The Univeristy of Wyoming has welcomed the launch of the Wyoming-Teacher Mentor Corps (WTMC).
The college of education leads this initiative.
The WTMC is designed to create a network of Wyoming educators who can assist emerging teachers with their careers.
“Teaching is a hard job. That difficulty is compounded in the first one to five years as new teachers master the skills of instruction, assessment, and classroom management all while navigating a new culture at the school and in the community,” Colby Gull, managing director of the UW Trustees Education Initiative (TEI), who leads the program, said.
The core idea of the WTMC is to help participants master assessment, communication, and feedback and help them maintain a healthy work-life balance.
It is an 18-month-long program held on the UW campus.
“The Wyoming Teacher-Mentor Corps focuses on two critical periods in the arc of a teacher’s career. Our students’ pre-service, practica, and classroom teaching experiences will benefit directly from the support of a network of well-prepared and supported mentors. The benefits of the WTMC extend to the in-service phase of our graduates’ first two years in the classroom, better-ensuring support that encourages their success and commitment to the profession,” Scott Thomas, the John P. “Jack” Ellbogen Dean of the College of Education and executive director of TEI said.
“There are few areas promising a similar return on investment that can almost immediately improve our support for teachers in Wyoming.”
The assessment component will help educators see formative assessments as a benefit, not a burden.
They will also learn how to use these skills regularly in their classrooms.
“There is more to mentoring than showing a new colleague where the office supplies are,” Gull said.
“The teacher mentors already contain invaluable wisdom and, after mastering the competencies of the Wyoming Teacher-Mentor Corps, they will be able to share that knowledge to support pre-service and early-career teachers.”
The program has selected 21 teachers from all grade levels across the state to act as mentors in the first year.
“I am looking forward to sharing my knowledge, skills, and competencies gained over the last 41 years on effective mentoring strategies,” Kathleen Engle, who is an induction and mentor specialist in Weston County School District one, said
“Quality mentor support and guidance are critical if we are to sustain the next generation of educators. I am excited to network with mentors and mentees across Wyoming to impact student learning and teacher growth and success through current educational research and effective instructional strategies.”
