The question for this issue of the Leaders Letter focused around professional learning communities people are involved in as well as the benefits that each person has received.  In Professional Learning Communities for Science Teaching the definition of a PLC included several key components around which they are defined – 1). a focus on learning; 2); collaborative culture focused on learning; 3). collective inquiry; 4). action orientation and experimentation; 5). continuous improvement; and 6). results orientation.  The authors are quick and clear to also point out that a group of people simply working together on a task may not meet the definition of a PLC.
I actually find myself in groups somewhere between “not PLCs” (or as I often call them some departmental/university committees) and “PLCs” (one such was the NSELA Summer Leadership Institute in June of this year where we used this exact book).  In thinking about all of the particular reasons as to why I think I end up in quasi PLCs, I come up with ONE major reason and that  is related to commitment of time on my part as well as the part of others.  An example of this definite interest but lack of time comes from the last academic year.  Our university sets up teaching teams of faculty members where we are grouped in fours or fives based on some common characteristic that we have identified – the one last year I was on was related to faculty who had an interest in science (yes that vague).  The colleagues I was assigned to as a teaching team member were engaging and we started the year with a meeting that set dates for the entire semester but as you can imagine as the semester went on and meeting dates approached the initial enthusiasm waned – people including me couldn’t make it for a variety of reasons – they had papers that had to be graded; another meeting came up; needed to work on an upcoming presentation etc.  All aspects of our daily jobs and necessary to be completed, however, all reasons why our own PLC fell short of being successful and thus the reason I say I find myself in quasi-PLCs. 
I guess my question for my fellow educators out there is not only what benefits you obtain by being involved in PLCs but also, how do you sustain the momentum of a PLC when other responsibilities seem to be looming.  I guess my other question would be how do you coordinate a PLC that might have people in various geographic locations – since my science education colleagues across the country are often the ones that have similar interests and provide me with great learning opportunities. Just some questions for thought as I get ready to head into the office this morning for a day filled with “non PLCs.” 🙂

I’ve recently been asked to mentor a new teacher in the science department. I’ve never had this role before. I want to help her, but I don’t want to be too intrusive or judgmental. What should I do?
—Erica, Abilene, Texas
The first year of teaching is difficult, and a recent study indicates that 8% of beginning teachers who were assigned a mentor were not teaching in the following year, compared with 16% of those who were not assigned a mentor. NSTA recognizes the importance of this mentorship/induction process in its position statement Induction Programs for the Support and Development of Beginning Teachers of Science. This document has a good description of the roles and responsibilities of mentors and mentees.
I’ve had experience both as a mentor (and mentee) and in creating induction plans. I’ve seen how an effective mentor is a “critical friend”—a role model, a good listener, a provider of feedback, a source of suggestions and resources, and a shoulder to cry on. You’re right to want to be helpful, but not overbearing. She’ll do some things very well, and you can celebrate with her. She’ll make some mistakes, and you can help her learn from them.
Mentors share their expertise in a non-supervisory relationship. A mentor is not judgmental or a “sage on the stage” demanding the new teacher do things in a prescribed way. A good mentor should be a “guide on the side” offering advice and suggestions. A good mentor will encourage the mentee to try new strategies and help the mentee reflect on the results. The mentor may even learn something new as part of the process.
How can you help your new science colleague?

• Meet at scheduled times–before school, after school, or during a common planning period, perhaps weekly at first. Later, these meetings could be on an as-needed basis.
• Assist with understanding the curriculum, selecting instructional strategies, and designing assessments.
• Share your resources and experiences with facilitating lab activities
• Emphasize safety issues.
• Help the new teacher organize equipment and supplies safely and efficiently.
• Help the new teacher resolve issues related to classroom management and student behavior.
• Advise her on school policies and procedures (deadlines, paperwork, emergency plans, extra duties, and so on).
• Share the school culture and alert the new teacher to some of the unwritten “rules” (so the newcomer doesn’t take someone’s favorite parking space, for example).
• Introduce the mentee to key people and help her form professional relationships.
• Be the go-to person to answer her questions—or help her find the answer.

