Read the entire blog series, Mentorship Matters by clicking HERE.

In my upcoming book, you will learn that on my path to leadership, I was entrusted with the responsibility of facilitating the mentor program in my previous school district. It was one of the greatest gifts I have ever earned. It allowed me to step into leadership, build capacity within myself, and lay a strong foundation for educators, guiding them on paths to long, fulfilling careers. This was an opportunity to highlight what an incredibly gratifying, essential role educators have on shaping the leaders of today and tomorrow. It allowed me to help teachers build self-efficacy and ownership over who they want to be and share a deep understanding that educators need one other to truly make a difference.

Stepping Into Leadership

When I stepped into this leadership role, I was given autonomy to figure out the leader I was destined to become and embody the one I always needed. There were no parameters and no handbook to guide the direction I was going to take. Drawing from the wisdom of the mentors throughout my career, I understood that as an aspiring leader, I couldn’t rely solely on others to initiate the ideas I wanted to bring to life; I had to take the initiative and make them happen. By aligning the vision that is rooted in the school district’s priorities, grounding the work in the State’s mentoring standards, and incorporating my own experiences and the insights of others, I was able to create a meaningful blueprint that bridged the present to the future.

I approached this role with a deep sense of gratitude and was determined to give the mentor program all I had to give. Since I was empowered to lead the program with autonomy and shape the framework and messaging, I was committed to introducing innovative opportunities to help teachers recognize the gifts inside themselves. It was my goal to empower them to develop agency, prioritize relationships, and lead with sound minds and hearts. 

Why Mentorship Matters

Developing a strong mentor program has one of the highest returns on investment. Leveraging the creation of powerful professional learning communities will foster the next generation of teacher leaders and help educators see the value of being in a constant state of learning and transformation. According to the New York State Mentoring Standards, “Teacher induction is critical to the overall preparation and professional development of beginning teachers and builds on their continuum of experiences from pre-service programs to ongoing career development spanning time as described within the Teacher Career Development Continuum. Coupled with mentoring standards, induction accelerates the process of creating highly effective teachers whose goal is to enhance student learning and achievement.” Establishing and implementing a strong mentor program enables novice teachers to be guided by mentors to help learners reach their maximum social-emotional, cognitive, and academic growth throughout their school years and beyond. This distinguished responsibility empowers more experienced educators to take everything they have learned and “pay it forward,” to help new teachers acclimate to the culture and climate of an organization, shatter the walls of isolation during the inception of their careers, and shape the next generation of teacher leaders.

Pursuing the Vision

In pursuit of this vision, I had the privilege of diving into a book that embodied my aspirations titled The Innovator’s Mindset by George Couros. George is a renowned learner, speaker, author, and innovative leader in the field of education. Little did I know that this book would serve as a compass in preparing me for my future as a lead learner and writer. In one of George’s most well known sentiments, he states, “Change is an opportunity to do something amazing.”  It was through George’s profound insights that I began to step out of my comfort zone and shape my own understanding of leadership and educational impact. Reaching out to George allowed me to connect him with both the new and veteran educators I was mentoring. He always graciously responded, sending video messages and even virtually meeting with us. It was in those moments that I realized George’s unwavering belief in my potential, even when I doubted myself. 

By embracing The 8 Characteristics of the Innovator’s Mindset and connecting with George during the mentor program, I was propelled to find my own voice and share my insights through this blog and embrace the opportunity to work towards writing my own book. Reflecting on this incredible journey, I firmly believe that the leader I have become today, constantly evolving, relentlessly striving, and devoted to making a profound impact on the lives of educators and students, would not have been possible without the invaluable experience of stepping into mentorship. It is a leadership role that I will always hold close to my heart.

