The Pacific Union launched a new program three years ago that will identify and train experienced and successful teachers to serve as mentors to beginning teachers. Evidence supported by research and anecdotal interviews of teachers published in education journals emphasizes the important role of mentors.

The attrition rate of teachers in the public school system has been reported to be as high as 50 percent during the first seven years of teaching, with most of them leaving the profession during the first two years. There is no hard data showing whether or not this drop-out rate holds true for teachers in the Adventist school system, but the benefits of having a mentoring program in the Pacific Union were considered important enough to warrant the adoption of such a program.

The Central California Conference, under the leadership of Associate Superintendents Ken Bullington and Ileana Santa-Cruz Espinosa, saw the value of a mentoring program several years ago and has successfully implemented a mentor teacher program.

Assigning experienced, successful teachers to provide guidance and support to beginning teachers (mentees) is considered to be valuable professional development for both new and veteran teachers. By engaging newer teachers in reflective activities and professional conversations, mentors help improve teacher effectiveness and daily instruction in the classroom. Evidence supports the assertion that a successful mentoring program will help teachers realize success earlier and continue in their chosen profession.

The mentor training program adopted by the Pacific Union is based on the best research available on the topic, and is designed to meet specific goals identified by the planning committee. These goals are summarized in the acrostic below:

M - Model the teaching competencies identified as essential for success in teaching.

E - Encourage the personal and emotional well-being of beginning teachers.

N - Nurture the professional growth and retention of promising beginning teachers.

T - Transmit the philosophy and culture of Adventist education to beginning teachers.

O - Observe the teaching performance of beginning teachers and communicate progress.

R - Reinforce the development of self-improvement goals and problem-solving skills.

S - Support and challenge beginning teachers with on-going assistance.

The mentor training program, funded by the union office of education, has included presentations by education professors from La Sierra University and Pacific Union College, conference superintendents and associate superintendents, as well as Dorothea Amey and Thambi Thomas from the union office of education.

Since the program’s inception in 2001, a total of 86 teachers representing all seven conferences in the Pacific Union have been trained to serve as mentors. Each conference, having selected mentor teachers according to specific guidelines, will pair each mentor with a beginning teacher and provide ongoing support, encouragement, and opportunities for mentor-mentee contact during the school year.

For their involvement, mentors are eligible to receive professional activity or graduate credit. There are, however, no financial incentives for serving as a mentor. We applaud these mentor teachers who have been willing to go the proverbial second mile to encourage, support and help ensure the success of another colleague in the profession.