National Intervener Certification EPortfolioNICE Mentor Webinar Series Webinar
National Intervener Certification E-Portfolio(NICE) Mentor Webinar Series Webinar #1 – The Role of a NICE Mentor The NICE Team Ritu V. Chopra Leanne Cook William Hepworth
Welcome and Introductions The NICE Team • Ritu, Leanne, Willie Share the following information by unmuting (#6) yourself or type in the chat box: • Your name • Your affiliation • Whether you have served or are currently serving as a NICE mentor (*6 to put your phone back on mute)
Recap of NICE Module 1 - Using an E-Portfolio to Demonstrate Competency Focus: The NICE (National Intervener Certification E-Portfolio) process and how to create the content for an e-portfolio. Learning Outcomes: • Describe the purpose of e-portfolios • Review the Council for Exceptional Children’s (CEC) knowledge and skill competencies for interveners • Discuss the meaning of the competencies as they relate to your practice • Describe how to create artifacts using different forms of documentation • Outline strategies for effective mentoring
Recap of NICE Module 2 – Learning to Use Venture: Outline Focus: Getting to know Venture, the platform where intervener candidates build their e-portfolios; mentors review and provide feedback on portfolios in progress; and, reviewers evaluate and score portfolios. Learning Outcomes: • • • Navigate the Venture site Create a profile Complete the "About Me" section of an e-portfolio Import documentation into artifacts Track the progress of e-portfolio development Exchange messages with a candidate, mentor, or tech support within the Venture system
Purpose of the NICE Mentor Webinar Series Focus: Developing the basic skills required to function effectively as a mentor to facilitate success for the intervener in the NICE process. The series consists of the following three webinars: • Webinar #1 – The Role of a NICE Mentor • Webinar #2 – Ensuring Intervener Success in NICE Part 1: Strong Narratives and Reflective Practice • Webinar #3 – Ensuring Intervener Success in NICE Part II: Portfolio Scoring
Webinar #1: The Role of a NICE Mentor Focus: Role of a mentor in general as well as expectations of a NICE mentor Learning outcomes: • Increase knowledge of the role of mentors • Increase knowledge of NICE mentor roles and expectations • Reflect upon mentoring skills • Learn about the cyclical process of mentoring
Share Your Thoughts! • Think about the mentors who had the greatest impact on you and reflect on: What does the term “Mentor" mean? • Briefly share your responses in the chat pod or by unmuting yourself (#6) (*6 to put your phone back on mute)
Mentor: Dictionary Meaning noun • an experienced and trusted adviser. • Similar: adviser, guide, confidant, counselor, consultant, therapist, spiritual leader verb • advise or train
Mentoring vs. Coaching Mentoring: • Is a long-term process Coaching: • Is for a short period of time • Is a relationship-centered process based on mutual trust and respect between the mentor and mentee • Is a more skill-centered process that follows a more structured and direct approach to teaching a skill • May include coaching • Doesn’t typically include mentoring
Mentoring Role In General • Mentoring is the process by which a more experienced person imparts advice, support, insight and knowledge to a less experienced person. • American Psychological Association (APA) lists characteristics of effective mentoring to include the ability and willingness to: • provide guidance and support to help the mentee achieve his or her goals; • value the mentee as a person and acknowledge their knowledge and experience; • develop mutual trust and respect; • listen both to what is being said and how it is being said – serve as sounding board; and, • focus on the mentee's growth and professional /career development.
Mentor Role Specific to NICE Mentor Role includes all that was stated on the previous slides PLUS the following: • Assist interveners in understanding the expectations of the NICE process using the CEC competencies as a guide within the e-portfolio • Support the intervener from beginning to completion of the NICE assessment process by developing a shared vision, action plan, and realistic timeline. • Improve Intervener's skills in self-reflection and self-assessment regarding their own practice. Adapted from Mentor Training Curricula of Minnesota Deaf. Blind Project and The PAR 2 A Center.
Mentor Role Specific to NICE (continued) • Help build interveners’ confidence and competence with the ultimate goal of positively impacting outcomes for students with deafblindness. • Provide interveners with timely, constructive feedback as an intervener develops artifacts for their portfolio. • Teach and role model the appropriate ethical behavior of academic professionals – we talk about this more on the next slide! • Support the interveners’ professional development over time beyond the successful /unsuccessful completion of the NICE process, using the NICE results as a guide.
