Spring 2002 teacher mentor training April 29 & 30 Mentor Training and  November 6 Follow up Training

Mentors were selected from seven separate local schools to participate in the Urban IMPACT Project's spring 2002 training session. Participants from Battle Academy Elementary, Brown Academy Elementary, Clifton Hills Elementary, Franklin Middle School, Howard Elementary, Howard School of Technology, and Mary Ann Garber Elementary, were engaged in a two-day workshop: "Raising the Bar for teacher performance and student achievement in high needs schools: Mentoring, peer coaching, and instructional leadership.
Dr. Cheryl Kershaw Dr. Mary Ann Blank

The workshops were led by Dr. Mary Ann Blank, and Dr. Cheryl Kershaw from The University of Tennessee, Dr. Bonnie Warren of The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, and Tennessee Academy for School Leaders .

Through the workshop, participants were trained to mentor new teachers and coach them through the difficult first years of their demanding positions. Lessons were delivered on handling national, state, and district standards; for evaluating and preparing new teachers for urban community and cultural issues, needs, and expectations; for aiding new teachers in overcoming the environmental difficulties of urban schools; for helping new teachers in recognizing and understanding differences in communication, relationships, and expectations in urban school culture; for coaching protégé teachers in the practical facets of urban education, from classroom management and collecting classroom supplies to reading the effectiveness of lessons by identifying student reaction behaviors; and for assisting new teachers with personal issues of self-evaluation.

The trained mentors will combine their previous experience and the methods discussed and role-played to serve as leaders, role-models, coaches, liasons, and supporters for their protégé teachers.