Mary Lou Duffy & James W. Forgan 
Mentoring New Special Education Teachers [EPUB ebook] 
A Guide for Mentors and Program Developers

How do you avoid the high cost of turnover and retain high-quality special education teachers in such a demanding field?
Surveys show that 98% of school districts are reporting shortages of special education teachers, and that nearly a quarter of a million new special education teachers will be needed over the next few years. Special education teachers are leaving the field at twice the rate of general education teachers. Why?



Special education teachers can quickly become overwhelmed by the myriad of responsibilities in their jobs-managing IEPs, alternative assessments, paraprofessionals, assistive technologies, complex legislation and paperwork, and the physical and emotional toll of such individualized instruction.




Mentoring New Special Education Teachers will help administrators and other educators develop and sustain effective mentoring programs specifically designed for special education teachers, providing practical, field-tested activities and resources for both the mentors and the mentees, including such critical elements as:

• Effectively identifying, recruiting, and selecting mentors


• Action planning


• Evaluating progress


• Addressing diminishing support


• Dealing with burnout and isolation


• Vignettes of real-life mentoring experiences


• Figures, tables, appendices, Web sites


• A ready-to-use two-day workshop for training mentors

Real-life vignettes and ‘What If’ questions weave throughout the book, and trouble-shooting appendices direct you to additional Web sites and resources for further help. Mentoring New Special Education Teachers provides everything you need to effectively support and mentor your special education teachers, increase their job satisfaction, and keep your retention rates high!

Jadual kandungan

Introduction: Overview

Acknowledgments

About the Authors

1. New Special Education Teachers

Vignette

Who Are New Special Education Teachers?

Where They Come From

What New Special Education Teachers Need

Supports ESE Mentors Can Provide Mentees

Fears and Anxieties of New Teachers

School Administrator′s Role

Assignment of New Teachers

What If?

References

2. Supports for Special Education Teachers

Vignette

Uniqueness of Special Education

Special Education Processes

Professional Issues

What If?

References

3. Designing Mentoring Programs

Vignette

Critical Elements for Designing Effective Mentoring Programs

Roles and Responsibilities of the Mentor and Mentee

Roles and Responsibilities of the School Administrator

Mentor Selection

Mentor Training

E-Mentoring

Mentoring Activities Calendar

Action Planning

Funding Mentoring Programs

What If?

Online Resources for Designing Mentoring Programs

References

4. Becoming a Mentor

Vignette

Who Should Be a Mentor?

What Do Mentors Do?

What Do Mentors Do When the Mentoring Relationship Isn′t Working?

What Do Mentors Gain From the Experience?

What If?

References

5. Effective Communication Skills

Vignette

Effective Communication Skills

Observing and Coaching

Teaming: Working With Others Effectively

Problem Solving

What If?

References

6. Learning About Adult Learners

Vignette

Working With Adults

Adult Learning Theory

Styles of Learning/Personality Types

What If?

References

Resource A: Action Plans

Resource B: CEC Standards and Mentoring Resources

Resource C: Professional Resources

Resource D: Mentor Workshop

Resource E: Timeline for Mentoring Activities

Index

Mengenai Pengarang

James W. Forgan, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor of Special Education at Florida Atlantic University where he teaches undergraduate and graduate courses. He is the principal investigator for the Southeast Regional Comprehensive System of Personnel Development Professional Partnership and on a United States Department of Education grant to increase the number of master’s level minority special education teachers. Dr. Forgan was a teacher of students with learning disabilities and behavior disorders at the elementary and middle school levels for six years in the Miami-Dade County Public Schools. His professional interests are in the areas of mentoring, social skills instruction, and assessment.