Since 2004, the Questar III Mentor Program has paired new teachers with an experienced teacher to help guide them through what can often be a difficult first year. New this year, the program has expanded to include two additional years of mentoring for each new teacher.
According to Mentor Coordinator Heather Silvernail this new three-year model provides a much higher level of support than the previous program did.
“During that first year, there is so much going on the teacher really does go into survival mode,” she said. “The three-year program is much more in depth, the pair gets to talk more and find ways to help you grow in your position at Questar III.”
The three-year tiered system establishes the expectation that the first year mentor/mentee relationship will be more intensive in terms of time with up to 10 days of release time per team. The time expectation decreases to 50 percent in year two, and 25 percent in year three.
In public education, many new teachers experience similar frustration and difficulties that, if not addressed, can prevent them from reaching their full potential and may even cause them to leave the school or the profession itself. Furthermore, Federal and State studies indicate that teacher retention rate affects student achievement.
The mentor provides the mentee with experience and guidance in instructional and behavioral techniques as well as to answer any questions they may have about the organization. The mentor can help their mentee with things such as setting up their classroom, understanding the calendar and deadlines, creating Individualized Education Programs (IEP) and simply answering questions.
The newly expanded mentor program is aligned with Questar III’s strategic plan, Shared Success. In it, Questar III strives to become a “learning organization.” This means the organization will continue to evolve and adapt to become more helpful for students, districts and staff. It requires the opportunity for all parties to be involved in the process in order to make professional and organizational growth a continuous process.
The adaptation of the program to include two additional years is one example of what a learning organization does. In addition, the new program seeks to include all Questar III staff, not just new teachers, according to Silernail.
“The new program has allowed us to expand our opportunities to all employees so that we’re really learning from everyone at Questar III,” she said. “This includes focus groups to discuss things like graduation requirements or ways to incorporate technology into the classroom.”
The Questar III Mentor Program was originally developed to improve student achievement and retain quality educators. This program is part of a New York State Department of Education (SED) mandate which requires the program to be overseen by a Mentor Committee consisting of both administration and representatives from the Teachers Association.
SED also requires new teachers to show documentation of successfully completing a mentor program in order to receive permanent certification.
For additional information about the program or to learn how to become a mentor, please visit Questar III’s Infocenter.