NICE Mentor Ethical Behavior Teach and role model the appropriate ethical behavior of academic professionals: • Seek knowledge and skills that you may not possess but need for your role • Maintain regular communication and contact to ensure timely response to intervener questions and concerns • Provide ongoing professional and honest feedback • Be diligent in providing knowledge, wisdom, and developmental support • Maintain confidentiality • Empower not Enable the Intervener – examples below • Don’t write responses for them - guide them to write appropriate responses • Help the mentee problem solve, rather than solving their problems
The Beginning of the NICE Mentoring Process…. . • First Step: Examining your own skills • Complete the NICE Mentor Confidence Inventory - this is the inventory you were asked to complete online prior to the webinar! • Build relationships and trust – get to know the intervener • Explain your role and explain the expectations for the portfolio • Common understanding of the process and requirements • Ask them about their concerns with the process • Assure them that you are there to build capacity and provide support to ensure their success • Bring the licensed professionals/team that has daily or more regular contact with the mentor on board with the process
Activity: Mentor Self-examination • Share what you learned about yourself from the Mentor Confidence Inventory. • Tell us what you learned about yourself? • The areas that you are most confident about • The areas that you need to work on • What would help to support the areas that you are less confident about? • Share your thoughts by unmuting - #6 (*6 to put your phone back on mute)
& lop n ve Pla De a 2: ent ep m St ple Im Mentoring Steps ss e ss A : ize 1 p orit e St Pri & Ste Pr p 4 og : R re ei ss nf o r rce ito n o M 3: s p s e e t r S og pr
Step 1: Assess and Prioritize § Have the Intervener complete an Intervener Competence Inventory § Have a key member of the team complete a Mentor or Supervising Teacher Pre-Assessment of Intervener Competence § What do these inventories do? § Clarify understanding of the CEC intervener competencies § Acknowledge strengths and skills § Identify areas/skills that need further development § Identify opportunities and resources that will help build competencies
Step 2: Develop and Implement An Action Plan • Using the results of the completed inventories, develop a plan of action together with the mentee using a Mentor-Mentee Plan of Action • Discuss artifacts – what and how many. Strong portfolios have more than 20! • Develop a timeline for getting artifacts ready • Make a plan for addressing gaps in competencies identified through the inventories • Make appropriate resources and information available to address identified needs • Plan for your time, availability and personal commitment to effectively support the Intervener • Buy in and support from site-based team for skill and artifact development
Step 3: Monitor Progress § Maintain ongoing communication and practice active listening § Following timeline § Addressing non-performance/inadequate performance § Use a Mentor Checklist to check off the requirements from the start of the process through submission § Providing ongoing feedback – we address that next!
Step 4: Reinforce Progress • Ongoing feedback to the intervener is integral to mentor’s ethical role • Intervener wants and needs your feedback to move forward in the portfolio process and in their professional development • Feedback allows you to acknowledge/praise your intervener’s strengths/accomplishments and motivates the intervener to work on areas of challenge • Frequent, timely, and honest feedback will benefit your mentor • Use a Mentor Feedback Form for specific feedback on each artifact • Giving suggestions about how to improve the artifact rather than mentor taking lead in improving it • Encourage reflective practice all through the process
Out of “Line of Sight” NICE Mentoring • Get started on the right foot - Spend time discussing expectations, accountability, commitment, etc. in the beginning • Build the relationship - establish the human connection, build trust which helps build long-term commitment • Utilize technology - email, Skype, Zoom, Facetime, phone, google docs whatever works best for you both • Plan thoroughly and plan ahead – schedule meetings in advance, schedule more meetings than you think you will need, life happens • Don't just rely on distance mentoring - encourage mentee to find additional support with their on-site team. Mentor develop relationship with on-site team whenever feasible
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What is coming next: Overview of Webinar # 2 Webinar #2 –Ensuring Intervener Success in NICE – Part 1: Strong Narratives and Reflective Practice - November 20 th Focus: This interactive training webinar will aid participants in understanding the expectations within the NICE portfolio creation process. Presenters will review the scoring rubric and highlight the importance of reflective practice and strong narratives in the explanation sections of the artifacts. Learning Outcomes: • Increase knowledge of two components of NICE artifacts – documentation and explanations • Increase knowledge of importance of strong narratives in artifact explanations • Develop an understanding of the importance of enhancing interveners’ self-reflection and self-assessment skills regarding their own practice
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