TEACHER MENTORING AND COACHING Portland, Oregon Organization: A family cooperative K-6 elementary school in a public school district that serves 47,000 students from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade.
This school had community upset and concern over the teaching quality of two new teachers who had been transferred from experienced, long-term 5th grade teaching assignments to a 1st grade job share in their early childhood program. Cristi assessed these teachers’ change readiness through a comprehensive needs assessment and skill analysis. It was determined that both teachers required professional development support to improve their teaching practice at a new grade level. This would be accomplished through curriculum development, improved instructional strategies, meeting individual student needs, and documenting improved student learning. An on-going, long-term intensive mentoring program was established through systematic evaluation, observation, self-assessment, reflection, and coaching to these two new early childhood teachers. They created and enhanced a more developmentally appropriate and educationally appropriate classroom environment. They learned and implemented teaching and evaluation strategies that are in alignment with both their District Strategic Plan Goals and the Philosophy and School Improvement Plan of this Family Cooperative School. They satisfied the community goals and desires as well as the district evaluation standards.
