Mentoring Science Teachers In The Secondary School

This practical guide helps mentors of new science teachers in both developing their own mentoring skills and providing the essential guidance their trainees need as they navigate the rollercoaster of the first years in the classroom. Offering tried-and-tested strategies based on the best research, it covers the knowledge, skills and understanding every mentor needs and offers practical tools such as lesson plans and feedback guides, observation sheets and examples of dialogue with trainees. Together with analytical tools for self-evaluation, this book is a vital source of support and inspiration for all those involved in developing the next generation of outstanding science teachers. Key topics explained include: • Roles and responsibilities of mentors • Developing a mentor—mentee relationship • Guiding beginning science teachers through the lesson planning, teaching and self-evaluation processes • Observations and pre- and post-lesson discussions and regular mentoring meetings • Supporting beginning teachers to enhance scientific knowledge and effective pedagogical practices • Building confidence among beginning teachers to cope with pupils’ contingent questions and assess scientific knowledge and skills • Supporting beginning teachers’ planning and teaching to enhance scientific literacy and inquiry among pupils • Developing autonomous science teachers with an attitude to promote the learning of science for all the learners Filled with tried-and-tested strategies based on the latest research, Mentoring Science Teachers in the Secondary School is a vital guide for mentors of science teachers, both trainee and newly qualified, with ready-to-use strategies that support and inspire both mentors and beginning teachers alike.

In response to requests by science teachers for guidance on the process of mentoring in schools, this text provides an interactive, activities-based resource. It takes into account the progressive development of skills and competencies, for all those involved in the training of science teachers; pre-service, in-service and quality control. Activities are directly related to classroom and laboratory planning, organisation and management and include general question and answer exercises.; The book covers nine areas of science teacher competence crossed with five levels of progression to give a flexible programme of training. Each activity has a commentary for mentors and notes for student teachers, and discusses the rationale behind each activity. Five activities are written specifically to help mentors review progress at each of the five levels.; Additionally, it can be used by: experienced teachers for refreshing their own practice; Heads of Science Departments for upgrading science teaching within the departments; and those concerned with quality control and certification to recommend activities, taken from the book, to aid further professional development.

In the last few years, the focus of the training of science teachers has shifted significantly towards the school based experience. Drawing on the successful Oxford University science internship scheme, this book presents insights of mentoring from several perspectives, providing a rich resource of case study material. After introductory chapters dealing with the rationale for the science internship course, the reader is presented with: logs of mentors' and students' experiences that offer 'windows' onto the mentoring process at different stages in the PGCE course; cameos of students who have been at the centre of a range of complex training situations; reflections of past PGCE students; and accounts of the experiences of heads of science departments when managing the placement of science PGCE students in their schools.

This practical workbook assists school-based mentors of mathematics teachers to develop their mentoring skills, offering mentors the essential guidance needed in order to effectively support trainee or newly qualified secondary mathematics teachers, as well as in their overall career development. Offering tried and tested strategies based on research and evidence, Mentoring Mathematics Teachers in the Secondary School covers the knowledge, skills and understanding every mentor needs and offers practical tools such as lesson plans and feedback sheets, observation sheets, case studies, sample dialogues and other learning activities and exercises. Together with analytical tools for self-evaluation, this book is a vital source of support and inspiration for all those involved in developing the next generation of outstanding mathematics teachers, whether in teacher training or as newly qualified or early-career teachers. Key topics explored include: Roles and responsibilities of mentors within mathematics education, and understanding yourself as a mentor The mentor–mentee relationship, and helping develop a beginning teacher’s identity Supporting specific aspects of beginning mathematics teachers’ knowledge, skills and understanding, including developing reflective practice, lesson planning and mathematical misconceptions Strategies for observation and analysis of lessons, marking, assessment and the use of data Mentoring for long-term career and teacher development Filled with the key tools needed for the mentor’s individual development, Mentoring Mathematics Teachers in the Secondary School offers an accessible and practical guide to mentoring trainee teachers and early-career teachers with ready-to-use strategies that support, inspire and elevate both mentors and teachers alike. This book also includes an online eResource offering downloadable resources and web-based training material.

Be the best mentor you can be with these state-of-the-art strategies! How can you relate all of your teaching experience to a new teacher? Working from decades of experience, the authors of this guide offer sensible strategies to help mentors help new teachers. The authors synthesize theory and practice to show mentors how to: Increase new-teacher support, success, and retention Guide teachers in their relationships and classroom strategies Improve their own mentoring approach Avoid common mentoring pitfalls

Mentoring Geography Teachers in the Secondary School supports both new and experienced mentors in developing their knowledge and skills in mentoring in geography education. Within the book, chapter authors critically consider how mentoring has been conceptualised and represented in policy and academic debate, as well as examining how mentoring in geography education has been experienced and perceived in practice. Chapters in the book explore a range of perspectives, experiences and aspects of mentoring geography teachers, including: • Critical engagement with educational policy and practice • Perspectives from beginning geography teachers • Mentoring as a professional development opportunity • The value of engaging with the geography education community in teacher education • How mentoring meetings and conversations can support beginning geography teachers in their growth and development This book is a vital source of support and inspiration for all those involved in developing the next generation of geography teachers. The themes of justice, agency and voice - raised and engaged with implicitly and explicitly throughout this edited collection - are of critical importance to mentors, beginning teachers and geography education more broadly in developing and enacting a progressive vision of mentoring.

The mission of the Knowles Science Teaching Foundation (KSTF), to increase the quantity of high quality high school science and mathematics teachers in United States High Schools, calls for a deeper understanding of what it takes to prepare and support successful teachers. On September 21, 2006, KSTF convened a group of 41 individuals with a broad range of perspectives and expertise to address three essential questions with regard to secondary science teacher preparation: What do we know, what do we need to find out, and what research will help us fill in the gaps? Participants were intentionally selected from a diverse cross section of the education community and included teachers, educational researchers, teacher educators, policy specialists and scientists. The 41 participants formed 12 working groups and spent two and a half days addressing the following aspects of teacher preparation: · recruitment and retention; · models of secondary science teacher preparation; · pedagogic preparation including field-based experiences, methods courses, and preparing teachers for diverse populations; · content preparation in biology, chemistry, Earth science, and physics as well as the nature of science in general; · induction; · mentoring. Each working group was tasked with synthesizing their discussions and conclusions for the entire group of conference participants and in a written document. This volume represents the final outcome of that conference; 12 chapters that reflect the work of 40 dedicated scholars and practitioners who share a deep commitment to the pursuit of excellence in the preparation of secondary science teachers.