Kohan Case Study Administrator - Helen
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School
American College of Education *
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Course
3300
Subject
Arts Humanities
Date
Dec 6, 2023
Type
docx
Pages
2
Uploaded by DoctorAnteater2614
Jessyca Kohan
Professor Sharon Romaglia
SPC 3300-060
May 3
rd
, 2020
Scenario
Helen Thorton, the principal at Marymount Elementary, hopes to better support the new teachers in her building.
She hired two new special educators and four new general education teachers. Although there is a formal
induction program in the district, she knows that, in the past, special educators have not always participated. She
wonders why and how the needs of the new special educators are similar to and different from those of new
general education teachers. Helen knows that both general and special education teachers will participate in the
district-wide induction program; yet, she also knows that special educators may have needs that will not be met in
the broader program. Helen wants to begin planning for what she and the other teachers in the school can do to
support these new teachers.
Possible Strategies
•
Understanding needs and concerns of new special educators
•
Providing support through school leaders
•
Creating induction programs for special education
•
Offering mentor programs for special educators
1.
Summarize what Helen’s role should be in supporting new teachers.
With Helen Thorton being the principal of the elementary school, her main job is to support all
teachers within her building, whether they are new or not. Returning teachers should know how
their principal supports them and Helen Thorton’s job with the new incoming teachers is to
showcase and explain how she does so. Principal Thorton should be supporting her new
teachers by creating a supportive environment overall, providing leadership support for
inclusive/resource/self-contained/etc. classrooms, provide the best resources for the teachers
that she is able to give, design and set effective professional development days/programs, and
provide a way of mentoring and/or assistance for the first time teachers. The principal’s role is to
set up and give a foundation to the new teachers to showcase that she is there to help them, as
well as give opportunities to give these new teachers the time to grow and learn as well.
2.
Provide specific considerations for supporting new special educators. Please consider
the strategies listed above and anything you feel would benefit Helen’s new teachers.
Districts special education departments have grown over the years as well as the amount of
students who qualify to be in it. Special education is constantly changing and varies from school
to school. Therefore, when supporting new special educators, I believe that special educators
should have their own induction program for special education as well as offer mentor programs
for them. Special education is different from general education, the expectations are not always
parallel, in which combining the induction of both general and special education teachers would
put special education teachers to a disadvantage. Having an induction program for just special
educators allows these teachers the opportunity to ask and discuss and concerns or questions
they may have, ask about specific policies, go over steps on student classification, class
selection, etc. With being a new teacher, all this is not crystal clear and these teachers are still
learning. Therefore, having mentor programs for specifically special education teachers is
something I find to be crucial. As mentioned before, special education is evolving every day. The
more the school is able to support and mentor their new special education teachers, the better
they will be able to successful in the classroom; not only for themselves but for their students as
well.
3.
Specify what Helen can do to facilitate strong mentoring programs for her special
educators.
Having a mentor is someone for new teachers to have as a guide, a listener, and at times an
observer. They are there to help new teachers grow and help them during difficult times and
situations. New special educators do need a knowledgeable and experienced special educator as
a mentor to grow. From previous experience through discussion, not all mentors for new special
educators work in the same building. I would specify that Helen could assure that a new special
educator’s mentor to be in the same building, therefore the new special educator would have
more access to the mentor. In addition, Helen can assure the new special educator that their
mentor was selected because that educator has years of experience, has a supportive and
welcoming demeanor, and has a strong sense of communication. Helen can also encourage
teachers that are not mentors to also be available to the new special educator at any time to
help build that positive rapport as well as give alternative perspective. Lastly, Helen can schedule
time for the new special educator and mentor can meet on a regular basis to have the time to
discuss anything while the year goes on as well as do check-ins to assure that all goals from the
induction expectations are being met and things that need to be changed.
Adapted from: iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu
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