TeachAde

Nancy Wallace

George,
I have always found that the best way to get teachers to use technology is to show them something relevant to their classroom instruction and something they can use immediately. However, I have found that taking a little time to build a relationship will go a long way mentoring teachers.

turben

George,
The technology mentoring program you have established for the SASD is my favorite approach/strategy. When you put a group of innovative teachers together as you have for the ninth year this summer; the sharing, supporting, and fun is contagious :)

tthone

I think it's important to be very flexible when mentoring another person. Making the time for your mentor is the most important thing to remember. I also think that acting as a facilitator rather than a teacher and taking over, will help a mentoring experience be successful. If mentors take over and do the work for the mentee, then the process is not going to work.

jwetzel

I find that I often think of little things all the time to tell my mentee. Instead of running to her all the time, I keep a list in a notebook. I also have my mentee write things down as she has questions.

Paula Hagerman

Mentoring is an act of communication between colleagues. In order to communicate you must listen, listen, listen. You need to listen to discover common ground, areas of differences and needs and wants. Mentoring is a two way street that should allow the mentor to learn from the mentee as well. This can only be done by through listening, clarifying and listening again.

smrdjenovich

Hi George!
I think a good strategy is to put your mentee at ease, establish a professional relationship first. It is just like building a classroom in September. There has to be a safe learning environment for this to work. A good mentor has to be a good listener as well.

We're having fun in class! Thanks for your help, o' mentor of ours.

mrenzelmannross

I try to keep in mind one of my main goals for being a mentor...to learn new things!! I never try to "teach" my mentee, I go at from the angle that we're both in this together and we're both going to learn great things AND learn from our mistakes.

matera

One idea that I use when I have mentored in the past was starting my time each time with my mentee by asking if there are any questions. This starts the time off in an open way where I feel that they feel comfortable to present questions next time we meet.

eledermann

My strategy that I will use is to be supportive and understanding. I think that my mentee knows that he can come to me and I will help him in any way I can. I think to keep an open mind and to understand where he is coming from will allow him to feel comfortable to come to me and willing to discover on his own too.

cmeyer

I feel the best way to share anything is to share your own excitement. When others see how excited you are about learning, they become excited to try it themselves. I encourage others to explore technology and ask questions when they get stuck. I will always help when I can. Through this mentor program, I now have more connections and more people to ask when I get in "over my head" on a technology project.

mmeyerswenninger

My favorite strategie is to have a plan in mind, but you must be flexable at all times when mentoring. I have mentored new teachers in the district and on almost every occasion concepts that I have planned get shot out the door, but this is a great thing! I feel letting the mentee take the led in what he or she needs help with really make the mentor-mentee relationship strong. The mentor really needs to be available for their mentee whenever they need them and I really feel that it takes a special person to be a mentor.

elee

To drop in occasionally without invitation to check progress is fun. I also like to offer unsolicited advice. All of this must be done in good humor and with the understanding that I am in no way being judgmental. The trick is also to be available frequently enough to help with each issue as it arises, but not to become a bother.

awinkel

Good morning!
When mentoring a colleague, I found that it works best to communicate at all times. Even if your chats are brief, touching base with one another keeps the mentor well informed of what the mentees needs are. Mentoring to me is an awesome way to spend time with colleagues sharing and supporting one another whether it is in the area of technology or not. This commitment guarantees TIME for teachers to share and discuss things with each other.

lwilterdink

I will begin my first official mentoring experience tomorrow, so I'll be discovering soon what works best and and what doesn't. The Technology Mentoring class has been an awesome strategy to get teachers involved in the mentoring process. The teacher I chose to mentor in instructional technology has said, "I hate computers." I hope that she will walk away with some valuable knowledge and skills that she will be excited to use in her classroom. Without the mentoring course, she would probably go on hating computers forever. I believe a good menter obtains the qualities we look for in a good teacher - competent, compassionate, patient, nonjudgmental, flexible, available, etc.

George Warriner

You all have some great ideas! Let's keep the ideas going and see how much we can share! I hear there were great movies today! I can't wait to see them! If you feel like it - make one small enough and add it as a resource (file) - If you dare!!