In Missouri, all beginning teachers are assigned mentors in their respective buildings who monitor and support the teacher. Beyond this state required mentorship, the Education Department supports completers’ entry and/or continuation in their professional role in both systematic and ad hoc ways. One example of a more systematic approach is the professional development series pilot program implemented this year (2021-2022) based upon feedback from the Professional Development Plan from 2020-2021 interns. These opportunities will take place via Zoom so they can be made available to our current MAE students, pre-MAE students, and faculty, as well as our completers regardless of where in the state they are located.
On our website, we have a ‘Support for Alumni’ note for graduates in which we welcome them to reach out to us for support if they need it, which some have done. For example, we had a teacher candidate who was looking for special education resources about a particular disability and the Department Chair sent her request to the Special Education faculty who were glad to provide the resources she needed.
Faculty also report that they connect with completers on an informal and ongoing basis depending on the MAE program. For example, the English MAE students and completers have a Facebook group through which group members share resources, ask for assistance, and disseminate news about their accomplishments. Completers use this site to draw attention to developments in the department, the state, and the nation concerning education. This site also is a place many completers share openings in their schools and network across “generations” of Truman graduates. Additionally, pre-COVID, English MAE students often traveled together to conferences, either regionally or nationally, co-presented with English Education faculty, and participated in the formal professional development of conference sessions, as well as the informal professional development found in conversations with active classroom teachers.
Another example of informal connections is from the Music MAE program. Music completers have a Facebook messenger group through which completers share resources, seek assistance with struggles in the classroom, and provide support to one another. At the state music educators conference each year completers who attend the conference attend a reception at which updates from Truman are shared, joys and challenges of completers’ positions are discussed, and graduates socialize and make professional connections with alumni. Completers also regularly reach out to the music education faculty member for assistance with curricular or interpersonal challenges or joys.
The Regional Professional Development Centers (RPDC) in Missouri offer professional development for beginning teachers and the Education Department works closely with the local RPDC, as we are housed in the same building. The local RPDC provides our department with MEES training every August, which subsequently results in support for completers’ entry into the profession due to our students having many experiences with professional evaluation using the MEES during their internship.