e-Mentor Manual

Certificate of Teaching Mastery

Part 6: Things to Consider

6.1 Internet Access

Remember that the candidates may not have regular and/or high-speed access to the internet. Therefore, expecting rapid responses may be unrealistic. It will be beneficial for you to be aware of each candidate's Internet access reality when setting up timelines.

6.2 Timelines and Commitment Expectations

Please keep in mind that not all CTM candidates will be able to devote a substantial amount of time to the program. Many are working full-time, raising children, or stil attending school. Please keep this in mind when discussing timelines and assessing the frequency of candidate's posts.

6.3 Language Use

The candidate's first language is not always English. English may not even be her/his second or third language. Also, the candidate may not be teaching in English. This means that the candidate's written work (use of vocabulary and grammar) may not meet your “normal” expectations. TWB encourages you to accept the candidate’s work providing you, as the mentor, consider that the candidate has understood the concepts presented in the course and is able to demonstrate how she/he will incorporate them into her/his teaching. If you are unsure of what the candidate is trying to convey paraphrase it in your response and/or ask for clarification in order to achieve understanding.

The candidate's use of language may cause you some concern (e..g. “I look forward to your gentle/personal touch”). Do not automatically assume that harassment is inferred by this type of response. The candidate may be directly translating from her/his language, may have used an online translation tool, or comes from a culture where this type of utterance is accepted. If you do think that vocabulary use is inappropriate please forward the offending message to the CTM Coordinator for review and action if deemed necessary.

6.4 Assessment and Evaluation Challenges

As already mentioned, your candidates will be relying on you to provide meaningful feedback and to engage them in conversations about their work and CTM content. We hope that if you follow the guidelines in the Assessment and Evaluation section above, your feedback will be supportive, encouraring, and collegial in nature. Please keep in mind that, due to cultural differences or different educational experiences, your candidates may have different expectations in regards to feedback. If they criticize your responses either because they do not provide a specific grade and are considered too vague, please explain that your role is to support them as they engage with the material and be a discussion leader and not an evaluator who assigns a grade to each response.

Also, if your feedback is criticized by the candidate, please work towards gaining a better understanding of why the feedback has met with disapproval. Ask for clarification and use this “challenge” to provide the candidate with an opportunity to elaborate on her/his ideas and support her/his point of view. It is possible that in the course of this conversation, the candidate will gain an appreciation for your point of view and may even agree with you. Please treat these situations as opportunities to deepen your own and the candidate’s grasp of the topic and its applicability to classroom practice. We are confident that the candidate will appreciate this opportunity. At the very least, continued discussion might lead both sides to “agree to disagree.”

6.5 Summative Evaluation Sheet

Please keep in mind that some candidates might respond negatively to your feedback in the Summative Evaluation Sheet (PDF). For example, they might say that your comments are unfair or do not reflect the candidate’s sense of engagement or the quality of their work. If this happens, please address their concerns in writing, emphasizing specific evidence used to arrive at the evaluation. This response and the initial challenge of the assessment should also be shared with the CTM Coordinator.

TWB understands that many other communication issues may arise in the context of regular interactions with the candidates assigned to you. We will expand this section when potential issues arise. We also request your help in expanding this section. Please share your experiences by contacting the CTM Coordinator at ctm@teacherswithoutborders.org. We are confident that your input and experiences will help make this section as complete and helpful as possible.

6.6 Asking for Help

We understand that working as a mentor online is not an easy task, and that it is important for you to have someone with whom you can share your challenges, discuss potential solutions, or brainstorm innovative ideas that you want to implement. The CTM Coordinator is the person you can rely on to provide assistance with technical issues, help resolve potential conflicts with candidates, suggest new approaches, or be the sounding board for your ideas. Please do not hesitate to contact the CTM Coordinator (ctm@teacherswithoutborders.org) for any of the above reasons.

The CTM Coordinator will also email you on a regular basis to inquire about your work and experiences with the program. Occasionally, you might be asked to respond to a short survey to help us improve the program and its delivery.

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Part 7 of the Mentor Manual