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The Mentor
Coleen Armstrong taught secondary school for 31 years in Hamilton, Ohio. She hosted a TV talk-show that covered education issues from 1990-1999 and in 2002, co-authored . She has won state and national recognition as a teacher, including being named one of five finalists for the National Teachers Hall of Fame in 1996. Armstrong鈥檚 recent book, , is a 2007 first-place divisional winner for the Benjamin Franklin Award. A self-described 鈥渓ove letter鈥� to new teachers, Armstrong鈥檚 book offers those just starting out a quick course in appreciating the most mundane tasks and coping with the greatest challenges.

I am a third-year teacher, and this will be my first time looping with my students. (I will be teaching 2nd grade.) How do I make the new school year different and challenging on a shoestring budget?

You and your students have a priceless perk鈥撯�搚ou already know and understand each other! You won鈥檛 lose the first few weeks to figuring out temperaments and personalities. Tell the kids that because you鈥檙e so blessed to be together again, they鈥檒l be learning faster than most second graders. Then use the extra time for what used to be called enrichment: telling 鈥渟tories鈥� from history, relating scientific discoveries鈥� sometimes convoluted paths, and exploring what psychologists think they know about children. Too advanced for seven-year-olds? Not if you鈥檙e creative and concise, yet engaging. Soon you鈥檒l keep trying to top yourself in terms of piquing their natural curiosity鈥撯�搕hereby fostering lifelong learning. Wow! The sky is the limit鈥撯�揳nd it doesn鈥檛 cost a cent.

I am a special ed teacher about to work a split schedule for the first time. How do I make sure I get what I need without seeming too demanding to my new principals?

The main thing you鈥檒l need is a relatively painless way to organize and transport all of your 鈥渟tuff.鈥� This may involve having a wheeled cart waiting in the main office, a student assistant ready to help you unload your car and then navigate the crowded hallways, or perhaps both. Mentally walk through the process of getting from point A to point B, and you鈥檒l figure out fast what will work best. Some travelers request a desk drawer in each room, but I found that just complicated things; whatever I needed was always in the other location. I did, however, grow exceedingly fond of plastic milk crates! And they fit nicely both in my trunk and on top of a cart.

I can鈥檛 think of anything else you鈥檇 ask for (except perhaps understanding if you鈥檙e held up by a train), so your list of needs will be short鈥�-and you鈥檒l only have to ask once. Most principals are well aware of the drain that traveling entails, so as long as you don鈥檛 try to turn the whole school upside down, they鈥檒l be kind.

What are the most effective classroom rules for a junior high classroom?

The primary thing that comes to mind is treating everyone with politeness, something we can no longer take for granted within today鈥檚 鈥渁rgument鈥� culture, to borrow a term from Dr. Deborah Tannen. Of course you鈥檒l encourage the use of 鈥減lease鈥� and 鈥渢hank you鈥� by modeling it yourself. And then you鈥檒l require that all interruptions, snide remarks and mindless put-downs must be suffixed by 鈥淪orry.鈥� That part could take a while, but the use of that single word can move mountains and transform an entire class.

Years ago, I illustrated a lesson in communication by running a film clip from 鈥淒ances With Wolves,鈥� where the Indians were all sitting in a teepee discussing what to do about the white man they鈥檇 spotted in their neighborhood. Each person who spoke began by first complimenting the person who spoke before him! It struck the class as so bizarre that I suggested we try it. We did and鈥攕uch a miracle鈥攊t caught on! For the rest of the year, every time someone forgot his manners, someone else would say something kind about him before speaking.

Behaviors can change just that fast. Adolescents, even with all of their undisciplined exuberance, still crave a civilized atmosphere. And once you鈥檝e got good manners nailed, everything else, including ethics, morality, integrity, and self-discipline, seems to fall into place.

I鈥檓 looping with 19 of my 1st graders and five new students (although, not new to the school) to 2nd grade. What鈥檚 the best way to start, since it鈥檚 less of a 鈥済et to know you鈥� and more of a 鈥渨elcome back鈥�?

