TY - JOUR
T1 - Perceptions of a statewide mentor program for new itinerant vision professionals
AU - Pogrund, Rona L.
AU - Cowan, Chrissy
PY - 2013
Y1 - 2013
N2 - Introduction: Mentoring is valuable for the retention of new teachers. This article describes a model statewide mentor program for new itinerant vision professionals who work with students from birth to age 22. The results of a recent survey of satisfaction are reported, along with implications for the field. Methods: The protégés who participated in the statewide mentor program completed an electronic satisfaction survey. Of the 76 participants who had been assigned a mentor during the 2011-12 academic year, 56 responded (74%). Both quantitative and qualitative questions were included in the survey. The quantitative questions were analyzed using percentages, and the qualitative data was analyzed and put into themes using the data analysis process of triangulation. Results: Seventy-one percent of the participants reported having had more than 10 interactions with their mentors over the previous year. The topics most frequently addressed with their mentors were performing evaluations (89%), locating resources (84%), and writing goals and objectives (79%). The most helpful mentoring techniques that were used included guided problemsolving techniques (70%), effective listening (68%), and the provision of teaching materials (57%). The majority of the protégés (82%) thought that their mentors had definitely contributed to the quality of their teaching. The top stressors for new vision professionals were related to organization and time management, evaluations, and collaboration with others. Discussion: The results of the survey demonstrate that the mentor program had a positive outcome for the participants as new educators. It also provided information on the stressors faced by these new vision professionals. Implications for practitioners: This article can serve as a model for other states that are interested in developing a mentor program for new itinerant vision professionals, and can serve as a guide for personnel preparation programs to address further the areas that the protégés identified as those in which they felt the least competent.
AB - Introduction: Mentoring is valuable for the retention of new teachers. This article describes a model statewide mentor program for new itinerant vision professionals who work with students from birth to age 22. The results of a recent survey of satisfaction are reported, along with implications for the field. Methods: The protégés who participated in the statewide mentor program completed an electronic satisfaction survey. Of the 76 participants who had been assigned a mentor during the 2011-12 academic year, 56 responded (74%). Both quantitative and qualitative questions were included in the survey. The quantitative questions were analyzed using percentages, and the qualitative data was analyzed and put into themes using the data analysis process of triangulation. Results: Seventy-one percent of the participants reported having had more than 10 interactions with their mentors over the previous year. The topics most frequently addressed with their mentors were performing evaluations (89%), locating resources (84%), and writing goals and objectives (79%). The most helpful mentoring techniques that were used included guided problemsolving techniques (70%), effective listening (68%), and the provision of teaching materials (57%). The majority of the protégés (82%) thought that their mentors had definitely contributed to the quality of their teaching. The top stressors for new vision professionals were related to organization and time management, evaluations, and collaboration with others. Discussion: The results of the survey demonstrate that the mentor program had a positive outcome for the participants as new educators. It also provided information on the stressors faced by these new vision professionals. Implications for practitioners: This article can serve as a model for other states that are interested in developing a mentor program for new itinerant vision professionals, and can serve as a guide for personnel preparation programs to address further the areas that the protégés identified as those in which they felt the least competent.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84884166184&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1177/0145482x1310700504
DO - 10.1177/0145482x1310700504
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84884166184
VL - 107
SP - 351
EP - 362
JO - Journal of Visual Impairment and Blindness
JF - Journal of Visual Impairment and Blindness
SN - 0145-482X
IS - 5
ER -