teacher development

Mentoring Working Group
Compiled by Sharon Rapp

MEMBERS OF THE WORKING GROUP

Peggy Bilbro, Executive Director AAFLT, AL, Recorder; Maria J. Fierro-Trevino, Northside ISD, San Antonio, TX; Paul Garcia, President, ACTFL, MO; Diane Ging, Executive Director CSC; Virginia Gramer, Executive Council ACTFL, IL; Sandy Gutierrez, Falls Church HS, VA; Gordon Hale, Executive Council ACTFL, NV; Richard Kalfus, St. Louis Community College, MO; Sheri Spain Long, U of Alabama-Birmingham; Mary McGehee, Louisiana State U; Cherice Montgomery, Southeast HS, Witchita, KS; Sharon Rapp, Conway HS, AR; Patrick Raven, Heinle & Heinle, WI; Yashy Tohsaku, U of Califonia, San Diego; Jim Torbert, ME; Lee Wilberschied, U of Cincinnati, OH.

PROJECTS IN PROGRESS

The Working Group envisioned two immediate projects: a bibliography of articles and books on mentoring; and, a list of successful mentoring programs programs which may be visited and/or replicated. Progress has been made on each; however, suggestions to both are invited and welcome. Send to: sbrapp@conwaycorp.net.

Selected Bibliography of References

Gordon, S. & Maxey, S. (2000). How to Help Beginning Teachers Succeed, 2nd Edition.
          Baltimore, MD: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
Hopkins-Thompson, P. (2000). Colleagues Helping Colleagues: Mentoring and Coaching.
          NASSP Bulletin, 84. No. 612, 29-36.
Kantrowitz, B. & Wingert, P. (2000). Teachers Wanted. Newsweek, October 2, 2000, 37-47.
Matthews, J. (2000). Innovative program rewards top teachers for teaching their colleagues.
          Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, June 4, 2000, 8R.
Mentoring Teachers to Mastery. Video Series. Port Chester, NY: National Professional
          Resources, Inc.
NEA Foundation for the Improvement of Education. (1999). Creating a Teacher Mentoring
          Program. Available: http://www.nfie.org/publications/mentoring.htm
Podsen, I. & Denmark, V. (2000). Coaching and Mentoring First-Year and Student Teachers.
          Larchmont, NY: Eye on Education.
Scherer, M., Editor. (1999). A Better Beginning: Supporting and Mentoring New Teachers.
          Baltimore, MD: Assocaition for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Selected List of Mentoring Program

LOCAL AND STATE EFFORTS

Members are also involved in beginning/supporting mentoring programs in their own states and on their own campuses. Peggy Bilbro* invited Alabama teachers to establish, through the AAFLT Web site, a state-wide mentoring program. Sandy Gutierrez serves as a mentor at her school. Richard Kalfus was interviewed by his institution’s PR office. Sharon Rapp will receive Pathwise training and complete qualifications to join Arkansas’ new statewide mentoring program. Ways to involve, and to draw upon the expertise of, retired teachers are being considered.

*Sample Article: Mentoring Program

There is one very concrete way in which Alabama teachers can participate in the New Visions 2000 mission. I propose that we establish through our AAFLT Web site a state wide mentoring program. We have many experienced and wise foreign language teachers in Alabama who can support our new, isolated or struggling colleagues. If you are willing to help develop a plan for mentoring within our state, please contact me. We will develop guidelines for training our experienced teachers in effective mentoring techniques and then will provide the forum for those exchanges to take place. A cooperative effort including teacher-training programs, as well as experienced classroom teachers will strengthen foreign language instruction for Alabama students. With the help of some experienced classroom teachers and our state teacher training programs, we can have a basic outline for a mentoring structure by the annual meeting in Auburn in February. I look forward to hearing from you! -by Peggy Bilbro for AAFLT Newsletter