Make the Most of Your Mentorship

If I had to select a "word of the day," by far the winner today would be "mentor." My goal for my daily walk was to select a podcast that was not infused in literacy. (Strange for me I know!) I came across a small mini-series in the Stenhouse Publishers podcast on mentoring new teachers. 

Anyone that knows me well can attest that mentoring early educators and pre-service teachers is another passion of mine. (You might be thinking, how many passions can one educator have? This is either madness or brilliance. Well it's ironic how often those two coincide ;) I eagerly downloaded it and off I went. What I appreciated most was it wasn't a panel of teachers sharing experiences and insight, but rather an actual conference with a mentor teacher and the mentee; a rare glimpse into how real teachers, both new and experienced talk and solve problems together! The new teacher started her first year of Kindergarten, and the mentor teacher was a classroom teacher for a period of time before she became a literacy coach. This was real, not staged or altered in anyway, and that was the best part. 

Later this evening, I settled in for the night to watch another energizing session from the TYHO conference. To my surprise, the session I went to next was on mentoring. I knew at that moment I wanted to reflect on this topic here from my own point of view. What I appreciated about this session was the presenter told a story about his personal experience during his first year teaching with his mentor. He shared that basically she gave him the lesson plans on the first day of school, and then signed the paperwork on the last day...  she never showed up in between. 

Wow.... 

Now please believe me I've heard these quintessential stories before, but they still bother me each time I hear a new one. What perplexes me more is when an early educator seems austere and disengaged with the relationship dynamic we are supposed to have as mentors and mentees. Why would someone not want help from an experienced teacher who is invested in the process? My advice (taken from personal experience) is to give the person space. Keep checking in on him/her of course and let him/her know you're there for support, however you cannot force a relationship that's not desired. 

Mentors: Please be the port in the storm for your new teacher(s)... they need you! I think the best part of being a mentor is hearing what new teachers are experiencing, and though many things change and develop over time in education, I always see a bit of myself in mentees as they talk about some of the same challenges and struggles I experienced. Our job is to not give answers but advice. It's important to listen and offer suggestions, however, like we would our students, encourage early educators to make informed decisions and be authentic. Ask difficult questions, even if it's a topic a new teacher might not want to talk about (such as a time a lesson failed, when he/she made a mistake in the schedule, etc.) Share resources but also ask what resources your mentee might have to share with you! New teachers have fresh perspectives and knowledge to share as well! Utilize time for observations. It's one of the biggest keys to learning. I found I got to know my mentees better by observing them even more than when we talked, since I was able to see them in their element and where their strengths and areas of need were. Just like our students, notice and note! Saying "I like your lesson" isn't constructive. State something like, "I notice you chose _____ as your strategy and helped _____ when she needed support with the task. You also utilized ______ to provide differentiation."  By explaining what he/she did well, it provides concrete examples, a takeaway that's tangible and memorable. 

Mentees: Please accept the help of your mentor! With the exception of a select few, most of us mentor teachers sign up for this because we want to! We are not here to judge you or watch you fail. We are here to highlight your talent, be your cheerleader, and guide you with the incalculable list of "to-do's" that grows by the minute as an early educator. Keep a journal or notebook with questions that you have throughout the day, so when you meet with your mentor your thoughts are organized (trust me a tired teacher brain is more destined to forget!) It's ok to ask for help from other teachers! A good mentor will introduce you to other teachers, especially if you are not on the same grade-level team. Likewise, if you know teachers in other PLNs such as your classes, professional organizations, social media, etc., it's fine to reach out to them too. It's especially helpful to talk to someone who is experienced who doesn't work with you so you can "vent" when needed and not feel judged. Although not our job as a mentor, I can understand why a new teacher would hesitate to share everything with a mentor teacher. 

Both: Relationships are the key, just like everything else in the teaching profession. Establish the relationship first, trust me the rest will be there! Be sure both of your hearts are committed to this. If not, ask yourself why and there might be a need for deeper reflection and a different avenue for solutions. When you form the foundation of your work together in this growth process, the rest will flow, and you both will benefit. 

Final thought- Teaching is lifelong learning so; keep trying, keep talking, keep supporting, and keep learning- together!