Actionable Ideas for Developing a Strong Mentor Program

The following actionable ideas were born out of an opportunity to lead and facilitate a mentor program in a previous school district. These ideas were memorialized in a blog series titled, Mentorship Matters. You can find it HERE. I carry these ideas with me in the leadership roles I serve in today and will share more in my upcoming book:

8 Tips for Developing a Strong Mentor Program

1. Align with State Mentoring Standards– It is paramount to refer to the Mentoring Standards provided by the state/country you reside in. These standards offer a set of guidelines that are critical to teacher induction and to the design and implementation of relevant and meaningful learning experiences. This enables the Mentor Coordinator to establish systemic efforts that will shape and sustain the first experiences in the careers of new teachers. 
2. Voice and Choice– It is vital to include educators in the decision making process to share what kinds of professional learning they want to experience. It is also critical to recognize that educators enter the teaching profession with many strengths and areas for growth. It is also the responsibility of the Mentor Coordinator to ensure that the professional learning choices are grounded in the vision and mission of your school district. As an example, providing educators with a Google Form with a list of choices as well as a space to add any additional thoughts/ideas for professional growth will empower them to take ownership over their learning.
3. Professional Learning Communities- By establishing a learner-centered culture of trust, connection, communication, and collaboration, educators have an opportunity to see the value in intentionally creating spaces to collectively set reasonable, learner-driven, evidence informed goals and share ideas of instructional practice that will benefit ALL learners in their organizations they live in. Not only will this improve the skills, expertise, and knowledge through professional dialogue, it will foster a desire to improve educational aspirations, achievement, and cultivate the next generation of teacher leaders. These teacher leaders will become an integral part of a cycle that improves and encourages innovative teaching and learning practices.
4. Select a Professional Book as a Framework- One of the most valuable components of a strong Mentor Program is to find timeless professional books by outstanding authors who can share their authentic experiences as educators at different levels of an organization. These are books that encompass innovative and relevant messages that will stand the test of time regardless of what transpires in education. These leaders in education bring a special and unique value to the learning experiences you commit to embark on. Take a deep dive into these books and be sure to connect the messages of the authors with your district’s mission and vision. These are the books that will serve as frameworks to drive the learning process. The books I intentionally chose are The Innovator’s Mindset by George Couros and Personal and Authentic by Thomas C. Murray. Both of these authors have shared incredible resources and have been continuously accessible and supportive to the new teachers, their mentors, and me in our efforts to keep learners at the heart of decision-making and implement lifelong practices that will prepare learners for any path they choose to create.
5. Invite Other Voices- It is crucial to highlight the educators within your organization to facilitate professional learning experiences. This provides new teachers with opportunities to connect with other educators across the school district, but also elevates the teacher leaders and administrators that can share their knowledge and best teaching and learning practices with your educational community. Additionally, you will want to invite educators/speakers outside of your school district who can offer a fresh perspective on various topics in education. Those voices are also valued as they have seen the work of other school districts around the world and can share a lens that can push your thinking outside of your comfort zones!
6. Create a Digital Footprint: I have always stressed the importance of making your learning visible by sharing best teaching and learning practices with colleagues in your organization and beyond. By creating a Mentor Program hashtag and Twitter handle, this allows participants in the program to showcase the incredible work within their learning spaces to a larger community. This will in turn help other educators create and form ideas that will ultimately benefit all learners! Feel free to check out the #LBLeads and @LBMentorProgram hashtag I created for the Mentor Program I facilitate.
7. Connected and Networked: In The Innovator’s Mindset, George Couros says, “Being in spaces where people actively share ideas makes us smarter.” Social media provides a space to connect with other educators who can share our mindsets, but also push our thinking to create new and better ideas. It is in these spaces where we can get inspiration from other educators and organizations outside of education to try something we haven’t thought of before. Creating a culture of learning and innovation happens when meaningful connections are made beyond the walls of the organizations we live in. It is within these spaces that new possibilities are discovered to benefit learners who have the potential to make change today and in the future!
8. Give Recognition: Everyone within an educational organization works tirelessly to meet the needs of their learners. New teachers are acclimating to the culture and climate of a district, are learning to understand their community, are building new relationships, learning new standards, and a new curriculum, while meeting the needs of all families and students. They deserve all the recognition in the world! Celebrate your teacher leaders. It is human nature to want to feel valued and recognized. At Mentor Meetings, highlight the work they have been doing by looking through the hashtag you created and put those tweets on a few slides! Have them explain their “why” behind their practices. For the educators who are not on social media, have them send pictures of their work and get their permission to share! The return on this investment of time will be monumental!