Email to Principal Greene advocating for release time...

Release Day Recommendation for Mentors, New Teachers, and Teacher Leaders Would it be possible for mentors and mentees to be given release time once every 6 weeks, for observations, in-classroom support and one-on-one conferences? A sub will be provided on those days. The first half of the day would involve the mentor observing the NT and debriefing. The mentee will write a one-page reflection of their lesson. They will include three things that went well and one area of refinement. When the mentor views the beginning teacher’s practice, there is a mutually agreed upon purpose, driven by the needs of the beginning teacher, and the mentor shares objective non-judgmental data about classroom practice. When the mentor meets one-on-one with the beginning teacher, it’s for the purpose of holding reflective conferences that build the teacher’s capacity to make effective decisions. The mentor guides the beginning teacher in the use of classroom and student data to formulate strategies, solutions, and next steps. The Mentee selects the place for lunch. Upon return, the NT then observes the mentor. Debrief: Discuss issues, procedures, practices, and problems. The mentor will help create learning centers, IEPs, a review game on the Smart Board, etc. The remainder of the day, mentors will have to themselves to plan and prepare for their own classes duty free. I believe this will build relationships and new teachers will feel supported. Mentors will provide support on these days even if they fail to complete the mentor stipend requirements (documentation), the new teacher still receives support from the veteran teacher and the veteran teacher gets half a day to plan and prepare for their own classes! Teacher Leaders (Ms. Reed and myself) would also benefit from having a minimum of 2 to 3 release days every 6 weeks to provide adequate support to the different teachers we're supporting across grade levels. Regards, Mrs. Maxie