Work Progressing, took longer than I thought to start things up, and let's start!

[Connie Weber]

Doing more research, studying the whole thing while I'm trying to get it set up.

References/sites/papers under study:

Jennifer Lubke's 21st-century Mentoring--attached--

MSU's Assist, the whole site, particularly
For Mentor Teachers
For Beginning Teachers

Wiki Educator Teachers Mentoring Teachers , Nellie Deutsch at the Integrating Technology Ning

Loyola University Chicago E-Mentoring

A question for people here is shall we go ahead with some matches, provide structure and content for interested people, and hope that they'll consent as well to help design the program? That way we'll have something going--the pioneer starting group--and that group will shape the program for incoming mentors and protoges. What do you think, start up by addressing the mentees (protoges) who've signed up so far?

We have more mentors than mentees. We could use more of both. Should I run something on Classroom 2.0, or/and other sites?

The ones here now could get started now; we'll recruit more for the program for another starting point at the beginning of the year, in January.

Here are very simple "STARTUP GUIDELINES" I posted earlier:



The way to think of it: individualized, proactive learning. People are seeking out what they need and sharing what they can help with.


For the mentor, it's a giveback, a contribution to the profession as a whole. Also, a shaping of the future, by watching over teachers who are new to the field and helping them along.

It involves being reflective and instructive, both. It involves idea-sharing for practical ideas for class (or whatever setting one's in) as well as helping with big-picture perspective. I see the mentor operating in instructive, reflective, questioning, and most important of all, supportive ways.

For the mentee (or mutual learner) it's an investment in professionalism as well as personal growth. And that's true for the mentor, too.

If people sign up, here's what I'd like to propose they are signing up for:

a one school-year commitment, or a one-semester (hopefully longer) student of education commitment

four check-in conferences over the year (taking the form of emails, skype discussions, phone conversations, etc.), or three for students during a semester

NOTE: the personal and situation-specific content of all check-in conferences is to be kept confidential between mentor and mentee

about two or three times over the year (or twice per semester), each pair will choose a forum on Fireside to participate in together, or they start one up. NOTE: This is something the mentor and mentee do publicly, together (informally, for interest and fun--they run the discussion together)
.

culmination: (I have lots of ideas about this, but maybe should wait to hear others' ideas first!)

I lean towards calling the pair M1 and M2 which is appropriately nebulous. (They can both be mentors for each other.) Most often we'll have pairs with M1 being the more seasoned professional and M2 being the newcomer to the profession.

How is this sounding so far?

A note will follow regarding current possible matches and availability.

Reply to this with any comments on our beginnings, and let's get started.

My proposal for the startup content is a reflection on the diagram Mike posted:

Teacher Phases:

NOTE: This program is intended for adult mentoring of adults... For adult mentoring of young people, see Daniel Bassill's wonderful Tutor/Mentor Connection program.

[Connie Weber]

Christina Havlin with Catherine Menyhart
(Have you two begun yet? Could you check in with me?)

Connie Weber with Catherine Menyhart (not on languages but on other teaching issues)

Connie Weber with Maria Williams (teacher phases, maintaining energy and thinking through things together)

Connie Weber with Amanda (coaching HS girls; helping with development of both team spirit and individual development)

Connie Weber with Sarah Swiss (F2F mentoring as well, interesting hybrid here)

Laura Gibbs with Connie Weber (CW as M2, tech use for podcasting and storytelling, or TBD, if Laura has time)

Laura Gibbs with Maria Williams (tech stuff, facilitation of student expression)

Nathan with Connie Weber (CW as M2, RSS and information-input organization, if Nathan has time)



Available as M1 (mentor):


Ian Carmichael (secondary, math, physics, religious study, science, religion/science study, ethical studies)

Ken Messersmith (voc ed, the teaching of education, computer science, computer science for education)
Nathan Lowell (computers, network technology, social media)

Laura Gibbs (composition, online tool use, student web publishing, online resource library use/creation, Tarheel Readers)

Mike (special education, administration, urban education, educational policy, educational blogging and discussion)

Jane Nordli Jessep (Teaching for Understanding and a variety of Harvard Project Zero approaches, nurturing teaching practices, reflection and planning)

Mary K. Marjerrison (elementary, MS, multi-age, professional development, curriculum)

David Deubelbeiss (David, are you willing to be a mentor? I think you were at one point, but not sure how your schedule is now. If so, what do you envision helping someone with, specifically, in a one-on-one ongoing e-mentoring relationship? Also, will you help with program design?)


Available as M2 (mentee, protoge):

Sarah (Sarah, what sort of e-mentoring do you envision, what do you want to focus in on?)

Mary K. Marjerrison (I think you wrote that you'd like to be on "both sides" of this experience, Mary, as I am--is that right? What would you like your mentor to be helping you with?)

[Connie Weber]

Please reply with corrections, additions, ideas, availability.

Does anyone want to volunteer to make a wiki for our M1/M2 assignments and availability? Or should it be a google document? Or should we just have it here as is? I envision a signup place being useful, better than what I'm doing here for registering the combinations.

[Connie Weber]

If you're new to these discussions and would like to sign up as M1 and/or M2, go to "Beginning 11/01/09: new participants sign up here"

[Jane Nordli Jessep]

Connie,
Just want you to know that I'm here. Glad to see this idea coming to fruition.
Jane

[Sarah]

I would like e-mentoring from someone who is experienced in teaching math! I want to focus on classroom management, trying to teach students in a student-centered way, and really, just on the whole first year experience.

[Connie Weber]

Hi Sarah,

Jocelyn Menyhart is the person I know who's most extraordinary at teaching math--and she sent you here! It would be great if the two of you could be booked as an e-mentoring pair; you could help with program design simply by keeping track of the personal discussions you have (not the private content, but the topics you delve into). I don't know if Jocelyn has time right now, but let's ask. Her daughter, by the way, is in the program, matched up with Christina for foreign language education.

If anyone out there is able to be a mentor for a teacher who's focusing on math instruction, please let us know!

[Connie Weber]

Hi Sarah,
Here's someone else who wants a math mentor; maybe the two of you could see if you wanted to talk together about what you're experiencing. She's in an independent school in Michigan. Both of you are relatively new to the field. Just a thought. http://firesidelearning.ning.com/profile/RachelK
Ian Carmichael is a potential math mentor--he's from Australia. You could check in and see what the overlap in experiences and content that might be discussable--
he's in secondary.
Brrrrr... it's turning cold here! Are you ready for another winter?

[Catherine Menyhart]

Connie,

Your posting is timely as I finally contacted Christina about starting our e-mentoring . . . I've been swimming in the "survival" phases of first year teaching (thus the late start) but look forward to future communications with you and Christina. Should we start our reflections on the teacher phases in a new forum?

[Connie Weber]

Hi Catherine,
So good to hear from you.
Here's the rough design of the program: you and Christina have four check-in conferences this year, private ones, talking about whatever the two of you decide would be meaningful topics that promote reflection and growth. (You two decide: private email, phone, skype, etc)
You and Christina together host a couple of conversations with Fireside (put up a forum) on any topic you'd like to discuss with the group as a whole. One of you can put up the forum you've decided on, and both of you participate in that discussion.
Now, since you've been double-booked, you have to do the same things with me!
How about you and I do our check-ins by phone, as we've done a couple of times before? I so enjoy our talks. (You can call this weekend if you want; I'm available.)
Thank you so much for participating in our Fireside e-mentoring project.
Let's hope it's like a vitamin program for us all. An immunity-builder, a re-charger, a resilience-developer.
It'd be fun to think of metaphors for how educators can be for each other, and for the programs that help teachers join together.