UA News

The Teacher Ment2Lead program at the UA was created for teachers who want to become experts in mentoring and teacher leadership.

Given statewide and national concerns about teacher retention, the University of Arizona's College of Education is introducing a teacher leadership trainining program to aid those newest to the field.

The master's level Teacher Ment2Lead program will launch with its first cohort in August, training students to be effective leaders and mentors within their schools.

Run out of the teaching, learning and sociocultural studies department, the two-year evening program is geared toward teachers who already have an undergraduate degree in either education or a related field. Applications are being accepted and the program will launch in August with an expected enrollment of 15 to 25 students. 

Bruce Johnson, who heads the department, said the ways in which new teachers are supported is not uniform across districts and schools. Certain districts assign new teachers a mentor; some have master teachers who work with a number of educators.

"It takes a long time to become a master teacher, and when new teachers enter the field – we call it the induction period – they are really continuing their education," Johnson said.

Johnson also said new teachers need a good deal of support and guidance as well as mentorship from experienced educators, but it is difficult for schools to provide support to help master teachers become effective mentors.

"You can be a great teacher and not necessarily be a great mentor," he said. "They require different skills, so we want to find good teachers who want to learn the art of mentoring."

A number of programs exist to funnel students into education programs, whether by way of financial support or incentives, continuing to support them in their profession after graduation, Johnson said. In fact, the U.S. Department of Education considers teacher education and retention important national issues. 

Also, Johnson's department has spent years working to expand its collaborations with schools and school districts, serving to aid in improved teacher instruction and retention.

A broad range of studies have shown challenges for educators in their first years of teaching: becoming fully acclimated to the classroom environment, learning to be more effective as an educator while meeting the individual needs of students, supporting a full class, connecting with families, dealing with student discipline issues and finding a support network are among them. 

The UA program is meant to address some of those issues, and others – though it is not a certification program.

For instance, educational leadership, a certification program in the UA College of Education, prepares teachers to become principals, superintendents and education administrators. 

Teacher Ment2Lead, however, is geared toward those who want to stay in the classroom or their schools to work directly with their peers and pre-service teachers, said Molly Romano, an adjunct instuctor in the teaching, learning and sociocultural studies department.

Additionally, graduates of the program could head up district-wide professional development and serve as instructional coaches, an area that has been cut by a number of school districts, Romano said.

"A lot of teachers come back and want to do more schooling but don't want to necessarily go into administration," Romano said.

May 1 is the application deadline for the program, which leads to a master's degree in teaching and teacher education with an emphasis on mentoring and teacher leadership. 

Courses, which will be offered at local schools instead of the main campus, will cover issues related to schooling, professional development and the particular learning needs of teachers. Instruction also will cover curriculum theory and development, important practices as a mentor, supervision and educational leadership. Students also are required to complete internships as part of their coursework. 

"We're trying to get teachers from across the spectrum," Romano said. "In a way, what we are doing is innovative. If we are successful here, we can offer other new programs to teachers out there."