Fall Issue 2015-16
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KMEA Mentoring
Springing Ahead
It may be Fall, but the KMEA Mentoring Program is "springing
ahead" to some exciting and new territory!
To begin, plans are being made to develop a support person with each school district in our state. This is a major undertaking and we are pleased to announce that past KMEA president and newly retired, Ron Chronister, will be heading this massive project! Secondly, we have been working closely with all of the District Presidents to secure a Mentor Chair in each district that will remain in the position for a while. This will be a person who is passionate about new teachers in our state. We have noticed that around 85% of the new teachers who attended the New Teacher Luncheon in the past 10 years have not had a mentor through KMEA. We hope that the New Teacher Luncheon this February will bring a turn-a-round with more mentor/mentee relationships. We will also communicate often with the district mentor chairs to discuss progress. It is incredibly important for first year teachers to have someone to turn to when needing an answer. That cannot always happen in a school or in a whole school district where there is just one music teacher. And, by having that support person (your music mentor) there, you will be able to create a colleague of your same subject, who can help shape your first years of teaching in a positive way! Another aspect of the local mentor program within each of the six districts is that each of the KMEA Presidents will attend the mini-conventions and identify new teachers and welcome them. And beginning this year at KMEA, ribbons will be given to all new teachers and district mentor chairs. We hope that all of the KMEA membership will welcome these new teachers! The ribbons will make it much easier to identify and communicate at KMEA, just as ribbons have made it easy to identify the KMEA Board and Hall of Fame members in the past. As for the Veteran teachers out here, please know that each District Mentor Chair would love to chat with you about being a mentor. We know that Kansas is filled with many excellent music teachers, who have much information, compassion and support for new music teachers. Please make yourself known to your district Mentor Chairperson, District President, or Kelly and Holly. This can be easily done by going to either your district website and contacting your District Chairperson or President, or by emailing Kelly and Holly at the address shown at the top of this page. We are pleased to announce that in this technological age, we put together a welcome video featuring... us! We hope that many new teachers will take a moment to watch this video that has some great information. And, of course we hope all new teachers visit the Mentoring section of the KMEA website (www.ksmea.org/mentoring) . This page will help get you started in your teaching and holds great information as well as a form to fill-out to introduce yourself. That is the FIRST STEP to getting a music mentor. We shared at the July Board Meeting that it takes everyone working together for this program to thrive and make a difference. We are counting on everyone on the board and YOU to help make this program a success! Ultimately, as this year progresses, we hope to develop a good system to keep track of university seniors. This plan is still being developed and looked at for clarification. We feel that it is important to establish a relationship from the last year of education to let new music teachers, or rather, those about to go into the field, know that they are supported and that a whole state of music teachers are there to give them that support! Won't you come on board to help as a mentor? We hope you will "spring forward" with us! District Mentor Chairs (please look on their respective district websites for contact information):
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