TRRE Graduate Mentor- Mentee Pair – Jonathan Springer & Kim Dorman

 

Kimberley Dorman and Johnathan Springer at Colebrook Elementary School and Academy (SAU 7)

In a Teacher Residency for Rural Education (TRRE) first, a Cohort 1 graduate has become an induction mentor to a Cohort 3 graduate at Colebrook Elementary School and Academy. Kimberly Dorman (M.Ed., 2018) showed signs early in the program that she was a developing teacher leader. She graduated from TRRE with certifications in secondary life science (Grades 7-12) and middle school science (Grades 5-8). When Johnathan Springer (M.Ed., 2020) was hired to teach physics and math, it was a natural fit to pair the two together. As an induction mentor, Dorman will provide professional guidance for Springer during his first year of teaching as part of TRRE’s two-year induction support for graduates.

Johnathan Springer works at Colebrook Academy (SAU 7) teaching two 7th grade math classes, two 8th grade math classes, and a running start physics class. His relevant experience before joining TRRE included work in the Army National Guard as an Aviation Operations Specialist and physics camp counselor at Henderson State University. In 2019, he returned home from Arkansas to family in NH. Springer was attracted to TRRE as a program of "dedicated people focused on giving people what is needed to succeed and placing them in places in need of their service."

So far, all things considered, Springer’s first year of teaching is going well. Springer finds key take-aways from the TRRE program include making lessons and work accessible and reducing barriers for all students, as well as having plenty of opportunities for practice and building confidence. He says the most relevant aspects of TRRE coursework were social-emotional learning, getting to know who your students are and what they need, as well as the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and Understanding by Design (UbD) frameworks. Springer feels he has connected with students by listening to their opinions and trying to make lessons interesting and engaging. He finds the Colebrook community to be a tight knit community that supports each other.

Springer talks with Dorman generally two to three days a week, even if it's just to chat or check in. He typically goes to her to get a second opinion on some of the assignments he designed and to get advice on general administrative procedures that need to be completed as a teacher.

A local mom and a small business manager, Dorman held a bachelor’s degree in biology, and she worked for nine years as a speech and language assistant in a rural school district prior to enrolling in the TRRE program in 2017. TRRE provided Dorman the means to become a teacher advocate for rural students and communities. Dorman has grown in her confidence as a teacher tremendously since her first year. She was hired by Colebrook in 2018 and has taught biology, ecology, chemistry, anatomy, physics, physical science and forensics. In addition to teaching multiple subjects since being hired, she co-advised the sophomore class and currently advises the freshman class. She also joined the curriculum development team and went to Baltimore, Maryland, for training to deepen her understanding of UbD so she could begin implementing changes at school upon her return with her colleagues. This year, as teachers everywhere experienced drastic changes to teaching modalities, Dorman volunteered to be on the technology committee to assess the needs of Colebrook’s students and teachers during this unprecedented time.

Dorman was very excited to hear a fellow UNH graduate was joining the Colebrook teaching staff. When asked about the opportunity to be an induction mentor for a new TRRE graduate Dorman said, “To be asked to be a mentor for this new teacher by the UNH TRRE program was an honor and a privilege that I was excited to take on. The style of the UNH TRRE program provides opportunities to be flexible in our teaching practices. TRRE Graduates are trained to get to know students and design lesson plans that accommodate each class’ needs. Springer’s outstanding teaching practices are a reflection to the nature of the TRRE program. He takes the time to know his students and is creative in his assessments. We meet almost daily to discuss lesson plans and classroom management. Working with Jonathan, provides me the opportunity to self-reflect on my own teaching often. He has been a huge help to me during remote learning with online assessments, as he experienced being an online student with UNH last year.”

Springer finds it very helpful to have Dorman as a resource and support. He can go to her whenever he needs advice and since they went through the same program, they generally share similar views on the practice of teaching. With TRRE induction mentor Dorman’s support, Springer’s odds of staying in Colebrook as a teacher are bright. Dorman said, “I look forward to working with Jonathan this year and many years to come.”