Since they鈥檙e so young and cute, it will be hard not to greet your returnees with delighted hugs. So go ahead! Give the five newbies welcoming grins and perhaps gentle shoulder squeezes. Then when everyone is seated, explain how lucky they are to be included in such a great class. You might start by letting each child bring everyone else up to speed on what鈥檚 happened over the summer. The new kids can introduce themselves and then do the same.

I believe such groups are truly made in heaven; you get to begin at square ten instead of square one. The newbies will adjust to the friendly atmosphere and accelerated pace within two days, and after two weeks hardly anyone, including you, will even remember who鈥檚 鈥渙ld鈥� and who鈥檚 鈥渘ew.鈥�

I am going to have a student teacher in my classroom for the first time this fall. What are some good ideas for building a great relationship between my colleague and my students?

Your own generosity of spirit is already apparent by the way you asked the question. Your acceptance and obvious good wishes for this young person will serve as an excellent model to your classes.

The student-teaching structure hasn鈥檛 changed much over the years; it still begins with a bit of observation, then evolves into taking over one class, then two, and so on. The mentor hangs around until he/she feels the S.T. is on solid ground, then leaves the room for longer and longer periods.

But there may be a better way. Encourage the S.T. to do some conferencing/checking of work with individual kids early on. They鈥檒l bond faster. Try an occasional team-teaching approach that first week too, where you give the overview and then the S.T. takes on the specifics. I find that far less jarring for everyone than the next-week-they鈥檙e-all-yours approach. Gradualism makes the dual allegiance, which your students can and should feel, much more comfortable.

I sponsor a book club, but have trouble convincing children to read (they鈥檇 rather check for a movie version). What do you suggest?

I鈥檓 both a voracious reader and a huge film freak鈥撯�揵ut I agree that reading provides something extra that a movie cannot. Even 鈥淕one With the Wind,鈥� one of the best movies ever produced, left out two of Scarlett O鈥橦ara鈥檚 children!

There鈥檚 a clich茅 among movie reviewers: 鈥淭he book is better.鈥� I recommend having that line printed on a huge poster, tacking it to your bulletin board, and pointing to it every time the subject comes up. Turn it into a mantra: 鈥淎ll together now...鈥�

Also, you know how news anchors use 鈥渢easers鈥�? 鈥淭he substance under your kitchen sink that could kill you! Join us at 11:00!鈥� Try a similar technique with tantalizing one-liners: 鈥淵ou won鈥檛 believe what happens between Jeff and the penguin in chapter six.鈥� Or you might ask students to tell you where the differences lie. Will you need to read a few of these books yourself? Yes. Will the results be worth it? Yes.

I teach 6th grade history, literature, and language arts. How do I plan my lessons to be more student-centered, rather than teacher-directed, while also keeping time for daily conferences for students on their reading and writing?

What a great combination; the entire world is your lesson plan! Imagine reading a book like Johnny Tremain (literature), giving your class a (historical) perspective (who were the Sons of Liberty, anyway, and why are young people always so eager to implement political change?), along with a 1775 vocabulary list (language arts). Then (here鈥檚 where student-centered comes in) request a volunteer team to research the latest additions to Webster鈥檚. Why do some words disappear and others endure? How do new ones (like 鈥渃omputer geek鈥�) evolve? With a single unit, you鈥檝e just covered a vast spectrum. You鈥檝e led your students into another time and place, but you鈥檝e also shown them how to see the connections between then and now.

I鈥檓 hoping that your mind is already avalanched with intertwined lesson possibilities that involve all three of your subject areas, where you create a zinger of an opening, and then offer a short but compelling independent study project. That 鈥減roject鈥� may involve a mere stroll across the room to check the Internet.

Halfway through every journey, you must hand over the baton. The key words here are 鈥渧olunteer鈥� and 鈥渢eam.鈥� Three kids working together will be more energetic than one working alone. Also, at least two volunteer efforts each quarter should be required of everyone, but they get to choose which ones.

Additional group assignments, like question-answer worksheets (everyone turns in a separate paper, but they鈥檙e allowed to pool their answers鈥攁nd for extra fun, insist that everyone agrees before writing anything down) will give you time for conferencing. Maybe not daily, though.