The Online Publication of SIPA

SchoPress

The Online Publication of SIPA

SchoPress

The Online Publication of SIPA

SchoPress

Mentor/Mentee Program

Why does mentoring matter?

By: Linda Barrington, Program Co-Chair

The reality of the high school classroom for any beginning teacher may be one of the most challenging transitions faced by teachers in their entire professional careers.

The JEA Mentoring Program helps beginning journalism teachers make a successful transition into journalism teaching by relying on the expertise of veterans to provide a clinical, real-world training process.

New journalism teachers who are mentored receive higher ratings from their principals, develop better planning skills, handle discipline problems more effectively, conduct more productive classroom discussion, and remain in classrooms longer than teachers who are simply left to “sink or swim.”          Veteran teachers who serve as mentors report increased professional revitalization, less isolation, greater recognition, and a belief that they impact the profession more than teachers who are not involved in mentoring new professionals.

The goals of the program are to

  1. help new teachers/advisers develop good habits of pedagogy in journalism classes and after-school journalism programs  (improving teacher practice);
  2. retain quality journalism teachers/advisers,
  3. to help build stronger scholastic journalism program.

 

The JEA Mentoring Program is designed to

  • provide on-going training and support for new journalism teachers and/or advisers;
    • promote effective teaching and instruction including First Amendment rights and responsibilities;
    • support new journalism teachers so they will become highly qualified teachers in this field;
  • create journalism programs that encourage diversity in classroom and student media;
    • utilize the expertise of retired journalism educators with extensive knowledge of journalism and advising and enthusiasm for mentoring;
    • encourage development of new journalism teachers professionally and personally, especially through the resources of continued training at workshops, conferences, conventions and classes;
    • address needs of new journalism teachers by enhancing their knowledge and skills, thus improving the quality of student learning;
    • provide an ongoing support system that is part of the professional learning community at and beyond the new journalism teacher’s school

 

Check out our news page for photos of this year’s mentors and mentees!

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