Advisors/mentors

Responsibilities of a Resident Advisor/Mentor

Most Residents (MAT-only students are excluded) are required to be assigned an Advisor or Mentor teacher. The Advisor/Mentor will provide a window into teaching, into the curriculum, and into school culture for the Resident. The ideal Advisor/Mentor is a skilled teacher in the same content area as the Resident; has multiple years of teaching experience; is a great communicator; is a potential up-and-comer who a principal may want to “develop up” to assume more leadership as time goes on; or is a current teacher leader who could use some help with grading, material preparation, or consistent release time for other responsibilities (e.g. a grade-level team leader or department chair). In this role, the Advisor/Mentor will fulfill several responsibilities to assist the Resident’s development:

Modeling and Coaching

Traditional Residents will likely spend at least one period each day observing instruction, participating in directed instructional planning, and assisting in an Advisor’s classroom. The Resident should be both observing to learn and helping to teach. Such observation and assistance should allow the Relay teacher to draw insights from the Advisor’s teaching practice on how to become an excellent teacher.

Non-Traditional Residents (i.e. TEL Residents, Teachers of Record, Paraprofessionals, long-term substitute teachers, etc.) likely have more discrete responsibilities and tasks throughout the school day. As such the Relay teacher will benefit greatly from classroom observations, feedback (including modeling), and coaching by the Mentor. The Relay teacher may also be granted time to observe specific Mentor or exemplary teacher actions to refine/develop the skills of an excellent teacher.

Curriculum and Lesson-Planning

The Advisor/Mentor will provide ongoing support for lesson-planning by spending 30 to 60 minutes each week sharing and reviewing lessons and materials for that week, as well as outlining how the Resident will participate in these lessons. Relay GSE will expect the Resident to internalize the Resident Advisor/Mentor’s weekly lesson plans, even when the Resident is not responsible for teaching them. During Deliberate Practice sessions, the Resident will use the Resident Advisor/Mentor’s lesson plans for simulations and reflection. This will help the Resident absorb and understand instructional content, as well as apply teaching strategies learned at Relay GSE.

Feedback and Gateway Scoring

The Advisor/Mentor should use weekly meetings as an opportunity to provide the Resident with instructional and professional feedback. As their primary link and coach at the school level, Advisor/Mentors should observe the Resident in action and provide a weekly concrete action step so the Resident is consistently pushed to grow as a teacher. Resident Advisor/Mentors will also be asked to formally score the Residents on the Gateway rubrics to give a school perspective on their progress to date.

Communication

With regard to the Resident, the Advisor/Mentor will be the primary liaison between Relay GSE and the school partner, and will communicate the teacher’s progress and performance at school. Relay GSE’s faculty will keep the Advisor/Mentor informed about what the Resident is learning at Relay GSE and the Resident’s upcoming assessment requirements. In periodic surveys, we also request that Advisors/Mentors evaluate the progress of their Resident.

Coaching Tools & Resources

Feedback Sheets

Weekly Meeting Template

Get Better Faster Scope and Sequence of Action Steps