Mentoring vs. Coaching in Education

What connections did you make to the reading?

A connection I can make based on an experience goes back to my first year of teaching in Panama. It was a coincidence that, just like Cynthia, in the article Mentoring That Fits by Pam Grossman and Emily Davis, I had an undergraduate degree in chemistry and had to teach biology during my first year. It wasn't a pleasant experience because I did not have a mentor teacher and had to work super hard to overcome all the obstacles you face having to teach when you don't feel well prepared to teach. So I wish I have had the support new teachers need to improve their instructional effectiveness, but I survived and made it through!

 

How does it fit with what you have already learned or experienced? 

Coaches at my school help us gather and analyze sets of qualitative and quantitative data that show the impact of our work on our student learning experience. These practices and efforts aim to improve our student learning and help us become effective by objectively letting us know if we're doing a good job. 

 

How does it fit with what you have already learned or experienced? 

It was exciting to read the story by Carol Ann Tomlinson, where she shared her story about her first day of teaching. It brought memories back to my first year teaching in public school here in the U.S.

According to Tomlinson, three essential factors are significant for new teachers. The first one is to have a colleague who models the essence of teaching. I was fortunate to have a great mentor who guided me during my first year of teaching. She supported me through guidance and taught me strategies that have helped me through the years. She led, directed, and advised me in a mutual relationship based on trust and belief. The second factor is the freedom to think creatively. That same year, a very flexible principal allowed me to input ideas when teaching. I didn't feel framed the way I do these days. The third step is to have the right pal at school. I also have learned the importance of having somebody to laugh with and cry with when needed. Tomlinson shared how hard it is to find a colleague that can understand your days and lift your tomorrows (One to grow on / three wishes for new teachers).

 

What aha occurred as you read?

An eye-opener for me was learning that mentored teachers are more likely to remain in the teaching field than those who are not. Also, it was essential to find out that being an effective mentor requires training and ongoing support.

 

The Venn Diagram assignment is in the following Prezi format. Please click on the following hyperlink.

     Venn Diagram 

References

Carr, J. F., & Harris, D. E. (n.d.). Creating dynamic schools through mentoring, coaching, and collaboration. OverDrive. Retrieved October 13, 2022, from https://www.overdrive.com/media/464550/creating-dynamic-schools-through-mentoring-coaching-and

Mentoring that fits. ASCD. (n.d.). Retrieved October 13, 2022, from https://www.ascd.org/el/articles/mentoring-that-fits

One to grow on / three wishes for new teachers. ASCD. (n.d.). Retrieved October 13, 2022, from https://www.ascd.org/el/articles/three-wishes-for-new-teachers

Research link / the benefits of mentoring. ASCD. (n.d.). Retrieved October 13, 2022, from https://www.ascd.org/el/articles/-the-benefits-of-mentoring

The method (model) of mentoring between teachers in secondary and high ... (n.d.). Retrieved October 14, 2022, from http://edu-mentoring.eu/handbook/handbook_en.pdf

 

 

 

Carmen Cuevas-Gross

 Responsive to Intervention (RTI)

Data for Instructional Improvement

"Five steps for structuring data‑informed conversations and action in education" 

Using data to guide decisions and actions can positively affect education practices and processes. This facilitation guide shows data teams how to move further, reporting data to apply data to deliberate performance. By using guiding questions, activities, and forms, this guide gives education data teams a layout, instruments, and vocabulary to support an informed conversation around the data they produce. Besides that, the guide walks data teams through five steps in using data for decision-making and purposeful action:

• Setting the stage
• Examining the data
• Understanding the findings
• Developing an action plan and Monitoring Progress
• Measuring success

"Five (Good) Ways to Talk About Data"  

Teacher-team meetings are essential to practical data analysis. Five (Good) Ways to Talk About Data deals with how schools move in the right direction working with data. They propose five components necessary for data-driven instruction and student learning assessment.

Component 1: Students are the shared responsibility of everyone.

A shared sense of responsibility does not allow any student to fall through the cracks. Instead, the more teachers from various grade levels know each other, the more they become responsible for all students. Teams share the responsibility of improving student gains.

Component 2: Conversations about data include healthy disagreement.

Teachers talk about what data means and how teams should use it. Data discussions involve different opinions. For example, teachers' conversations about data should be about asking questions and charting improvement plans.

Component 3: Conversations about data engender trust rather than suspicion.

For example, teachers' conversations about data should be about asking questions and charting improvement plans. Principals and teachers need to work together. There must be trust between the district, the school, the principal, and the teachers. We should use data to understand how we can improve, not point fingers.

