The rung of a ladder was never meant to rest upon, but only to hold a
man's foot long enough to enable him to put the other somewhat higher.
-Thomas Henry Huxley, Life and Letters of Thomas Huxley
walk into their schools. The quality of
Side by Side: A Welcome to the first edition of the Side by Side: that mentoring
Mentoring Newsletter A Mentoring Newsletter - a newsletter for novice
is written by Victoria teachers, mentors, Local Professional depends on the skills adults use to
Duff, Mentor Training Development Committees, curriculum work and collaborate with other
Coordinator for the coordinators, and all those who are involved in adults. Quality mentoring helps to
Department of mentoring practices in the State of New Jersey. recruit and retain new teachers and
Education. She can be The mentoring newsletter will have bimonthly fosters the continued learning and
reached via e-mail at: editions available on this website. growth of veterans and novice
victoria.duff@doe.sta teachers.
te.nj.us or by calling Side by Side will alert to you to the latest
1-609-292-0189. If information regarding implementation of the
you have a Novice mentoring regulations, mentoring resources,
Teacher Tip or a training sessions and workshops, and provide
ALERT!!!
Mentor Teacher Tip advice on a variety of mentoring issues. You
MENTORING REGULATIONS IN
that you would like to will also be invited to share your expertise and
NEW JERSEY
share, please e-mail reflections as we work through the process
SUBCHAPTER 8: 6A:9-8.4
Vicki Duff. together. In this edition we will review the key
elements in the revised mentoring regulations.
On December 17, 2003 the State Board
of Education adopted the new
Professional Licensure and Standards
The Mentoring Connection regulations. Included in the new
Licensing subchapters of New Jersey’s
Teaching is part science, part art. Teaching is Administrative Code are revised
part knowledge, part instinct. Effective teaching regulations for mentoring, professional
is the result of a process of learning from teacher and administrator standards, and
experience, research, and our colleagues in professional development requirements
schools. For the successful teacher, it is a daily for educators. The focus of the new
journey of preparation, learning, and instructing. licensing regulations is on standards-
It means teachers are always on a mission to find based reforms across the continuum of
the support and guidance to enhance their practice to support teaching and
classroom practice and to meet his/her learning and enhance the achievement
challenges of enabling each student to meet their of all students. The new licensing
greatest potential. Teachers’ professional lives regulations call for a rigorous one-year
are enriched and eased by those colleagues who mentoring program for novice teachers.
share their promising practices; who take the Highlights of the mentoring regulations
time to enter the discussions on what works; and follow:
who encourage others to develop their
professional best. All teachers must be mentored
in a myriad of situations from the first day they
NOVICE AND MENTOR
MENTORING REGULATIONS IN TEACHER DISCUSSION TIP
NEW JERSEY CONTINUED OF THE MONTH
• Mentoring plans and programs must align This is the time of year when we
with the Professional Standards for Teachers need to begin thinking about and
(http://www.state.nj.us/njded/profdev/standa planning for state assessments.
rds); The following questions could
• By September of 2004 mentoring plans are serve as a discussion tool for
to be developed by the local Professional mentoring pairs or for small
Development Committee and reviewed and groups:
approved by the local board of education How have I used curriculum-
and the county superintendent; based assessments this year to
• Payment of mentoring fees is the help guide and refine
responsibility of the novice teacher, unless instruction?
state funds are available. The employing In a review of the Core
district, at its discretion, may pay the cost of Curriculum Curriculum
mentoring fees;
Content Standards (CCCS)
• When state mentoring funds are available,
for my grade level, what
they must supplement, not supplant, district
activities and instruction
programs. Funds may be used for stipends,
release time for observation, substitute
must still take place to
teachers, and training activities; support student learning prior
• All novice teachers holding instructional to the state assessments?
certificates, including special education Which assessment strategies
teachers, must be assigned a mentor when do my students find the most
they begin their employment; challenging and how will I
• Mentors must undergo an application address that need?
process and meet established criteria How have I provided for
identified in the mentor plan; students who need additional
• Mentors must take part in a comprehensive reinforcement in skill areas?
mentor training program based on the
professional teacher standards; Dr. Brian Robinson, director of the
• Mentors should have at least three years’ Office of Evaluation and Assessment
experience or be a retired teacher or at the DOE, suggests that teachers
administrator, and preferably teach within preparing students for state
the same certification area; assessments need to remember that
• Retired educators must receive additional student improvement comes from the
training in current educational practices; ongoing formative evaluations within
• The local board of education will submit an the classroom, not just the summative
annual report to the Department of evaluations of the state testing system.
Education on the effectiveness of the mentor He also noted that teachers should
program. periodically review the CCCS and test
specifications in order to design
Look for information on the implementation of classroom assessments in such a way
the mentoring regulations on the department‘s that students are familiar with the
Web sites (NJ PEP and Office of Academic and standardized testing process.
Professional Standards) for upcoming sessions in
spring 2004.