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Lesson Plans


Re: mentor question

From: Holly112
Date: Tue Jul 04 2000 - 10:43:04 PDT

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    In a message dated 07/04/2000 12:51:16 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
    mcgugan writes:

    << If you were a new teacher, etc. how did your mentor help you? What kind of
     methods were used? What about positive and negative experiences? What kind
     of characteristics/skills do you think a mentor should have? >>

    I had a wonderful mentor in my elementary experience-we stayed
    friends-because she was willing to help me do my best. The key word here is
    "willing". We spent time together, talking. We even went out to lunch
    together once a week. I looked forward to work/school! I learned a lot in
    my secondary experience too, but it was not as much fun because the
    cooperating teacher kept a distance between us. (She was also pregnant and
    probably only agreed to have a student teacher to make her own life easier.
    This is just my opinion, but I have to say, I did not look forward to going
    to work during that time.)

    They both let me observe for 2 weeks, helping students only. That was good.
    I got to see how the classes were run, and got to know the routines and the
    kids. When my turn came to student teach, in elem, I was free to teach
    whatever I wanted, and my mentor was always willing to answer any questions.
    She even let me look through all her stuff and would discuss everything I
    wanted with her. My HS person told me what she wanted me to do, and I had to
    come up with something. I didn't mind some things, like come up with
    something for craypas that included value, or value and drawing. I had to
    make up tests and study sheets, have critical analysis discussions, etc. I
    had to teach Video, and I didn't even own my own camera! (I had to do lots
    of research, and use the English dept's camera, and figure it out myself. I
    managed, but it was very lonely and stressful....) But then she insisted I
    do something with mosaics, and I couldn't please her., no matter how many
    things I came up with... So eventually she stopped insisting, but it wasted
    a lot of my time.... She later told me she had never been able to come up
    with a motivating lesson for mosaics for HS. She said she liked to have
    student teachers cause every once in awhile she gets a great lesson she can
    use, like this radial design thing I did...I figured that was a compliment!
    I had finished student teaching in May and there was an Art show in June,
    which I went to see. Lots of student work was up that the students had done
    with me, and I was so excited!!!! All that work had students' names and her
    name alone as teacher, not mine.... (My elementary mentor would have credited
    me, that's the difference in their personalities......)

    Its hard to say what characteristics a mentor should have. I learned through
    both experiences, but I enjoyed the easy personality of my first cooperating
    teacher. She gave me advice or tips in a friendly way. My other teacher sat
    back and took critical notes as things happened, and read what she wrote. It
    was more awkward, but helpful just the same...

    What I remember wishing (silly now) was learning how to write a plan book to
    please administrators, no one ever discussed plan books. I thought a plan
    book was for ME.

    Holly :0) 

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