Just How Hard Is It to Stay Current?

I am a tad embarrassed that it has taken me so long to log back in and create a new post. It's been nutty, as usual. I've been happily emailing iMet buddies because our diplomas have begun arriving in the mail. A common theme in most emails is how busy everyone is and HOW IN THE WORLD DID WE MANAGE TO COMPLETE OUR MASTER'S DEGREE PROGRAM?!?!?!?

I'm BA-A-ACK!

Summer is officially over and it's a month since we've been in session. COWs are being used but aside from one teacher using the clickers, there isn't much new, technologically speaking. Well, I have to take that back; the district has implemented a new student information system. We just weathered our first grading period. Amazing to see how many teachers are guilty of conduct which they would never condone in their own students. I was asked to create a 'cheat sheet' by my admin. A simple, 9-step list....couldn't believe some of the questions that were asked. I countered by asking whether they had read the instructions...nope.

I don't know if I can survive as a tech coach...get me back into the classroom!!

Bye, Bye, Bloggers!

For the first time since I've had a school email, I've created an "out of office" reply. However, that doesn't stop me from checking my messages daily....old habits die hard.

Anyhoo....I'm going to stop and smell the roses this summer. Most of all, I'm going to take time to focus on me.

To that end, I'll be taking a brief break from blogging. Check back in September for new posts.

Where's Alice When You Need Him?

I want to burst out in song...but there's no rest for the weary. Have a training first thing Monday morning even though it's the first day of 'vacation.' Haven't finished the inventory of tech equipment at school. Streamlining all the info is crazy. Signed up for a school book club...Promised to sub 3 days for a friend at summer school (SUCKER!). Maybe I'll get some rest in July.....

BUT I DID GET MY MASTER'S DEGREE IN RECORD TIME (well, record time considering the work involved)!!!!!!! Even managed to score a picture in CSUS' official commencement slideshow (check out 0:43 for a pic of me and my friend Lisa).  Sacramento State - Commencement

May 2, 2009- What a Feeling!!!

iMet the Most Interesting People....

We began this journey a mere 16 months ago. So much has changed. Twenty-four students, two teaching assistants and a professor. We've been connected through an intensive 'retreat' in the beginning, multiple face-to-faces, Tapped In, Skype, even the virtual world of Second Life. We've learned from each other, gotten on each others' nerves, been rude and been forgiven, and been invaluable lifelines all within that short time. Some things ended and others began, dreams faded or grew; a microcosm of experiences happened within our own little universe.

I had been interested in getting a masters' degree for quite a while. The investment makes sense on a practical level in some school districts; you can't max out on the pay scale unless you have one. However, it is also an investment of time in order to complete the work. The thought of spending that much time doing something halfheared just didn't appeal to me. I had to really believe in what I was going to do. That's the funny thing about going back to school as an older adult- you take it a LOT more seriously than you did the first time around ("Frisbee, anyone?").

While not a 'nerd' in the classic sense of the word, I'd been puttering with computers to some extent in education ever since I taught at Dixon High School in the late '80's. There, my department chair had written a grant for computers in the classroom and it had been funded. Granted, about all we could do at that time was play French hangman on a dark screen...but it was a start. Ten years later, I was teaching first grade at a Title 1 elementary school. What riches to have 5 Macintosh computers for my class of 20 students to use. Fast forward to the spring of 2007. I'd just finished my first year at Encina Preparatory High School with 40 student laptops in 2 COWs for a student body of 700. My oldest child was in college and I had 3 in high school. Life was always extremely busy.

I don't remember anymore just what I was looking for online but there, within our district intranet, under professional development, was a link for iMet- CSUS' Internet Masters' in Educational Technology. Curiously, I read a little more about it...and I was hooked. It seemed like a perfect fit for me; Friday nights and Saturdays for face-to-face meetings and the rest of the work could be done online. A real university, not a diploma mill...I decided to make room in my life to do this NOW.

I could have waited until all my kids were done with college themselves but it has worked out just fine thanks to the support of my family ("Go away and let me finish my assignment!"). What has been most valuable to me in this program is not the technological skills that I've developed (although I am quite thankful for them) but rather the ability to dive in to various theories of pedagogy. When I went through my teacher education courses back in 1982, I found that the most valuable session was the internship. Classes at the college, being talked at by the professors, it all seemed...worthless. I didn't connect with their verbiage or the concepts; it seemed to be very disconnected from what was going on in the classroom during my student teaching. In contrast, iMet courses have taught me to think more about the 'art and science' of teaching than I ever did through my credential program or even during my two years in BTSA......iMet some lifelong friends....

