First Steps for Coaches

Mentoring new teachers is very demanding especially at the beginning of the year, the main reason is that from the beginning New Educators are expected to carry out all the duties that a veteran teacher routinely performs. The following are some possible talking points for those first meetings with the New Educator during preplanning:

1. Build personal connections with your New Educator by asking questions like “Where did you attend college?”, “Where are you from?”, and “What’s your sign?” just kidding but you get the idea. You are the New Educator’s big brother or big sister.
   
2. Explain your role as an Instructional Coach – friend, observer, provider of feedback, information resource, advocate, and most importantly that you are there to help the New Educator be successful.
   
3. Discuss the characteristics of an ideal teacher and write them down. (This will reduce possible conflict later, if you both share the same vision of effective teaching).
   
4. Help the New Educator prepare his/her classroom or if she/he is roving prepare their cart.
   
5. Encourage the New Educator to put classroom procedures in writing.
6. Develop classroom rules
   
7. Encourage the New Educator to have at least two weeks of lesson plans based on your school’s instructional focus calendar.
   

Warning: Encourage New Educators to focus on classroom procedures, during the first week of school.  Many new teachers feel they are falling behind with academics but effective teachers know if you don’t develop effective procedures in the beginning, you will lose a considerable amount of academic time later.

Source: Dr. Doug Miller