Teaching Tips

Teaching tips by Jordan- An Advice Column for Teachers

This week we are going to answer questions regarding teacher feedback. This is an area I get many questions about and one that causes significant consternation from our teacher community. One of the biggest concerns is the inconsistency in with which people receive feedback. Some teachers report they get excellent feedback, and it is the part of a school’s philosophy to provide continuous feedback, especially to new teachers. Others report that their schools often tout their mechanisms for feedback, but they often fall flat pretty quickly, especially when mentors get busy. Others report that they have had excellent mentor relationships, but it is only because their individual mentor is motivated and fully engaged.

The biggest problem often lies in the unwillingness of mentees and new teachers to ask for help or advice, for fear of looking unprepared or too needy. They also worry that that are being too intrusive to busy colleagues who already have too much on their plate.

 

So here are some of those questions:

Dear Teaching Tips- I am a rookie teacher, and I have been assigned a mentor teacher in my department, and I am part of a collaborative strategy group. The teachers, at least in my department, have all been here for a number of years, and they seem to be sort of a clique. My mentor is nice enough, but when he is with the other teachers, they seem to exclude me from their “inside” conversations. None of the other teachers really engage with me, although I know they have lots of experience I could benefit from.

-One of the Uncool Kids.

Dear “Uncool Kid”, this is common among teachers, especially ones that have been at a single school for a while. There is a sense of ownership, and they may feel, especially if many of the teachers are long-term, that new teachers are intruding on their turf. Mentor teachers might feel like they need to be in control, otherwise they may lose out on opportunities, or their “power” within the school may be diminished.

Your best approach may be to listen to conversations, find out what each teacher is all about, and approach them individually to strike up a conversation about a common interest. This may help to break the ice, and get you more endeared to teacher groups. Once you strike up a friendship with one teacher, you may find that others will open up to you. You will then have the opportunity to reach out to the ones that you think will provide effective guidance.

 

Dear Teaching Tips- This is my third year as an elementary school teacher. I really like the people here, and when I was hired, the administration talked a lot about the level of support the teachers get. The first year, I was assigned a mentor teacher, who was a few years older and in my department. She was helpful with advice, and though often busy, would answer my questions within a few days. The school also had a comprehensive review midyear and at year end. They also solicited responses from my students, which they compiled, and then they presented me some of the highlights (and lowlights), from the year. Though stressful, I found that this helped to inform my teaching in many ways, and I came into the second year more confident.  Unfortunately, in the second year, all that support and feedback dropped off, and I found it harder to progress. I asked various colleagues about it, and they said it was pretty standard to provide this structure for rookie teachers only. My official reviews basically just told me my performance was “satisfactory”.

-Unsatisfactory

 

Dear “Unsatisfactory”,

Sorry your experience this year has been disappointing. I assume there are valid reasons their system is set up that way. Clearly, they care about feedback, but only to a point. Sounds like that put an emphasis on supporting rookie teachers to get them quickly up to speed. The process may also be used in support of a trial or probationary period.

It is possible that the school does not have the bandwidth to continue this program for every teacher at every level, and feel it is most productive for first year teachers. At least that program is comprehensive.

Continuous feedback is so important to the pre-service and newly in-service teacher. Honest and open communication between mentor and mentee is critical to the growth of new teachers. I am sorry to hear you are not getting the feedback you desire, but this situation is not uncommon.

I would advise talking to the people that were involved with the feedback the first year and find out why they do not continue the program. See if they have options for informal mentorship going forward, and if you can still get paired with someone. Good luck.

 

Dear Teaching Tips- I am a teacher of mixed-race and have recently move to a new town and a new school farther out in the suburbs. My previous school was more disadvantaged, with a high percentage of minorities. There, at least the teachers, many minorities themselves, knew where the kids were coming from. There was an understanding of their struggles, and despite the makeup of the school, there was an effort by the administration to teach to the kids’ strengths- we routinely practiced inclusion and student-centered learning. There were many savvy kids, and you just needed to know how to relate to them to get the most out of their abilities.

My new school is about 20 percent African American, and the teachers are mostly white. It is only recently that the school has begun to integrate, and there is a definite stigma against some of the “new” kids. There is a good mentor program, and, though I have been teaching for a few years, it has helped me to understand how to navigate the inner workings of the school. The one thing that really concerns me though, is that a few times I have had friendly interactions with some of the Black students while accompanied by my mentor, he has said things like “don’t get to cozy with them”, or “you are wasting your time. That kid will probably drop out by high school anyway.” It has really taken me aback. I guess he does not realize that I was once one of those kids.

My mentor is well-respected here, so I do not know how to approach someone else about this. I kind of feel like this attitude is pretty prevalent. As a new teacher here, what can I do to address this without fear of reprisal or alienation?

-Feeling Put Out

 

Dear “Feeling Put Out”,

This is a tough issue. Unfortunately, pervasive, unconscious bias is more ingrained in our society than we can imagine. Unfortunately, some of these ideas may be deep-seated and long-standing in a number of people you will meet in the school.

Sounds like the mentor relationship is productive for you, but there are other issues at hand. If you are having genuine, honest two-way conversations with your mentor, then you cannot let the issues you are seeing continue to be a barrier. Otherwise, it may be difficult to continue being productive in this relationship if you do not tackle the elephant in the room.

At a point when you feel comfortable, you can bring up your concerns, and if it is truly a mutually beneficial relationship, he will listen. You can suggest some books, or schools of thought. For example, try Bettina Love’s We Want to do More than Survive, which explains the way the educational system continues to, as she says, “rob dark children of their education” by this same pervasive phenomenon that you are witnessing; or Sonia Nieto’s Affirming Diversity: The Sociopolitical Context of Multicultural Education, which discusses a continued failure to properly educate impoverished and minority children.

Beyond that, you may want to search out whether the school, or the school district, has an office of diversity, and share with them your concerns. I expect that, if you speak honestly about what you have seen, you will make some headway. They may be willing to speak to your school administration and keep your name out of it. Maybe, ultimately, you can help to bridge that gap that you see. It many not be because of actual malice but merely a gap in understanding among the existing teachers.