Meant to Tell You Something

All the mentoring led to this:

iMet 11 Final Project- EdTe 285
o A description of the mentee.
JS is a veteran teacher in the San Juan School District. She is National Board Certified and has served as a BTSA coordinator/coach for several years. Currently she is one of our union representatives on campus. She has gladly chosen to return to the classroom and is working as a ceramics teacher at Encina Preparatory High School, where she is a well-respected peer.
o A description of the work that was done in the sessions.
The original reason for getting together was to give her the opportunity to work on her school web page. She wanted to have a forum to share student work. We covered adding content to web design templates that were created in SchoolWorld, Adobe Photoshop Elements 7 and high-school curriculum standards for ceramics and digital arts.
o A record of the dates, times, material covered and process review for each session.
§ The hyperlinks will lead you to the original blog entries.
March 5, 2009, 3:00- 5:00 p.m. - Initial Mentor Session: This meeting helped us set the ground rules for future meetings. We went over J’s expectations and what she hoped to accomplish during our time together. She was willing to be nudged out of her comfort zone and had no difficulties in admitting that she didn’t understand something which made it quite pleasant to work with her. We looked over the options offered in the web site template that our school district provides us. The atmosphere was very congenial since we were setting our own agenda as opposed to having one imposed upon us.
March 12, 2009, 3:00-4:30 p.m. - Second Mentor Session: Today we planned to map out the scope of her whole web site in order to create a logical arrangement. We experimented with Adobe Photoshop Elements and we both taught each other something about the program. We quickly veered away from the intended focus in order to experiment more with the photo program. This session was interesting in that it was something of a role reversal; J is much more knowledgeable about the program that we used and I ended up learning from her. It gave her some tech confidence to be able to be the teacher in this instance.
March 19, 2009, 3:00-4:30 p.m. - Third Mentor Session: We worked a little bit more on her webpage but were quickly sidetracked. She had just been approved for a grant from the San Juan Foundation and we were looking over the requirements of the project as she had outlined it in the draft. She had included a tech component and we were identifying ways that it could be fulfilled while offering the students some variety in how to accomplish it. Again, it is such a pleasure to be able to let your conversation flow over teaching ideas for the sheer creativity of it and not because your administration is expecting you to come up with a project.
March 26, 2009, 3:00-5:00 p.m. - Final Mentor Session: It was a trifle bittersweet to come to the end but this has opened up a new chapter. I applied for approval to conduct Learning Teams at my school. We will be able to set our own agenda for work on technological issues. By keeping an agenda and a sign in sheet, which will be signed by our administrator, our school district will grant us Continuing Education Units which we can then use to advance on the pay scale. This will be available to the whole staff and we will all have opportunities to mentor each other according to our own talents and expertise. It is nice to be able to pass the torch and allow others to take the lead.
o Answers to the Following Mentor Questions:
§ What challenges occurred in the process?
1. There was some initial difficulty in lining up a mentee. My original choice backed out after our initial interview.
§ What successes occurred in the process?
1. The growth of our professional and personal relationship was a definite bonus. Her willingness to offer help in a technological process was also liberating.
§ What did you learn about the mentoring process?
1. That it really did end up being a two-way street even though it had an artificial beginning (in that it was an assignment that had to be completed).
§ What did you learn about yourself in the role of mentor.
1. That I would have something to learn as well.
§ Did your style of mentoring change over the course of the project?
1. Not really, other than the fact that a non-natural beginning to a mentorship would be quite easy to overcome.
§ Did you feel mentoring was worthwhile?
1. Absolutely, although I do stand by my opinion that this semester would have been a lot easier without having to do this assignment. This would have been an excellent class to add to our summer load when we only had 6 units.
§ How would you have done things differently?
1. I think I would have chosen someone in the beginning that I KNEW I would be able to work easily with. I knew that my original choice might be challenging (although I really didn’t anticipate his backing out of it so quickly).
§ How did you feel you did overall in the relationship?
1. I think that I was a good mentor; she never indicated that I made her feel uncomfortable. In fact, she was full of praise and is actively courting other staff members to take advantage of my willingness to work with them through our Learning Teams (although, as I said, THEY can be the ones to take the lead there as well).

o The results of an interview with mentee based upon these questions:
§ How did your mentee feel about the process as a whole?
1. She enjoyed it and was surprised to find that she had something to offer in an area where she felt she had little expertise.
§ What did the mentee learn about the mentor/mentee process?
1. Since she has had so much experience with BTSA, she found it quite pleasant to be on the mentee side of the fence.
§ What did they learn about themselves as mentees?
1. That it’s a good experience and she wonders why more people don’t take advantage of it.
§ Do they feel that the goals of the process were met? Why or Why Not?
1. She felt that the goals were met (if not completed yet; we did have a wide scope to cover).
§ Anything else you would like to ask or they would like to say.
1. It was very productive to be able to work at her own pace, one on one.

