TEA Collaborative Learning Group
FINAL Report

Hanisch

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Overall, in what ways did your collaboration with your team impact your professional growth? (e.g., how did this work impact your approach to and understanding of: content knowledge, pedagogy, process of science, teaching standards, use of technology, etc.)?
I have been working on professional growth in the area of mentoring, curriculum and staff development. Our district is completely standards based, so our work has helped all of us become more proficient at teaching the process of science, incorporating local resources and cultural knowledge; our district utilizes videoconferencing to help students work together;

In what ways do you think your colleagues were impacted by being a part of this collaborative team?
As many of these people are new teachers or at least inexperienced science teachers, I believe they have all benefited from the resources I've been able to provide them. They have also seemed to become more comfortable in teaching science as a process, rather than just as a body of knowledge in the text book.

How does this experience compare to / contrast with other professional interactions you have had with your colleagues?
Focusing on one subject has helped others grow within their science teaching capacities. Many other interactions lack the specific focus and thus seem to accomplish less.

Overall, what were the most significant outcomes of the mentoring experience?
I believe I have grown as much as those I've collaborated with. Through the mentoring experience, I have found that I have grown in my understanding of pedagogy. I have also become more committed to our profession and have began to seek more training, mentoring and staff development opportunities.

What do you believe are the key elements to a successful mentoring experience?
*my enthusiasm and willingness to share *my listening to their needs and providing them with solutions they can apply immediately *time to sit down and spend quality time with the mentee

What recommendations do you have for other TEAs who are working with colleagues to transfer their TEA experience?

What, if any, resources/products were created by your team? How can we best make these available to the broader TEA community?

What are your recommendations for improving or modifying the mentoring experience?
there needs to be flexibility based on constraints of districts/areas - I still cannot fit the mold as I never have the same teachers and am not able to drive to other sites to collaborate this many hours in face-to-face work

Additional Reflections:
Although I have not met the set number hours of mentoring specifically, I do believe that I have met the requirements through the sharing I have done in inservices, workshops, staff development and science curriculum committee work. I hope you will find the sharing I have done as valuable (and possible) as the design of the developed mentoring guidelines established.