Name

EPPSP Group 38
Butler University

The Experiential Program for Preparing School Principals

STANDARD _:
Number and Proficiency here: 10. Participate in a student/teacher mentor teacher program.
Design exemplary experiences for neophyte teachers that offer a direct relationship to
improvement of curriculum and instruction.

Summary:

As of this school year, the MSD of Lawrence Township has created the expectation that every
teacher in the district is certified to implement and facilitate Project Lead the Way, an
investigation-based curricular tool centered around the topics of engineering and the
Engineering Design Process. The preparation for leading this program is fairly extensive—16
hours of in-service training, followed by the completion of various assignments. The staff of
Skiles Test Elementary School completed this training throughout the fall semester of 2019.

Once the training was complete, the expectation from the district was that each teacher was
required to implement one specific grade-level Project Lead the Way (PLTW) module in their
classroom at some point during the remainder of the school year. I took my students through
their required module to study animal adaptations in November. They were incredibly engaged
and I could see strong benefits from their study. Because of this, I decided that it would be
beneficial to complete the two other first grade PLTW modules when they tied in with our
curriculum throughout the school year.

At some point my principal caught wind of the success my students were having with PLTW and
began asking me for some more details on what was leading to their success. I shared with him
the key points of the hands-on learning, the cross curricular connections, and the high level of
task engagement. He then shared with me that there were some teachers who were feeling
overwhelmed trying to implement this new, large project into their classrooms, and was
wondering if I would be willing to mentor them in order to help them be successful. I gratefully
agreed to help and was quickly paired with two third grade teachers.

I began by asking them in which area of the implementation they needed help, and they shared
with me that they really needed help from the very beginning of the implementation process. To
help, I briefly studied the third grade module so I would be familiar with it. I then sat down with
them and showed them, step-by-step, how to access all necessary digital information and use it
purposefully with the students. I also showed them where in the school to find the materials and
how to organize them so they were easily accessible to students. Finally, I took them through
the extra, non-required step of using our knowledge of Marzano to create learning targets and
success criteria for the lessons, and how to implement cross-curricular connections so that the
students’ learning is deeper and covers a wider range of topics.

After our first few initial meetings, we began instructional rounds for the mentee teachers to
better understand the implementation of PLTW. First, my mentees came to observe some
PLTW work in my classroom. They were able to see the connections between science and
reading, as well as the high student engagement. After this observation, we sat down together
to discuss how the things they saw in first grade could be adapted to meet the expectations and
needs of third grade.

A few days later, the third grade teachers were beginning to implement their PLTW module. I
went into their classrooms to observe the lessons and provide feedback. They were doing a lot
of things very well, and told me that they were feeling a lot more comfortable with the material.
Their students were also very engaged in the lesson, and it provided great cross-curricular
connections—in this case between reading and science.

Mentoring these teachers served as an opportunity to enhance teacher comfort with a new,
large-scale program, as well as to increase student engagement and excitement about learning.
Because the teachers were more comfortable with the implementation of the program, the
students were able to gain greater benefits from the lessons. Mentoring these teachers also
helped me gain a deeper understanding of the key points of the program and share the
knowledge that I have gained in a meaningful and purposeful way.

Reflection:
In reflecting on the impact, mentoring this teacher had multiple symbiotic benefits. My principal
is a great proponent of creating relationships with teachers from other grade levels and across
varying programs. Because of this experience, I was able to create a relationship with a teacher
whom I might not otherwise get to work closely with. She is a wonderful veteran teacher with a
wealth of knowledge and experience. Through the implementation of this new program, she
continued to use the phrase, “it’s not that deep” when she became confused or didn’t
understand something instead of becoming frustrated. I really admired this ability to take a step
back and remind herself that it was alright to not have all of the answers in a moment and that
she would continue learning and figuring things out as she went along. She shared with me
different techniques that she used in the classroom when the requirements became
overwhelming or there were suddenly more expectations. Even though I was in the position of
“mentor”, I was fortunate enough to learn a great deal from her about being a quality educator in
general.

As the mentee, she continued to thank me for helping her understand this new resource. She
was able to gain insight into navigating online tools, as well as the physical pieces and materials
that come along with this resource. I also helped her understand more about writing learning
targets and success criteria, Marzano strategies, to support the work. Since she was already an
experienced teacher, she knows how to make cross-curricular connections, but I helped her see
their possibility when working between this heavily project-based science curriculum and
reading or writing. At the beginning of our time together, she was feeling overwhelmed about the
amount of reading and writing standards she still had to cover before the beginning of
standardized testing while still trying to meaningfully implement this new curriculum. Together
we took time to look at her yearlong curriculum framework and the resources provided by
Project Lead the Way, and were able to brainstorm multiple ways that she could connect the
content areas. At the end of this work, she was very appreciative that I took time to work with
her and explain things to her in a calm manner. On multiple occasions she told me, “I just really
love how you are so kind. You’re such a breath of fresh air.” This was one of the most
meaningful compliments I think I have ever received.

In Lead from the Start, we learned a good deal about creating relationships in education. More
specifically, we learned about creating meaningful relationships with community partners. The
authors of that book note that the best relationships benefit both parties involved. The example
they gave involved a school and a local hospital. The hospital may be a financial partner for the
school and the relationship may involve collaborative meetings, student volunteers, and the
sharing of resources. In this case, both parties benefit from the relationship and are able to gain
valuable support from each other.

I believe that the same is true for people. Everyone has something to bring to the table, whether
it is insight into something new, or a tried and true strategy for success. When we take the time
to work with others and learn from each other, everyone benefits immeasurably. As a future
administrator, I believe that collaboration is the key to a successful school. When staff members
have formed relationships with each other they are more apt to ask for support in their areas of
weakness and provide it in their areas of expertise. When this is the case, everyone involved
has a greater chance of success, because they have a strong network of support behind them
as support.

Artifacts:

Email regarding this practice: