Mentor Expectations

The mentor is:

TIRP Program Description

Similarities and Differences between Traditional New Teachers and Resident Teachers

Teacher Education Classes

Observation/Supervision Requirements

Agreement

Resources Available for Mentors to Download

Mentor Expectations

• Arrange for and log on TIRP forms, 25 contact hours with the resident teacher each semester. The contact hours can be in observations, conferences, meetings in the hall between classes, etc.
• Assist the resident teacher in preparing for the 1st day of school.
• Assist resident teacher with classroom management and discipline.
• Share own knowledge about lesson planning, useful classroom materials, long-short term planning strategies, curriculum development, and teaching methods.
• Help resident teacher learn to meet the procedural demands of the school.
• Provide moral and emotional support and function as a sounding board for new ideas.
• Provide access to other classrooms so resident teachers can observe their colleagues and begin to know and understand the different models of teaching that can exist within a school.
• Help resident teachers understand the implications of student diversity for teaching and learning.
• Engage first-year teachers in self-assessment and reflection on their own practice.
• Provide support and professional feedback as novice teachers experiment with new ideas and strategies.

The mentor is:

• Committed to the role of mentoring
• An effective coach.
• Accepting of the resident teacher as a developing professional.
• Understanding of the problems and concerns of resident teacher
• Skilled at providing instructional and other forms of support.
• Skilled at team teaching
• Skilled at team planning
• Skilled at observing new teachers.
• Skilled at collegial dialogue and reflection
• Effective in different interpersonal contexts.
• Skilled at adjusting communications to meet the needs of the mentee
• A skilled communicator.
• A model of a continuous learner.

Similarities and Differences between
Traditional New Teachers and Resident Teachers*

	Traditional New Teacher	Resident Teacher
Student Teaching	Completed	No Student Teaching
University-Level Education Classes	Completed	None
Maturity	Developing -> Mature	Very Mature
Mission/Vision	Forming	RTs are very clear on their desire to teach and make a difference in student lives.
Life Experiences	Limited -> Mature	RTs bring a wealth of work and life experiences to the classroom/school
Support for Classroom Management	High Support Needed	High Support Needed
Teaching Experience	Student Teaching	Some RTs have subbing or emergency certificates in their background.
*The above statements should be considered as generalizations.

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Observation/Supervision Requirements

PPBOCES/UCCS Teacher-in-Residence Program Two-Year Schedule
	1st Year		2nd Year
	TIRP	School	TIRP	School
Classroom Observation	15-20 hrs	5+ hrs	By Appt.	As needed
Supervision (Saturday Class)	135 hrs	As needed	90+ hrs	As needed
Induction	----------	----------	----------	15-20 hrs
Mentor Stipend	TIRP Funds	----------	----------	School Funds

• Each resident teacher must participate in 100 hours of observation/supervision during each year of the program. Observation/supervision is logged on the "Time Log" and/or the "Supervision Log" kept by the resident teacher.
• The TIRP conducts most of the observation/supervision during the first year of the program.
• The building conducts most of the observation during the second year of the program.
• The TIRP conducts most of the supervision during the second year of the program.
• TIRP pays for the mentor the first year and the school pays for the mentor the second year of the program.
• A resident teacher's progress on the Professional Teaching Standards is logged on the TIRP electronic inventory. The TIRP staff does the majority of the logging during the first year. The principal/mentor is responsible for checking off any standards during the second year of the program.
• The TIRP Teacher Education Curriculum (Saturday classes) satisfies the requirements for an induction program. At the end of the two-year TIRP, the resident teacher will be noted as having completed an induction program. If the school/district wants the resident teacher to complete the school/district's induction program, TIRP staff requests that this be done during the 2nd year of the program, not the first.

• Observation/Supervision:
  

  A resident teacher shall participate in 100 hours of observation/supervision during each year of the Teacher-in-Residence Program. CDE does not dictate the number of hours of each that a resident teacher must have each year of the program. (See the Two-Year Schedule Chart for a breakdown of the responsibilities for resident teacher observation and/or supervision).

• Observation:
  

  Any classroom observation (announced or unannounced) done by the principal or mentor for the purpose of helping the resident teacher become more knowledgeable or skillful shall be considered an observation. Many, if not most, observations are logged on the "Time Log." After the first semester of the first year in the TIRP, resident teachers are eligible to have standard elements checked off on the electronic inventory (kept on the TIRP electronic inventory). Verbal feedback is always given the resident teacher no matter how short or long the observation. The resident teacher is the keeper of the Time Log.

• Supervision:
  

  Any activity other than observation done by the resident teacher and planned by the principal or mentor for the purpose of helping the resident teacher grow as a teacher shall be considered a supervised activity. It is expected that the resident teacher will participate in a feedback session related to the supervised activity. Supervised activities can include: professional reading, staff development/training, observation of other staff members, professional conferences, discussion groups, and the like.

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Agreement

We ask school districts to sign an agreement so as to clarify what is expected of each of us in supporting the resident teacher in getting a teacher license.

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Resources available for mentors to download

Adobe Format	Microsoft Word Format
TIRP Standard-Based Lesson Plan	TIRP Standard-Based Lesson Plan
CDE Performance-Based Standards for Colorado Teachers	CDE Performance-Based Standards for Colorado Teachers
Standards Based Classroom Observation Form	Standards Based Classroom Observation Form
Supervision and/or Observation Time Log	Supervision and/or Observation Time Log
Mentor Log	Mentor Log

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