Whenever I have been part of a mentor training program, I have suggested that the job of a mentor should be to mentor the system because everyone in the school and district office should have a role to play in the success of the new teacher. Similarly, I have suggested that instructional coaches should play […]

I recently provided a workshop for mentors who would be working with new (many first year) teachers to their district. Here is the opening I used to set the stage. The old adage “Experience is the best teacher” isn’t quite accurate. “Experience, with a mentor, is the best teacher.” As a new teacher interacts with […]

While reading a blog by Cristie Watson titled 9 Mistakes New Teachers Make, I was triggered to consider how mentors and instructional coaches approach the start of new relationships with teachers new to working with a coach or mentor. Number 6 on Watson’s list of 9 is Being Afraid to Ask for Help “When struggling […]