An Administrator’s (Mentors) Guide to the Beginning Teacher’s Needs

Abstract

Administrators need to be reminded that the beginning teacher, while trying to achieve the necessary competency ratings, encounters both problems and dilemmas that need to be dealt with in a manner that does not impede growth. This period of growth is embedded in experiences that are the cause of a great deal of reflection, deconstruction, reconstruction and planning. Much of this transitional journey is emotionally, physically and spiritually demanding. Beginning teachers strive for success on a stage that is not their own yet this same stage is the focus of evaluative mentors who must interpret and record a great deal of each performance in order to judge the progress of the beginning teacher in a supportive manner.