Kids need the best teachers. To be the best, educators must be on a personal journey of reaching every student and helping students to maximize their potential. Teachers must also be able to see potential in students that the students may not be able to see themselves. To bring out the best in students, teachers must have confidence in their own abilities, too.
How do we get better as teachers?
Simply put, mentors matter.
John Maxwell states that mentors do three things for you:
-Know the way
-Show the way
-Go the way
Pre-service teachers who are doing their student teaching in a school get to work with an experienced teacher who help the pre-service teachers prepare for their own classrooms. The student teachers get observed by their cooperating teachers as well as their university professors. But what typically happens when the student teacher gets his/her own classroom? Is there a feedback/growth loop? Is there a regular conversation that occurs between the new teacher and experienced teacher(s)? Who grows the cooperating teacher?
Mentors are important at every stage of a person’s career. Having the right mentor will give a person insights about his/her strengths and ignite courage. Be aware, though, that being vulnerable with a mentor is a personal challenge that must be overcome. This is especially difficult for teachers who are used to being the “expert in the room.”
Dan Rockwell, a.k.a. @LeadershipFreak, gives 3 tips for mentorship: (read entire blog post here)
1-You haven’t outgrown being mentored. Humble yourself. Arrogance blocks growth.
2-Transparency opens the door to mentoring. Share your dreams, fears, and frustrations.
3-Have many mentors. Learn from everyone.
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Monday night we will discuss mentoring on twitter at #ALedchat. Here are some questions to get you thinking about mentorship. Actual questions will be posted during the chat. - What role does the mentee play in establishing rapport with the mentor?
- What qualities are important in a great mentor?
- How important is reflective practice in a mentoring relationship?
- What are the benefits of being a mentor?
- Can mentoring and friendship be mixed?
- Are virtual mentors as effective as face-to-face mentoring?
- How do people grow as a result of mentoring?
Everyone is welcome to join us Monday nights 9-10pmCST for #ALedchat. We value the insights, perspectives, and experiences of those in our PLN.
**Here’s a time converter to assist all of you around the globe in converting 9pm CST to your local time.
TIP: If you have never done a twitter chat before, you may find it helpful to go to tweetchat.com and enter the hashtag #ALedchat. Sign in with your twitter account. The website will "filter out" all of the other tweets except for the ones with the hashtag #ALedchat. The website will automatically add #ALedchat to your tweets, and you will see a scrolling list of tweets from the chat on the page. (P.S. The hashtags are NOT case-sensitive.)
I'm one of the founders and hosts of this chat. If you have any questions, feel free to email me.
Everyone is welcome. I hope you will all join us Monday night for #ALedchat.