New Teacher Mentoring Support

Not all schools and districts have experienced mentors in the areas of DANCE, MEDIA ARTS, MUSIC, THEATRE or VISUAL ARTS to help when a teacher who is new to profession comes on board. MAAE works collaboratively with our member organizations when there is a need for a mentor in a given setting.

MAAE has also provided support for Mentoring initiatives for our member and affiliate organizations such as the MMEA New Teacher/Mentor Program.

When schools closed in March, 2020 due to the pandemic, hundreds of Missouri's student teachers had an abrupt end to their preservice training. MAAE wants to help connect teachers new to the profession with an experienced mentor to help ensure that any experiential gaps can be filled. This helps us fulfill our mission to promote arts education experiences for ALL Missouri students of the highest quality

Please contact director@moaae.org or complete this short survey and we'll help you connect those new teachers in need with a mentor in their specific arts discipline.

STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS AND DETAILS OF THE MENTORING PROGRAM

  • When a teacher is identified as in need of additional support, MAAE will refer that new teacher to the leadership team of the appropriate arts discipline.

  • Missouri’s arts education organizations in dance, music, theatre and visual arts will provide mentoring services to teachers new to the profession. Teachers new to the profession are defined as those who have entered into their initial teaching contract within 24 months of the time of the mentor request.

  • The mentor/mentee relationship is NOT intended to replace any existing mentoring programs, but to work with the arts education organizations and existing mentoring programs to coordinate and unify the mentoring process for fine arts educators in Missouri.

  • The inspiration for this initiative included new teacher feedback, and an examination of the Iowa Arts Mentoring Program sponsored by the Iowa Alliance for Arts Education

  • The mentor services will be provided at no cost to the school district

  • The encounters between mentor and mentee may take different forms within each organization

    • Music - formal intermittent mentor professional development training, informal ongoing dialogue between mentor/mentee, access to professional learning networks and resources

    • Theatre - informal ongoing dialogue with mentor/mentee and professional networking

    • Visual Arts - informal ongoing dialogue with mentor/mentee, access to professional learning networks

    • Dance - informal ongoing dialogue with mentor/mentee, access to professional learning networks and resources and training,

  • The encounters will be mutually arranged between mentor and mentee and may be by phone, email, in-person or video conference.

  • If an arts ed organization sponsors professional development conferences, we strongly encourage the school or district to provide support for release time so they may attend the conference.

  • The arts education organizations have no plans to reimburse travel expenses for any mentoring encounters.

  • The frequency of the encounters will be determined by each mentor/mentee partner, but the target frequency is at least one opportunity for interaction per month throughout the academic year.

  • The mentee will not be required to join the corresponding statewide arts education organization to utilize this service. However, the mentee will be encouraged to join the arts ed organization, and enjoy the additional benefits of membership, as well as receive administrative support for their involvement in content-specific professional development.