Darlington School: Private Boarding School in Georgia Introducing the Mentor Professional Learning Community
Darlington School: Private Boarding School in Rome, GA
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Introducing the Mentor Professional Learning Community

Melinda Holmes | October 31, 2013 | 233 views

Recognizing that Darlington is a complex and multifaceted place, our administration sought to provide our newest faculty members with professional support from their very first days at Darlington. Starting in August, new faculty members began meeting weekly with me as part of a brand new professional learning community -- the goal being to help our newest faculty members make connections and develop relationships with faculty members who have recently completed their first year at Darlington. 

 

We started the year with several meet and greets at breakfast, where we learned more about each other through icebreaker activities.

During the beginning of the year and the start of our meetings, there was a lot of a get-to-know-you time, which was really great because sometimes inter-departmental relationships are hard to develop with sheer lack of time. I think it was a nice, personal investment in the new crop of Darlington faculty,” said Michael Hall, assistant librarian in the McCallie-Kennedy Library.

 

I then asked each new faculty member to select a second-year faculty member from our group whom they felt comfortable with to act as their mentor. Each mentor was asked to meet with their mentee on a regular basis to help with a variety of concerns, including classroom discipline, communication with parents, class work planning, evaluating student work, relations with colleagues, understanding Darlington and its complexities and how to successfully maintain a healthy work/life balance.   

“The mentor program has allowed me to get to know new faculty and assist them in things that I had a difficult time with my first year," said Kyle Colavita, head of Moser House.

 

In addition, our new teachers developed a student survey together that each shared individually with the students in their classrooms.  Students responded with great feedback that the teachers discussed together to reflect and to better understand the needs of their students. 

 

As we progress through the year, my hope is that our Professional Learning Community will continue to promote a partnership for faculty to share experiences and to help with personal and professional growth. Not only should the newest faculty members benefit from this program, but the second-year faculty will also have the opportunity to gain personal insight, practice their own interpersonal skills and make a difference at Darlington.  

 

Throughout my Army career, I experienced 11 significant job transitions over 21 years (which involved relocating and/or assuming a new role). The mentorship program at Darlington combined with the new employee orientation program and my attendance at the SAIS Institute for New Teachers has made the transition to teaching among the smoothest that I've had in my entire career. My mentor takes his role seriously and has really helped me be more effective,” said Al Shorey, Upper School math teacher.

As we continue to build our Mentor Professional Learning Community here at Darlington, we hope to see this program help us retain quality faculty, support faculty morale and collegiality, facilitate a seamless transition to Darlington, prevent faculty isolation, and build on self-reflection.