“Quality teaching through mentoring” Advocacy Project

1. “Quality teaching through mentoring”Advocacy Project Aura Sburlan, Ed.D. Professor Child Development, LACC Global Leader for Young Children World Forum Foundation North America Region Miami, Florida November 2012

2. What is the issue to be addressed? • Pre-service mentoring at the college level produces high-quality early childhood educators. There is a current threat at the state level that may affect negatively the mentoring services by reduction and elimination of public funding. • What is the expected goal or outcome ? • A) Short term: • Raise public awareness about the significance of high quality teachers in ECE • Educate the public about mentoring CD students in the pre-service stage • Connect with all the stakeholders involved in mentoring • Obtain funds at least at the present level

3. ISSUES CONTINNUE • B) Long term: • Increase numbers of CD students placed in classrooms with mentors • Ensure continuity of training through mentoring

4. Global Leader Advocacy ProjectMentor’s Story • Mentor’s name_________________Date_____________ • Mentor’s Program_________________ • Phone number/ email_______________ • Dear California Early Childhood Mentor Teacher:Please write a story of one of your best experiences with a mentee in your classroom. Describe in details, use lots of examples the challenges you or your mentee encountered and how you overcame them. Identify you by name and your protegee by using a fictitious name. Include a reflection and analysis of your experience. Comment on your learning and changes you identified due to the mentorship relationship you presented. • At the end of your paper include the following statement: • I_(your name)_______agree my story ( entire or part of it) be included in a published material in relation to the Global Leader project.I understand my participation is volunteer and without compensation. Signature_____ • Please send your story to:Aura_Sburlan@yahoo.com

5. Global Leader Advocacy ProjectMentee’s Interview/Recorded Testimonial • Mentee’s name:_______________Date__________ • Mentee’s Program • Phone/email • I_________(mentee’s name) agree to be interviewed and recorded by videotaping for an educational media documenting my experience as mentee with California Early Childhood Mentor Program. I understand that my participation is volunteer and with no compensation. The material can be distributed and or translated. • Signature______________ • Please send your consent to Aura_Sburlan@yahoo.com

6. Activities accomplished • Presented information about Honolulu Conference to my local school teachers; (May 2011) • Connected to the local and state level mentor program coordinators; ( May 2011) • Presented the project at the Mentor Institute, Berkeley University, June 4th. 2011:”Act locally and think globally”.

7. Activities continue • LACC Mentor seminars: Global leaders project discussed on: October and November 2011; March, September and October 2012; • Mentor Institute 2012 at McKenna College, Claremont, California meet with mentors and invite to participate by writing stories and refer mentees for testimonials. • Outcome: Collected: 6 stories

8. Lessons Learned • Lesson 1.“I believe I can fly” from Judith Evans • As a consequence of that lesson, I become more confident and purposeful in my actions. I learned that it is possible to make a substantial change and I do have to continue pursuing my goal. • Lesson: “Go for your passion” from Joan Lombardi. My passion is advocating for high quality teachers who can make a difference in children’s life. • Lesson 2: Transformation and change is influenced by opportunity. I learned this lesson from Youssef Hajiar. He told us his story of working for an organization which was positioned closed to the center of decision making. That lesson made me reflect on the fact that the degree of change I can make is positively influenced by my status in the process.

9. Lessons continue • Lesson 3. Global leader is a new identity that confers the opportunity to pursue change globally for children and teachers. • This lesson I learned from one of our global leaders from Lebanon.

10. What actions I will take to accomplish the project based on the learned lessons • Connect to the cohort leaders on teacher education led by Selena Fox and ask for feed back and suggestions; • Find new opportunities to meet with mentors in California such as caucus meetings and travel to invite their participation; • Seek new leadership opportunity such as a Child Development Chair in an university to be able to be at the center of promoting change and research and connect with organizations which support global education.

11. lessons • Acknowledge that without the support and opportunity of the World Forum Foundation, Roger and Bonnie, Christa, Mentor Program, coordinators and regional mentors NONE of these lessons would have learned. • Thank you for the opportunity to be part of this fabulous experience. • Sincerely, Aura

12. You can not learn in school what the world is going to do next year”. (Henry Ford). • “Leadership is needed for problems that do not have easy answers” • (Fulan, 2001, Leading in a culture of change p.2. San francisco, CA, Josse-BASS)