Withdraw mentor support earlier than currently thought, and calibrate how closely mentors work with mentees¶

Strategy · All strategies
Evidence · no claims cited

Description¶

Based on the finding that unmentored teachers, especially reentry teachers, progressed furthest through Fuller's stages, the authors recommend studying how closely mentors should work with new teachers and when support should end. They write that "research is needed to determine the extent to which the mentor teacher should work closely with the first-year or reentry teacher and when that support should be withdrawn," adding that "the results of this study suggest that that support might well be withdrawn earlier than had been thought."

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

• Induction programs with assigned mentors and program evaluation data to determine optimal support timing

Constraints¶

• The recommendation rests on a small volunteer sample with possible informal mentor relationships among comparison teachers; the authors call for further research rather than a firm rule

Target Learners¶

• first-year and reentry teachers in induction programs

Target Learning Goals¶

• professional development through teacher induction and mentoring

Affordances¶

• Fuller Teacher Concerns Theory Three Stages

Related Strategies¶

• Match teacher education, mentoring, and evaluation to developmental stage: routines and scripts for novices, analytical mentors from the competent and proficient, and stage-appropriate evaluation
• State and district leaders should collect information from mentors about how they chose activities and topics, to decide whether variation reflects teacher needs or insufficient mentor resources

Examples¶

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Key Sources¶

• Olsen, Dwayne G.; Heyse, Kathy L. (1990). Development and Concerns of First-year and Reentry Teachers with and without Mentors. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED323188