Caught at the Copier: Intentional and Informal Mentoring for New Teachers

• In Event: Roundtable Session 10
  In Roundtable Session: Teacher Development for Urban Schools: From Preservice to Induction to Teacher Leadership

Abstract

This paper examines the ways new teachers grow through the intentional but informal interactions they share with more experienced teacher-leaders in their school communities (Feiman-Nemser, 1998). Research demonstrates that the professional development of teachers extends years beyond the completion of certification coursework (Darling-Hammond, 2003; Ingersoll and Smith, 2003; Kelley, 2004). These formative years often dictate whether new teachers, especially those in urban contexts, remain committed to the profession (Kapadia and Coca, 2007). The author argues that formal measures alone not be sufficient to produce new teacher success or investment in school communities. Informal but sustained and intentional mentoring by more experienced teacher-leaders is also essential.

Drawing upon my experiences as a teacher-leader in a Title 1, open enrollment, Philadelphia charter school and a member of the CETE Urban Teacher Leaders Network, the author presents three case studies that demonstrate the significance of informal mentoring relationships with new teachers. The cases incorporate data from field notes, interviews, and dialogic journaling to document the extensive benefits of providing intentional but informal support for new teachers.

Two central findings emerge from the data: 1) New teachers need mentors they can rely on any situation—a kind of “triage mentoring” that occurs in those times of perceived curricular crisis or classroom management breakdowns. Problems may remain unresolved for new teachers who move through their days without a thoughtful professional confidante. In contrast, when an experienced teacher-leader makes herself available to new teachers for quick check-ins, the new teachers’ issues can be addressed more quickly and effectively. 2) New teachers who are invited by more experienced colleagues to collaborate on professional development are likely to feel validated; that validation can strengthen their professional commitment. Such “extra-curricula” mentoring enables new teachers to interact with colleagues and students in different ways, building rapport and accelerating their acceptance into and understanding of the school community.

Research indicates that teachers experience a steep learning curve during their first five years in the classroom (Johnson et al, 2004; Feiman-Nemser, 2001). During these critical years, more experienced teacher leaders have a unique and pressing imperative: to provide new teachers with sustained but informal mentoring that meets the needs of these teachers both in moments of crisis and in ways that include new teachers in the school community beyond the classroom.

Author

• Stacey Carlough, Freire Charter School