in a bulleted list what you need to do in order to achieve any desired changes/developments identified in the previous column. Try to identify small concrete steps that will allow you to realistically progress towards your desired practice. If you have left the previous column blank you can also leave this column blank.

Look for the tools

that you consider

the most

appropriate for your

purpose

Share your ideas

with your mentee:

he could know

something that you

don’t know

Try to combine

online mentoring

with face to face

sessions/meetings

Try to involve other

mentors and

{ENTER YOUR

FEEDBACK

COMMENTS HERE}

https://learninglab.etwinning.net/18951/home

https://learninglab.etwinning.net/18951/home

https://twinspace.etwinning.net/17187/home

ER&MVO" where we have mentored a group of Catalan and Italian teachers, driving them through eTwinning project planning and collaborative activities. We have had some online sessions (webinars and other collaborative activities in the Twinspace) and some face to face meetings (to get to know each other, sum up, clarify, plan further steps, etc.). In case of online mentoring, anyway, I think that it is crucial not to do it alone: if you do it together with other mentors you will certainly succeed! I think that online mentoring requires higher competences than a "simple" face to face mentoring.

together ... Of course, a live session in eTwinning platform is another great option, provided that mentors and mentees are registered on the platform. In any case, what I need in such tools are the following: video, shared screen, notes, chat box… and eTw Live event and/or Google Apps have got everything...

mentees: online

mentoring could be

more effective if it is

carried out together

Stimulate

discussions and

debate through

forum and other

collaborative tools

Try to avoid “one

direction” tools:

online mentoring

(like face to face

mentoring) should

create a community

of practice, not a

“one men show”

session