Find out from your principal or personnel director if there are required meetings, with forms to document the meeting times and events. If your school has a formal induction program, you should receive a handbook or other documentation describing the components and requirements. If your school does not have a formal program, I’d suggest that you and your mentee keep a log or journal of your activities and conversations.
If you and your mentee have the same planning period, it makes it easier to meet. But if you have different planning periods, it makes it easier to observe each other’s classes. Or you could cover a class for her as she observes another teacher for ideas or suggestions.
Encourage your mentee to join NSTA (or enroll her as a gift!). Teachers in their first five years of teaching get a discount rate, with access to all of the NSTA resources (journals, listserves, newsletters, discussion forums, and the NSTA Learning Center).
When I mentored new teachers (both officially and unofficially), I often shared stories of my big “aha” learning moments as a mentee. For example, when I was relieved to find out some of the students causing problems in my class were causing problems in other classes, too—I learned not to take their misbehavior personally. I taught several different subjects the first year, so I learned the value of color-coding to organize materials, especially for lab activities. I learned having the day’s agenda on the board helped students to focus on the learning activities. I learned not to take myself too seriously and to have fun with the students (in a purposeful way, of course). I was grateful to have an individual who took the time to mentor me, and I was glad to return the favor.
 
Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jjlook/7152722/sizes/s/in/photostream/

My principal questioned why I had U.S. and world wall maps on my request list. “You teach science, not geography” was his comment. But the maps were ordered, and during lessons we pulled them down and found the location of the Namib Desert, the Okefenokee Swamp, and coral atolls in the Pacific. We pinpointed where current events were happening (volcanic eruptions, storms, space shuttle launches and landings). We contrasted the continental shelf off the two coasts of North America and compared the sizes of watersheds. Those maps were among the best resources in the classroom. For younger students, A Sense of Place describes an activity to introduce students to the idea of a map as a model of an area. The Concept of a Model uses the experiences of upper elementary students to help them understand the meaning behind models (including computer models), along with suggestions for helping students with the critical thinking to generate their own models.
When parents hear about “models,” what may come to their minds is the traditional solar-system-on-a-hanger, pretzel stick log cabins, or shoebox dioramas. The authors of Math and Science Night describe an open house event that gets parents and students involved in inquiry activities using models and other hands-on activities to explore STEM concepts. The authors provide a planning guide, checklists, and examples of activities.
Visual literacy in science is one of my interests. What Do You See? has a lesson vignette that shows how a teacher guided students through an understanding of the purpose of visuals in science text. Using the topic of cells, the authors include a chart showing several questioning strategies and a description of how students created and interpreted their own visuals. [SciLinks: Cells (K–4), Animal / Plant Cells (5-8), Cell Structures (5–8),  How Do Plant and Animal Cells Differ? (5-8)]  And visit previous NSTA blogs for more on Visual Literacy and Models, Maps, and Spatial Understanding

A Wave of Interest capitalizes on current events and student curiosity. The teacher/author describes how he and his students created a working model in the classroom to study tsunamis. This activity was a wonderful opportunity for the teacher and students to learn together. Earthquakes! has a review of trade books related to earthquakes. [SciLinks: Tsunamis (K–4), Earthquakes (K–4)]
Models, such as described in Blood in a Bag, can help students visualize concepts. There are directions for this 5E activity to help students understand the composition of blood. [SciLinks: Blood (5–8),  Blood Type (5–8)] Make Your Own Snow Day shows how models can bring experiences into the classroom, even when the real event is not accessible. The 5E lesson incorporates maps and visuals, too. [SciLinks: Snowflakes]
Why Don’t Spiders Stick to Their Own Webs? This sounds like a question that students would ask, as they watch spiders during an investigation such as the one described in A Web of Learning. [SciLinks: Arachnida (5–8)]
Where Are the Stars? This formative assessment probe that looks at students conceptions (or misconceptions) about the solar system. [SciLinks: Stars 5–8, Solar System 5–8] And check out more Connections  for this issue (September 2011). Even if the article does not quite fit with your lesson agenda, there are ideas for handouts, background information sheets, data sheets, rubrics, and other resources.