Two Women in a Garden

I came across this painting (by Kasimir Masevich) as I was googling images of two women and it struck me as an apt representation of this mentoring experience. While our appointments were always with a set goal in mind, there was also a great deal of opportunity to enjoy each other's company and to get to know one another better.

I asked SS the following questions:
What did you learn about the mentor/mentee process?
I came into this fully expecting to be on the receiving end. It surprised me to find that I had something to give as well.

How did you feel about the process as a whole?
As a teacher, I feel that it's an absolutely natural and necessary part of life. It was a pleasure to be asked to participate.

What did you learn about the mentor/mentee process?
I've always known that it's a two way street. I've generally been the mentor of late so it was nice to be the mentee.

What did you learn about yourself as a mentee?
I wasn't at all intimidated at my lack of skills. It was easy to open up and ask questions. It was a very comfortable and non-threatening process.

Do you feel that the goals of the process were met? Why or Why Not?
Absolutely.My goals were met and I got the opportunity to set new goals. We did get off track somewhat but the fact that we changed direction does not need to be taken as a failure.

Is there anything else you can share with me that would help me understand your perception of this process?
It's helpful to have someone willing to help you at your own pace. Working on my needs, one-on-one, is uniquely satisfying.


Thanks, SS, for working with me and letting me work with you. I learned quite a bit as well and am looking forward to having the shoe on the other foot when you teach me about Microsoft Publisher. I am always a little resentful of tasks that I feel are an unnecessary layer upon a core product. Having to find someone to mentor (and don't forget, that's MENTOR, not coach) and to then write about it and dissect it just seemed unnatural. However, having finally reached our final session, I find myself strangely reluctant to see it end. As with BTSA, I found that being forced to reflect on a process is invaluable. It is very eye-opening to have to dissect the experience and helpful to have a record of the experience. I'm glad that we'll continue to complement each other.

BAM!

I was tempted to search for a photo of Emeril Lagasse since my mentee has decided to "kick things up a notch" but this image is much more appropriate.


She feels comfortable enough with what we had accomplished so far that she doesn't want to continue practicing it, well, let me rephrase that. She doesn't feel the need for me to be close by to hold her hand. She'd like to move on to new skills (which we hadn't anticipated when we originally planned our sessions) and so we are going to take a close look at a grant she wrote earlier this school year.

Being a creamics teacher, she wanted to introduce her students to the art of raku and wrote a grant in order to be able to furnish the materials for this curriculum unit. We sat down and looked at the standards as she had listed them for the activities that were planned. She had added in some tech components but they were very vague. Also, some perhaps were not basic enough for the first baby steps. We decided on one tech component that could be accomplished this term (which will be rather elaborate if students opt to do the full audio-visual route with a powerpoint). Closer review of the grant will be done through the end of the year (yes, we're meeting beyond the required mentor/mentee time).

Last of all, many thanks to Cory Scott for this wonderful image of a raku firing. Wikimedia Commons is an exceptional site for royalty-free images (so long as you abide by fair use policies and attribute things correctly).

Look at This Photograph...

For this session, SS and I wanted to start putting together her webpage. It was storyboarding time and, while it was a very productive session, we really didn't accomplish what we had set out to do. It was a time to flesh out the site but we became bogged down in details.

The main thought was to create the 'floor plan' for her web pages. We have a gallery at the school and it would be lovely to have something online that would mirror that. However, as we started working, we found ourselves getting distracted by the application Photoshop Elements. SS began cropping photos, adding text, and taught ME quite a bit about this photo editing program. We were a good team; when she was stuck with something, I would hit the help menu and try to figure a way through it. It was interesting to see how far we came. Having the luxury of 'studentless' time and a non-admin agenda, we were very productive.

She felt that it was a good session because she discovered some useful shortcuts in the program that she had been using somewhat routinely up to this point. Having a new set of eyes helped her out in this case. While whe was cropping, I was reading up on how the program works. While I wasn't really answering her questions (because she didn't ask any), I was trying to anticipate her needs. We had one moment of pure genius when I found a menu that was more intuitive for her style than the one that she was currently using. I've never used a photo editing program and it was very interesting to watch her at work. It gave me ideas for what I want to do this summer....with all the free time that I'll have since I'll be done with iMet! ;)

For our next session, she will have finished editing her pictures and we will begin 'furnishing' the web page. P.S. I found an interesting site with lots of mentoring resources: Free Management Library.

