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Describe your Capstone Challenge and how you identified it.

A challenge I see within our district is the lack of teacher mentorship. I can speak to this because this was my challenge as a first year teacher. I had a wonderful staff and administrator, however, I did not feel a sense of support in areas I needed. Even with an educational background and a wonderful student teaching experience, I needed trusting relationships with colleagues for guidance with classroom management and day to day needs that popped up without warning. There was a lack of teacher leaders making the effort to sit down and take time to share and explain. All to say, I know I am not alone with experiences like this. After visiting with friends and colleagues in the profession, there were many others that had similar feelings. Fast forward to the present, I have a strong team of colleagues. We are able to efficiently plan, differentiate lessons, and assess and analyze student data. We have created a strong foundation of trust and credibility with one another. My hope is for all teachers to have this same experience. I believe working with reliable colleagues is an important piece to the puzzle of teaching. After talking with a few colleagues about teacher mentorship, it only confirmed the importance of mentorship and the role it plays (Evidence #6 and #7).

Describe your diverse stakeholders and how you selected them, such as colleagues, parents, students, association members, community members, state or local partners, etc.

The stakeholders for my project were colleagues at my school, fellow teachers in Billings Public Schools, retired teachers, instructional coaches, and administration.

Why is it important for your diverse stakeholders that the Capstone Challenge be addressed?

Implementing a teacher mentorship program for Billings Public Schools can only improve teacher success. Teacher burnout is a real problem (Evidence #8). It is unfortunate districts lose teachers for reasons that could have been prevented. Building a strong foundation for teachers and providing resources like a reliable role model can significantly help. Providing mentors to help new teachers acclimate to the educational environment and be there when questions arise or unknowns occur only seems appropriate.

In what ways will addressing the Capstone Challenge promote or support the foundational competencies?

The Foundational Competency, Exploring and Challenging Inequity and Collaborate Purposefully, promotes teacher mentoring by working toward the goal of unifying teachers and providing opportunities for mentoring to be part of our district. I believe this would help educators feel more supported and confident. Continued guidance and accountability, just like jobs with apprenticeships, provide stability and confidence for new members.

Is it your intention to broaden the existing vision, values and/or culture of the association or to create a cultural shift?

My intention with the TLI process is to bring about change within our district regarding the existing vision. BPS is a wonderful district to be a part of and works hard for teachers and students. I realize in a district this size, it will be hard to make movement, but my hope is that a mentorship program can come to be. For now, what I can do to make that happen within my school is provide support for new and incoming teachers. I want to create a community among staff members that allows everyone to feel valued, collaborate with purpose, and not hesitate to seek out colleagues with questions, concerns, or ideas.

Why might this strategy be a viable solution for your Capstone Challenge?

This approach is one way to build confidence, create opportunities for teacher leaders, and take risks for the better of my colleagues, school, and students. I want to be part of facilitating a support system for effective communication and relationship building among staff members.

On which two Overarching Competencies will you focus in addressing your Capstone Challenge?

I will focus on personal effectiveness and interpersonal effectiveness for this challenge. Personal effectiveness is relevant because it motivates me to create a trusting community among teachers, helps me to define my own leadership style, and take the risks needed to achieve high-level goals. Interpersonal effectiveness is relevant because I will acknowledge my areas for growth and help others do the same, as well as facilitating a support system for effective communication.

Which Leadership Pathway competency will you focus on in your Capstone Challenge?  Why is it relevant?

My focus will be Coaching and Mentoring within the Instructional Leadership Pathway. My goal of implementing a district-wide mentor program will need to promote an environment of trust and respect and provide opportunities to give and receive feedback. I will do my best to work beyond the walls of our school to collect evidence about what is needed to support teachers and the development of teacher leaders.

With whom will you work in addressing your Capstone Challenge?  Who else might you recruit beyond your own cultural and/or professional identity group?

Initially I worked with my colleagues; those that I currently teach with and those that I have taught with or know personally. I have talked with my school principal about my idea to build relationships within our school. This is where I got the idea to create a school project to connect everyone. From here it will be a work in progress. My next step will be to discuss how to move forward to implement a school-wide mentoring program at Medicine Crow, and eventually further than just my school.

Which resources do you have to address in your Capstone Challenge?   What resources will you need?  How will you obtain them? 

My staff and principal will be the first to help. I will lean on my colleagues as this is a work in progress. Knowing I share the same thoughts and beliefs with so many teachers in our district about mentorship has helped motivate me to work hard and make change. I anticipate questions about time and money for teachers considering mentoring and what specific needs, requirements, and resources will be used. I plan to work with my principal and colleagues to come up with solutions within our building. I plan to use the OPI website as a platform to reiterate the importance of such program (Evidence #9).