With all three cohorts of MRTP graduates now actively teaching in schools, more energy is focused on the two-year mentoring component of the program. Each MRTP participant has been matched by subject and grade level with an expert mentor teacher who can model effective instruction, collaborate on planning, and offer motivation and moral support.
At present, thirty MRTP teachers are receiving mentoring. Mentee-mentor partners may live hours apart but many have choices for connecting via phone, email, Zoom, Google Classroom and other media. They have options to complete book studies, record their teaching in virtual peer observations, meet up for an in-person site visit or workshop, or attend one of the regional Rendezvous events held in spring and fall.
The success of the MRTP mentoring model inspired the launch of MentorMT, a parallel program currently serving 115 rural teachers across Montana - many of whom entered the teaching profession from nontraditional pathways and backgrounds. Funded by Margaret A Cargill Philanthropies, the MentorMT program dovetails with MRTP and has greatly expanded the network of knowledgeable peers who are ready to share just-in-time resources and collective wisdom.
The MentorMT program is strategically positioned to absorb and continue the work of MRTP mentoring in future years. MentorMT is open to all new and underprepared rural teachers whether they are graduates of traditional programs, working on a provisional license or with emergency authorization, teaching outside their endorsed grade level and/or subject area, or in Montana on an international visa. New teacher enrollment in MentorMT for Fall 2024 will open in April.
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