MENTORING MODELS

A Guide for Educator Mentor Programs

An educator’s beginning years can often be tumultuous.   In Oregon, 37 percent of teachers leave the profession within the first five years.  This creates an unstable and frustrating school environment.   However, the situation is far from hopeless.  Mentoring programs across the nation have proven to be an effective process for aiding new educators their early years.  Benefiting from the watchful eye of a trained, experienced mentor not only helps retention rates for beginning educators, but it also helps increase effectiveness in the school.


The Benefit of Mentoring Program Models

Effective mentoring programs are built upon a solid foundation.  Mentoring models provide an outline for an effective program and highlight key focus areas to guide the delicate process.  Mentoring models help establish good standards and practices, as well as helping educators focus on creating an environment that nourishes a strong and healthy education career.  A focus on areas such as on-going professional development and a meaningful assessment process for teachers and administrators is one of the best ways to guarantee increased student achievement.
 

Mentoring Educators in Oregon and the New Teacher Center

Oregon’s Beginning Teacher and Administrator Mentor Program uses a mentoring model designed by the New Teacher Center (NTC), University of California, Santa Cruz.  NTC draws from over 20 years of training educator mentors.  

The NTC identifies two factors as the backbone of the mentoring programs:

  • Professional Development

  • Assessment

To read more about the New Teacher Center and their work surrounding teacher and administrator mentoring visit www.newteachercenter.org.

How does Oregon's Educator Mentor Program support quality educators?

Check out the video produced by Southern Oregon ESD. 

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How can I participate in Oregon’s mentor program?

Access Oregon Department of Education resources.