"When mentors are well-selected, well-trained and given the time to work intensively with new teachers, they not only help average teachers become good, but good teachers become great."
–Dara Barlin, Education Week
"When mentors are well-selected, well-trained and given the time to work intensively with new teachers, they not only help average teachers become good, but good teachers become great."
–Dara Barlin, Education Week
Ask any teacher who’s been mentored and they’re likely to sing the praises of their mentor teacher. Schools across the country are realizing that assigning mentors to new teachers can help them hit the ground running. Mentor teachers can help with lesson planning, lend experience to difficult parent or student interactions and be a sounding board for the many thoughts racing through a first year teacher’s mind.
I was thankful to have a mentor come alongside me during my time at Oakland Christian School. She was not assigned, but had been at the school for years and regularly took new teachers under her wing. Kristin helped me in many ways during my time at OCS. Most memorably, she allowed me to come to her with difficult situations (a student who wasn’t progressing, a parent who wasn’t responding) and taught me to handle them with grace. She had seen many things during her time at the school and had a wealth of knowledge to share.
I also spoke with Lynden Berkimer of Grand Rapids. She was quick to tell me of her wonderful her mentor teacher, Ruth, at Grand Rapids Montessori. Lynden recalled that Ruth taught her to work as a team with parents and showed her how to navigate complicated family relationships. She explained how Ruth was “beyond kind” to families and even cried with them during difficult times. Lynden also explained that even though at a glance she and Ruth have very different teaching styles there was still much to be gained from her mentorship.
There will always be a place for classes and seminars, but the mentor teacher model brings something new to professional development. Mentor teachers not only help with lesson plans, newsletters and conferences but also with the experiences that shape us as teachers and humans. From the mundane annoyances like lice outbreaks to situations as serious as a student losing a parent, odds are, your mentor teacher has been there and can guide you along the way.