"Mentoring Saves Lives"

Interestingly enough, this weekend's Parade magazine has an article on mentoring. It's written about a 7-year relationship between an adult and a child/teen. The man chose to do it because of what he could give to the child and was surprised at what he received in return. Both were nourished by the relationship. What resonated with me was the mention of trust. I truly believe that this is what makes the difference; without trust you can't have the reciprocity that is needed for mentoring. Read the article for yourself.

Mamma Mia! Mentor Mia!

I honestly have to say that I believe that scheduling this course the same semester as our culminating project is cruel and unusual. I feel that I have such a split focus. Of course, it doesn't help that my job description has changed this semester as well; I am now teaching French 2/3 (picking up someone else's slack) and have picked up some other duties (because no good deed goes unpunished). But enough about me, more about my new mentee.

She's a veteran teacher who is well-respected in the district. I think the world of her and am glad of the opportunity to work more closely with her. She wants to add content to her web page which will showcase student work and doesn't feel confident doing it on her own. Finding ways to encourage her students and broaden their horizons is always uppermost in her lessons. She never talks down to her students either. She always treats them with respect, even when she disciplines them. I find that respect goes a LONG way in creating a relationship with your students. Love 'em or hate 'em, when you treat them respectfully, they'll generally respond positively (though not necessarily eagerly) to you. Even in situations that are going south fast will it help to reduce the residual damage.

What I'm enjoying about this is that it provides an opportunity to discuss teaching philosophies without having a district agenda pushing us along, like our 'collaboration Thursdays.' SS is very 'hands on' as a student and this fits in well with my own philosophy of teaching. She hasn't expressed any concerns; nothing ventured, nothing gained in her mind. She's looking forward to creating her product.

Changing Horses....

...shouldn't be done mid-stream. At least I did it close to the riverbank. My original mentee decided against continuing with the program.  This showed me something interesting after all; while I was so focused on what I was going to get out of the program since it's reciprocal, I never stopped to consider that the mentee might not be so willing to HAVE a reciprocal relationship. In this case, my original bloke was more interested in receiving than giving (I guess the questions from the first session turned him off).

Happily, I found someone else very quickly who is quite happy to contribute to this. I will keep you posted.

I Just Figured Out Something Else

This is too cool. Playing with my EndNote and trying to work on some 507 info, I stumbled upon this way to write directly to my blog while I'm in Word. Let's see how it works. I'm all about working smarter and not harder.

We Meet At Last!

It's funny mentoring someone at work because I'm also the tech coach; the difference might make my head spin. What I'm going to have to keep in mind is to reflect upon what I am supposed to get out of this reciprocal relationship. That should keep things balanced. I'm not really open-minded about this; HH likes to work fast and does not necessarily 'apply' the information that he's given...or at least he says he does but if you have a chance to see him in action, then you see that there is little follow through. However, he seems to be committed to this course of action because he's made it part of his professional growth; he wants to develop his teacher web page for his 'essential question.'

Mainly, I'll have to keep my eyes open to see what will be in this for me. Stay posted for future developments.

Time to Put on My Thinking Cap....