Component 4: Data teams take a solution-oriented process.

Teachers must engage in reflective practice for data to improve teaching and learning.

Component 5: Data teams know what they should accomplish.

Clear guidelines for what teachers need to do should be in place. Leaders set the expectations for teachers' discussions about data. For example, some districts and schools have developed or adopted data discussion protocols to provide structure.

How are the two articles similar?

Both articles deal with data-informed discussions and education efforts of teacher-team meetings that are essential to practical data analysis.

"Five steps for structuring data‑informed conversations and action in education" walks users through five critical ways to use data for decision-making and strategic action.

"Five (Good) Ways to Talk About Data" deals with how schools move in the right direction working with data. Five components are necessary for data-driven instruction and student learning assessment.

 

What new learning did you have when you read the articles?

In Component 5: Data teams know what they should accomplish - I learned that leaders set the expectations for teacher discussions. For example, some districts and schools have adopted data discussion protocols to provide structure.

How can this information be helpful to you in your school?

Component 1: Students are the shared responsibility of everyone.

Component 1 is helpful because it discusses that teachers' shared sense of responsibility does not allow any student to fall through the cracks. Instead, the more teachers from various grade levels know each other, the more they become responsible for all students. Teams share the responsibility of improving student gains.

 

References:

Bourg, C. (n.d.). How educators can use student data to drive instruction. LSU Online. Retrieved September 30, 2022, from https://online.lsu.edu/newsroom/articles/how-educators-can-use-student-data-drive-instruction/

Datnow, A., & Park, V. (2015, November 1). Five (good) ways to talk about data. ASCD. Retrieved October 1, 2022, from https://www.ascd.org/el/articles/five-(good)-ways-to-talk-about-data

Hamilton, L., Halverson, R., Jackson, S. S., Mandinach, E., Supovitz, J. A., & Wayman, J. C. (2009, August 31). Using student achievement data to support instructional decision-making. IES Practice Guide. NCEE 2009-4067. National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance. Retrieved September 30, 2022, from https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED506645

Hebbecker, K., Förster, N., Forthmann, B., & Souvignier, E. (2020, April 6). Data-based decision-making in schools: Examining the process and effects of teacher support. Journal of Educational Psychology.  Retrieved September 28, 2022, from http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/edu0000530

Kekahio, W., & Baker, M. (2013, September). Five steps for structuring data-informed conversations and action in Education. Institute of Education Sciences (IES) Home Page, a part of the U.S. Department of Education. Retrieved September 28, 2022, from https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/edlabs/projects/project.asp?ProjectID=360

Svinicki, M. D., Williams, K., Rackley, K., Sanders, A. J. Z., Pine, L., & Stewart, J. (2016, June 30). Factors associated with faculty use of student data for instructional improvement. International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning. Retrieved September 28, 2022, from https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1134685

Role of a Superintendent

 

Superintendent Duties and Responsibilities

 

1. Contribute as the senior leader of a school district.
2. Impact the teachers in their district and each student's educational experience.  
3. Juggle various professional relationships, such as working with the board of trustees and dealing with concerned parents. 
4. Make themselves available to the public and be receptive listeners.
5. Work closely with the Department of Education, legislators, and taxpayers.
6. Champion for increased funding and manage the needs of the district.

What Does the Superintendent Do? 

The superintendent is the leader of the school district. They set the tone, chart the district's course, and work closely with the board of trustees. In addition, the superintendent hires and supervises other administrators, such as the chief financial officer and the school principals. The board is the superintendent's boss, which might cause significant challenges for the superintendent. Additionally, the board is responsible for evaluating the superintendent's performance and has the power to hire and fire the superintendent.

The superintendent evaluates the school principals' performance and sees that they are influential leaders, also working with the school's teachers to serve students' needs and meet the district's goals.

During my first three years of teaching at my present job, I went through three superintendents; they resigned or were fired for various reasons. Fortunately, the past five years have gone smoothly with a superintendent that brought many revolutionary ideas that have been positive for the community. His biggest project: start several innovative schools. One positive aspect of these schools is the teachers' salaries. In one of these innovative schools, teachers work one extra hour daily. For these teachers, the starting annual salary is more than 60 K, which is not too bad considering how low our wages are!

The importance of the district superintendent and the potential consequences of superintendent exits should be a good reason to keep in mind during the hiring process!

References:

Meier, D. K. S. (2018, July 20). Duties of a school superintendent. Work. Retrieved August 28, 2022, from https://work.chron.com/duties-school-superintendent-13899.html