| A good teacher mentor provides long-lasting guidance | | | | education classes is not always relevant to managing |
| and proper support that helps teachers stick to the | | | | large classes. |
| challenge of teaching which eventually leads to | | | | New Teacher Strategy Coaching Sessions |
| personal self-fulfillment. | | | | During a strategy coaching session, the teacher being |
| Like many other new teachers, I had to "swim or | | | | observed listens to the feedback without reacting |
| swim" in my first year of teaching. But I refused to | | | | impulsively or defending what he or she did. The |
| give in to the isolation and loneliness I felt as a new | | | | feedback is designed to provide an objective picture |
| teacher. It is hard for a new teacher to ask for help | | | | of both areas that need improvement and helpful |
| especially s/he knows s/he is expected to take | | | | issues. Some teacher mentors have their own |
| charge of his/her class in a relatively short period of | | | | observation and performance forms. |
| time. After all, teachers, parents and administration | | | | You will see that over a period of time, you won't |
| expect you to teach successfully. | | | | feel alone, you will have already acquired another set |
| Principals who don't provide the right support and | | | | of teacher eyes for difficult classroom situations that |
| mentoring is a red flag to any new teacher. And | | | | you will unexpectedly find yourself in and you will be |
| because teaching is largely a performance art, many | | | | prepared! There is nothing better than feeling you |
| new teacher find that what they studied in teacher | | | | can handle a class all on your own. |