Toolkit for Mentor Practice
- Patty J. Horn - Northern Arizona University, USA
- Kristin Metler-Armijo - Northern Arizona University, USA
Foreword by Lois Brown Easton
Toolkit for Mentor Practice combines a set of diagnostic tools that capture what is happening in a new teacher's classroom with a mentoring process that guides both mentor and mentee through transformational learning stages. The toolkit features:
- A three-phase mentoring process that uses data collection and collaborative conversations to improve classroom practices
- Information-gathering tools that reveal how new teachers interact with students, plan for instruction, design lessons, analyze student work, and differentiate instruction
- Implementation guidelines that explain how to use each tool with beginning teachers
- Tools in Action examples that illustrate how veteran mentors have used the tools with new teachers
This toolkit gives mentors all the forms and processes needed to guide new teachers as they develop and improve their instructional practice.
"The data collection tools are eye-opening for both the beginning teacher and the mentor. The tools help mentors capture pertinent data, but they also sometimes reveal information you might not have looked for."
"The mentoring tools in this book allow me to have a reflective dialogue with teachers about their instruction that is unbiased, nonthreatening, and data driven. I use the various tools daily so that the needs of all my teachers are met. As my teachers evolve and advance in their practice, so do the tools I use with them."
"Patty Horn and Kristin Metler-Armijo understand the variables that contribute to a successful mentor-mentee relationship, focusing on the importance of collaboration, reflective practice and trust. Their practical and user-friendly resources ensure novice teachers are supported without losing sight of student achievement as the ultimate goal."
"Patty Horn and Kristin Metler-Armijo's compilation of prompts, journal records, and data collection tools are invaluable for creating a nonthreatening relationship with teachers and helping capture their strengths and areas of need. The prompts and data collection tools are crafted to guide teachers through their journey of professional development. The journal records are essential for maintaining the focus of the conversation on teaching standards and increased student achievement. As a second-year mentor, these items have allowed me to create lasting relationships and transform teacher practices from good to great and beyond."
"Horn and Metler-Armijo have beautifully captured the reciprocal nature of the mentor and novice teacher relationship and the learning journey that occurs between them. The authors give us a thoughtful and practical model for designing mentor programs that accelerate the transformational process that moves people from being satisfied with efficiency and effectiveness to craving meaningful work that has far-reaching impact. If you are designing a mentor program or if you need to revitalize the program you have, this book will be your primary guide."
This book has useful ideas which need to be adapted as it is based on mentoring in an American education system.
