Person-to-Person: Tips Deborah Payne Dean of Instruction John A. Logan College What if you are a mentor and your mentee is highly resistant to your input? Ask if you are addressing their concerns. Ask them to restate or clarify their questions. What if you are a mentee and you have a personality clash with your mentor? Be clear in your satisfaction or dissatisfaction. Ask for resolution before asking for the procedure to request reassignment. Does technology ever complicate communication (no vocal tone, facial expression, etc.)? How do you avoid miscommunicating your attitude? Email does not imitate verbal communication. Try to use works that do not have ambiguity of meaning. Perhaps you should use a bit more formal language rather than slang. Ask your mentor if you are communicating effectively. Pay attention to feedback. How can a new teacher aid the socialization process with veteran teachers whose attitudes may not be welcoming? Ask for advice from veteran teachers. Include veteran teachers in discussions. Ask veteran teachers if they will work with you or on your team. Communicate that you value their opinions. Share lessons learned with others and give credit to veteran teachers who help you. How can a new teacher win over students who resist the use of technology in the classroom? Always set up the introductory session for a high degree of success. Communicate clear expectations and introduce steps sequentially. Use charts and/or graphic illustrations to display clearly written steps. Monitor student efforts and give immediate positive feedback. Try to have the students do the process multiple times over a period of days to reinforce the skill. Additional steps may be added as proficiency improves. Correlate the exercise to a content goal so that the process will be more meaningful. What are some tips for smooth working relationships with the instructional technology staff? Request help in writing. Try to be specific. Although you might get frustrated, avoid communicating that attitude in emails or voicemails. Give IT staff feedback on the effectiveness of their support. Thank them for their help. © The Illinois Community College Board, Illinois Board of Higher Education, and Illinois State Board of Education, in conjunction with a Preparing Tomorrow's Teachers To Use Technology (PT3) grant from the U.S. Department of Education, funded this project to infuse technology into the core curriculum at Illinois Community Colleges and Universities.