Peer Mentoring/Peer Coaching Success Stories
From LiteracyTentWiki
Introduction
This winter (2007 date TBA), the Adult Literacy Professional Development (PD) Discussion List will be hosting a guest discussion on “Peer Mentoring and Peer Coaching in Adult Literacy Professional Development.” Subscribers on the PD List specifically asked to hear “success stories” of practitioners involved with peer coaching or peer mentoring, from the coach or mentor, and/or from the teachers who benefited from this method of professional development. If you are a practitioner who has such a success story, will you share your story with us?
In preparation for the discussion, we are collecting success stories. If several are submitted, then they will be compiled into one document and shared with PD List subscribers prior to the guest discussion. Stories should be a few short paragraphs in length, or as a general rule of thumb, “above the fold” on your computer monitor. For your convenience, we’ve provided some guiding questions below that you may find helpful in writing your success story.
To Submit Your Story:
- 1) Post your success story below. To learn how to add to the ALE Wiki, visit: http://wiki.literacytent.org/index.php/Ale30minute . OR Email your story directly to Jackie Taylor at: jataylor@utk.edu
- 2) Your story will be available to you on the ALE Wiki (should you wish to edit or revise) until one week prior to the discussion (date TBA), after which time it will be moved to the NIFL web site. The link to the stories will be emailed to PD List subscribers prior to the guest discussion.
- 3) You are also invited to join the PD List and participate in the discussion! We would like to hear your recommendations for providing and improving this method of professional development. If you would like to subscribe and participate, please let me know at your earliest convenience: jataylor@utk.edu
Guiding Questions
Please tell us your success story with peer mentoring/coaching. Success is how you define it. The success stories can be a few, short paragraphs (or as a general rule, “above the fold” on your computer monitor).
Questions or ideas you might address could include (but are not limited to) any one or more of the following:
- What was the focus of your peer mentoring/coaching experience?
- Were you a mentor or coach, or were you being mentored/coached? How did you get involved? (appointed, self-selected)
For Practitioners who were Mentored or Coached:
- What questions did you address or change did you make?
- What did you do differently (or what attitudes or feelings changed with respect to your adult education practice) as a result of your participation in peer coaching/mentoring?
- Did your changes in thinking or acting affect learner outcomes? If so, how did you know?
- Would you suggest to other practitioners that they get involved with peer mentoring/coaching? Why or why not?
For Peer Mentors or Peer Coaches:
- What worked about the mentoring/coaching experience, and how did you know it worked?
- What changes did you help to bring about, that may not have occurred otherwise?
- What did you learn from the experience?
- How did you benefit as a professional? Did you produce, for example, an article, write a report, or do a presentation for others involved with peer mentoring/coaching?
- What did you value most about the experience?
Do not feel you need to answer all questions. These are just discussion points from which you might selectively use.
Success Stories
ADD YOUR STORY HERE
My two mentoring experiences were very different, although both were part of Indiana’s mentoring program. The differences stemmed from the needs and goals of the partner teachers. In the first instance, the new teacher had experience in teaching K-12 and home schooling. Her needs were around understanding and managing the reporting and testing requirements for the National Reporting System and learning about instructional materials. I realized that what on the surface appears simple about teaching ABE/GED is complicated by learning so much all at once. As a talented and gifted teacher, she quickly built in differentiated instruction into the classroom; she just wanted assurances from me. This spring when I saw her at the state conference, she shared that now she was mentoring a new teacher. My second experience was with a recent graduate who’s goal was to teach in an elementary situation. She also came with a passion to work with those who were most in need, wanting to teach where there was cultural diversity and poverty. Needless to say adult ed fit the area. The challenge for her was managing multi-level instruction and dealing with lots of young adults. The instructional setting was temporary space in a public library. We worked on those issues, as well as discussed managed enrollment practices. I have renewed respect for adult education teachers that work in “less than ideal” situations and limited pre-service training, yet are able to impact students. Mentoring is challenging and requires a long-term, intensive time commitment, but it is rewarding and helped me to analyze what my beliefs about adult education instructional practices are. I was also able to visit other programs and see how differently classes are operated. It helped me broaden my perspectives. I would recommend the experience to others when the mentor relationship has support from those like we had by Indiana state professional developers and a defined process. –Kaye Beall, World Education
