From student achievement to teacher attrition, good mentors can make a world of difference in the teaching profession.
A 2017 study found that if new teachers are paired with trained mentors who provide them with regular feedback, 鈥渢heir students may receive the equivalent of up to five months of additional learning.鈥
In 2021, Education Week Staff Writer Elizabeth Heubeck wrote about the ins and outs of effective mentorship for new teachers. In the article, she cites a on teacher retention and mobility, which found that a very high percent of first-year teachers who had mentors鈥攎ore than 9 in 10鈥攔eturned to the classroom for a second year.
The tricky part? Not all mentorships are created equal. The 2017 study, for example, compared teachers whose mentors had special professional development to those who received business-as-usual supports. 69传媒 of teachers in the latter category didn鈥檛 improve as much.
We wanted to put the question to you: What key characteristics denote an effective mentor in education?
According to educators on social media, a good mentor:
Actively listens
鈥淏eing an active listener and asking good questions.鈥
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鈥淪omeone who listens first and someone who can learn from their mentee.鈥
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鈥淟istens. Listen before 鈥榝ixing.鈥 There is a power in pause. Listen to understand rather than reply.鈥
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Leads with empathy
鈥淢y mentor always helps me find the silver lining when things go wrong, while still validating how I feel. My cooperating teacher during student teaching was the same way. Both spectacular human beings. I really got lucky with them.鈥
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鈥淚s respectful and supportive without making it seem like their way is the only way.鈥
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鈥淏eing supportive in ALL ways possible. Mentors not only need to share the 鈥榥eed to knows鈥 of teaching the grade/subject(s), but also introduce their mentee to colleagues, listen to their frustrations/complaints, keep a sense of confidentiality, celebrate their successes and help them when they fail. The first year of teaching is exhausting and scary at times. The sense of being overwhelmed is palpable.鈥
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鈥淓mpathy and the ability to see the good in people and situations鈥
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Gives you the opportunity to grow
鈥淪omeone who listens and provides you with opportunities to try something new with a safe space for when you fail!鈥
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鈥淐an help the mentee connect the dots between experience and opportunity鈥
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鈥淗umble and appropriately vulnerable. Transparent about mistakes, turning them into learning opportunities鈥.teaching the power of honesty and ownership鈥
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鈥淪omeone who wants you to succeed and outgrow your need for them (even though they are always good to have around, even when you are a 鈥榮easoned veteran鈥).鈥
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Provides hands-on coaching and feedback
鈥淎 jump drive/Dropbox/shared drive/etc fullllllllllll of lesson plans you can use/modify/adapt/etc. And empathy, that鈥檚 good too.鈥
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鈥淎vailable. A mentor is available to brainstorm, listen without judging, find the positive, you name it!鈥
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鈥淏eing able to have tough conversations and give constructive feedback.鈥
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