Questions To Ask Your Mentor
Very Important Questions To Ask Your Mentor . . .
Is there a school-wide behavior management plan?
Fire drill and crisis drill procedures?
Specific scheduling information I need to know?
What time do I report in the morning? Do I sign in?
What are the procedures for getting substitute coverage?
When do the students begin coming into my classroom?
What is the routine for opening exercises at the beginning of the day?
What is the routine for the closing of the day? Bus schedules, dismissal bells, etc.?
What do I need to know about lunchtime?
Where are the teacher handbook, parent-student handbook, and Emergency Plan? How can I obtain copies?
What specific duties will I have? (Bus duty, hall duty, etc?)
Does this school have an After School Program? If so, where is it housed?
How do I contact the office from my classroom?
Is there a PTO? When are the meetings? Is there a School Improvement Committee?
Is there a pre-school Open House? When? What is the purpose? How should I prepare?
Where are the cumulative folders stored? How do I access them? How should I use them?
What copier should I use? Where is it located? How do I obtain paper?
Where are the curriculum guides I will use?
What hours do I report to work?
Where are the teachers’ workrooms and restrooms?
Do I have keys to my room, desk, closet?
What is my schedule (lunch, duties, activities…)?
Who do I call when I am going to be absent? At what number and time?
May I leave campus during lunch or planning?
What is the dress code for teachers?
What consumable supplies are available and what is the procedure for obtaining them?
What is on the student supply list for my grade level/department?
Where is the book room? What is the procedure for checking out textbooks?
Am I provided with a lesson plan book /calendar?
Do I need a code for the copy machine?
What technology is available to me? Are there procedures to access it?
Do I have access to computers for my students?
How do I arrange for field trips or guest speakers?
How can I locate or checkout manipulatives?
What is the procedure for laminating materials?
When will I get my class list?
If I have any special needs students who will leave my class during the day, how will I know this on the first day of school?
What are the procedures for arrival and dismissal of students?
How will I know if my students ride the bus? Walk? Picked up?
How do I take attendance?
How do I complete progress reports, report cards, and/or grade verifications?
What are the procedures for sending students to the clinic?
Where do I find forms such as hall passes, referral slips, detention slips and how are these used?
What are the procedures for referring a student for special education testing? Who can I go to for assistance in my building?
What are the school policies about rules, consequences, suspensions, and keeping students after school for make-up work or detentions?
How do I get assistance from the office for emergencies, illnesses, or discipline problems?
Is there a suspension room or time-out room for severe discipline problems?
What are the cafeteria procedures for students and teachers?
How do I request parent volunteers for my classroom?
Who is my evauator?
Who is my team leader or department chair?
Who are the support staff and what services do they provide?
Who are the building custodians? What are their responsibilities?
How often and in what format should I communicate with parents?
Source [in part]: Alice Miller, Carroll Independent School District, Texas