Describe your Capstone Challenge and how you identified it.
My capstone challenge is to create a mentorship portfolio and program for every elementary general music teacher hired to my school district despite their years of teaching experience. While witnessing elementary general music teachers come and go during my six years of employment with my current school district and simultaneously becoming increasingly discouraged with the current struggles concerning teacher recruitment and retention in Montana, I've felt a calling to do more to ensure elementary general music teachers who are new to my district receive what they feel they need in order to grow professionally, feel successful, and become effective practitioners.
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 capstone challenge are my district's current team of elementary general music teachers along with the fine arts education coordinator, who oversees the district's art and music departments. In order to ensure support for a mentorship portfolio and program and the commitment of future mentors, these individuals will be vital in helping me shape the details for my capstone challenge. I also plan to seek out information from current non-music elementary specialist teachers (e.g., health enhancement teachers, art teachers, and librarians) to garner their level of support and opinions about what should be included in the mentorship portfolio and program.
Why is it important for your diverse stakeholders that the Capstone Challenge be addressed?
Nearly 100% of the diverse stakeholders who I surveyed felt that a mentorship portfolio and program would be helpful to elementary general music teachers who are new to the Billings school district. Below are some of the specific responses I received concerning the importance of creating a mentorship portfolio and program:
We have to do a better job with teacher retention and I believe that will come from teachers finding success in their early years...but we must recognize that the collegiate programs can't and don't fully prepare teachers.
I would have like to have been paired up with another Elementary HPE teacher at least for my first year teaching to see how things are introduced and taught at different grade levels.
My success during my first year is because I asked my art teacher friends so many questions and appointed my friend as my mentor.
I think teaching is a great team working and building job. Having someone to talk to and mentor you about what you are teaching is absolutely necessary.
I think this sounds like a fantastic idea!
I have never understood why we throw people in and let them sink or swim. I am glad you are doing this.
In what ways will addressing the Capstone Challenge promote or support the foundational competencies?
A mentorship portfolio and program for elementary general music teachers hired to the Billings school district will promote or support exploring and challenging inequity within diversity, equity, and culture competence in a couple ways. It explores the inequity of teaching experience and seeks to challenge that inequity in an appropriate and effective manner. It also ensures that every newly hired teacher despite their ethnicity, gender, previous teaching experience, etc. is provided with the same mentorship portfolio and offered the opportunity to benefit from the mentorship program in a way that they feel best fits their needs.
Is it your intention to broaden the existing vision, values and/or culture of the association or to create a cultural shift? Explain.
My intention is to broaden the existing values of the association by offering the necessary support elementary general music teachers should receive as they navigate a large school district, experience the isolation of being the only one in their position at their school building, and try to balance teaching multiple grade levels and hundreds of students at multiple school buildings each week. The "a member is a member is a member" mentality of an effective association is being upheld in a very intentional way through my capstone challenge.
Why might this strategy be a viable solution for your Capstone Challenge?
The strategy of valuing the diverse membership of an association and ensuring that everyone has a voice is a viable solution for purposefully connecting with and supporting elementary general music teachers who are hired to the Billings school district. Not only will teachers feel supported and connected to others in their same teaching area, but they will also have specific input on how they receive that guidance and encouragement.
On which two Overarching Competencies will you focus in addressing your Capstone Challenge? Why are they relevant?
Personal Effectiveness - Through the development of a mentorship portfolio and program, I will be engaging in an opportunity for teacher leadership while seeking input from my colleagues. I will use their diverse strengths and seek out their opinions to use while shaping the details of the mentorship portfolio and program.
Adult Learning - By purposefully creating flexibility within the mentorship program that allows the mentee to cater the program to best fit their needs, I will be acknowledging that adult learners grow professionally in different ways while valuing and respecting their diverse expertise.
If your foundational competency is not Explore and Challenge Inequity, please explain? Why is it important?
Not applicable since my foundational competency is Explore and Challenge Inequity.
Which Leadership Pathway competency will you focus on in your Capstone Challenge? Why is it relevant?
Instructional Leadership, Coaching and Mentoring - Through the creation of a mentorship portfolio and program, I will be designing a method for teachers to grow professionally for the development and benefit of the students. By eventually serving as a mentor myself, I will use trust and respect to fostering the development of colleagues by guiding them to make their own professional decisions through questioning and reflection while valuing their current skills and abilities.
With whom will you work in addressing your Capstone Challenge? Who else might you recruit beyond your own cultural and/or professional identity group?
Current elementary general music teachers in the district (see Artifacts #1-2)
Current non-music elementary specialist teachers in the district (see Artifacts #3-4)
Fine arts education coordinator (see Artifacts #5-6)
Which resources (such as, people, money, programs, time and space, etc.) do you have to address in your Capstone Challenge? What resources will you need? How will you obtain them?
Besides seeking out opinions from the district's current elementary general music teachers, non-music elementary specialist teachers, and the fine arts education coordinator while designing the mentorship portfolio and program, I will also need to figure out compensation (amount and source) for the mentor and who (elementary school or fine arts department) will cover the cost of guest teachers for the two-way teaching observations being the mentee and mentor. I will gather viewpoints from my diverse stakeholders through Google Form surveys and individual conversations. I will visit specifically with the fine arts education coordinator about funding sources.
Artifact #1: Google Form Survey for current elementary general music teachers in the district
Artifact #2: Summary of Responses from current elementary general music teachers in the district
Artifact #3: Google Form Survey for non-music elementary specialist teachers in the district
Artifact #4: Summary of Responses from non-music elementary specialist teachers in the district
Artifact #5: Google Form Survey for district fine arts education coordinator
Artifact #6: Summary of Responses from district fine arts education coordinator