· Am I ready for a mentoring relationship?
When I was in the BTSA program, I thought that I’d like to be on the giving end of the relationship one day. I have had the opportunity this year to take a young colleague under my wing, at first because I wanted to help smooth their way and, lately, because she appears to be out of her depth. I’m finding that mentoring is very difficult. I get exasperated when my suggestions are not followed through with. It’s a tightrope act at times, keeping that careful balance between helping and hounding. I’m not her supervisor; I’m a peer, a colleague. I don’t have the authority to tell her what to do and when I see her not taking advantage of the help I’ve offered, I just want to throw up my hands and walk away. It’s draining to be in a difficult mentoring relationship but I wonder how much of my personality and attitude (self-righteous with a dash of overzealous) is part of the problem. Resentful of the time that this is stealing from my other duties, i must admit that I am not ready for a mentoring relationship in the midst of finishing iMet and trying to be a tech coach. Did I tell you that I’m teaching a 90-minute French 2/3 class too?
I ought to mention that I wrote the initial paragraphs (italicised) to each question before I had read the article- “The Role of Teacher as Mentor” by Lois Zachary (yes, yes, I wasn’t following directions!). What is interesting is that it highlights my own assumptions about the mentoring process. As I was reading the article, I was thinking back to these responses and found it very interesting to note differences that I would make AFTER reading the article.
In particular, I’m thinking about the colleague I mentioned above. I have been forced to mentor her and can see that I am resentful of the drain on my available time. Had we had a chance to discuss our expectations and worked to draft something together, then we might be having a more successful relationship. Right now I don’t feel that I am getting anything out of it and I’m sure that she feels pressured by it as well. Since we’ve never talked openly about it, perhaps she isn’t getting much or anything out of this relationship as well.
· What mentoring skills do I have?
I’m very happy to share ideas and resources. I listen well and am inventive. Coming up with strategies that lend themselves to the teaching style and class composition/strengths is a pleasure to me. I care greatly about my students, the ones I’ve had, the ones I have, the ones I will have...even the ones that my colleagues have. That’s why I’m happy to share.
I think that another one of my skills is that I’m flexible. I roll with the punches and can go with the flow.
· What mentoring skills do I need?
Patience and...patience. I get easily frustrated and irritated if I feel that my time is being wasted. I’m a professional and hold myself to a high standard. I won’t do a shoddy job but, if I feel that I’m throwing pearls before swine, well, it just makes my blood pressure rise.
After reading the article, I realise that the skill I really needed to utilise with my colleague was planning. While I was quite thorough in planning the curriculum, I never once thought to plan the mentoring path, never sat down and thought just what I’d need to go over with her in order to create a successful mentoring relationship.
· What are my personal development goals as a mentor?
This was the one question that I had absolutely no answer for before the article and even now I find it difficult to answer. I’m very visual; while I have great faith, I learn things better once I’ve seen it in action. I’m thinking that once I get started in a properly planned mentoring relationship, one where none of the phases is skipped, that I’ll know better what my answer to this question would be.
· How will I go about enhancing my skills?
Learning how to count to 10 before I speak. Listening to my thoughts before I turn them into utterances.
If I leave my preconceived notions at the door and truly allow for a reflective, reciprocal relationship, I think that my natural empathy will help me enhance my skills in order to be of more use to a mentee. This is another answer that I think needs quality mentoring experience beforehand in order for me to properly respond.

What Does It Mean to Be a Mentor?

In answer to my prior post, no. No, the job that I have this year as a technology coach is NOT the same as being a mentor.

The articles that we read clearly show that a mentor/mentee relationship is symbiotic, not a one-way street. While a mentor is using their position to impart knowledge or provide support, they need to be open to being on the receiving end as well, taking advantage of some self-reflection.

What skills should a mentor have?

If you want this choice position

Have a cheery disposition...


Much like the letter that Jane and Michael Banks wrote to outline the requirements for a nanny, I could also list the skills that I would want a mentor of mine to have. Thinking back to those who have mentored me in the past, there have been both winners and losers. One of the best was Linda, my BTSA coach. While not the only person to work with me while I participated in that program, she offered an excellent balance of uplifting support while still being able to play the devil's advocate. With a few well chosen words, she could open my eyes to my shortcomings without making me feel defensive. Even better, she was always an excellent sounding board and never at a loss for offering suggestions and ideas that would improve my instruction.

What are common mentoring challenges and how can they be overcome?

If you won't scold and dominate us
We will never give you cause to hate us...

A mentor is not a coach, as I stated above. A coach's role is to direct someone, sometimes whether or not they want to go that way. Coaching connotes a position of authority. A mentor needs to create a safe environment for their mentee; they need to establish an aura of trust.

It might be challengie to sit and actively listen to a mentee at times; the urge to chime in and offer advice might make one squirm in their seat. Frankly, it is a bad trait of mine, interrupting. While my intent might be good ("I've got a really good idea I want to share with you!"), it demeans the person speaking. Showing respect by listening without interrupting is important. Taking notes to jot down brainstorms would be a good way to keep ideas in mind.

Another challenge might be convincing your mentee that you have something to offer them and that it would be worth their while to listen with an open mind. Once you have managed to earn their trust, you're on the right road.

What is the nature of the mentor/mentee relationship - How is it the same or different than other relationships (ie supervisor/subordinate, peer/peer, teacher/student)?

Like a supervisor, a mentor is the one who oversees the work of another; unlike a supervisor, a mentor doesn't manage that work. While it may offer a two-way exchange like that between peers, a mentor needs to think ahead and find ways to problem-solve for the mentee, or at least help them reach a positive solution. Teachers and students travel a one-way street while the mentor might find themselves being the one learning something in the interaction as well.

How will technology potentially strengthen or challenge the mentoring process?

The ease with which one can avail oneself of informational resources through technology is a definite strength. One possible 'danger' of trying to use technology to stay in touch with a mentee might be that one could be a little too distant or detached; regular face-to-face meetings would be necessary.

Mentor...Mentee....is that what I do?

I'm intrigued. Sitting in my class, I've been given the perfect reason to return to blogging. Hip hip hooray for iMET's 286 course.