The Mentor Minute is designed as a support for lead mentors and mentors in VBCPS. Each month, the newsletter will focus on a key area of support for new teachers and will offer resources and strategies aligned to the focus area. We will also use this space to spotlight the amazing work of mentors across the division.

In this edition:

• Focus: Modeling Optimism and Empathy
• Supporting New Teachers: Ideas for Modeling Optimism and Empathy
• What's Happening this Month: Important Dates and Events that Impact Mentoring
• Monthly Mentor Spotlight: Jennifer Wampler, Diamond Springs

The first month of school can be overwhelming for new teachers. Things are moving at the speed of lightning. They are learning so much so quickly and navigating a variety of problems and situations they had not anticipated. Even with all the support around them, new teachers are often caught off guard by the realities of teaching. They are focused on one day at a time and may struggle to look ahead in their planning as they try to maintain the pace and get familiar with new curriculum. Regardless of these stresses, new teachers can often maintain high energy and commitment.

Supporting your new teachers this month with optimism and empathy is imperative. They need to see how you navigate the rush of deadlines, grading, parent communication, planning, time-management, and more. Brené Brown, researcher and storyteller, describes "The heart of leadership is connection, and connection is about empathy, curiosity, and emotional courage." When we exhibit empathy, we take the time to get to know and understand more about one another's perspective.

What could empathy look like in your role as mentor? How can you be an active listener? How can you be encouraging? Could you offer to sit with a new teacher while they plan? Could you provide some practice for parent-teacher conferences? How might you create opportunities to model optimism and practice empathy through your connections with your new teachers?

Our Resources for Lead Mentors or Mentors drive is available for you to explore. Here's a link to the Table of Contents of the drive, and know that it will continue to grow. If you have something you are willing to share that you know is helpful for those you support, I invite you to be a contributor to this community.

Elena Aguilar in her book Onward offers some ways to demonstrate empathy:

• be genuinely curious
• be an attentive listener
• aim to discover similarities
• share who you are
• validate others' feelings

The article below is part of bank of resources from Edutopia (the bank is linked on the ToC doc), under the heading of Working with Parents. As you are modeling optimism and empathy, think about the impact of positive parent communication has on each of us. Here's an article that you can share and discuss:

• 7 Ways to Promote Positive Communication with Families

This video for new teachers is filled with wisdom from veterans, delivered by two second-year teachers. They demonstrate empathy and optimism.

• Second-Year Teachers Share Some Advice for Rookies

Observations are an excellent way for you to model optimism and empathy for your new educators. They can observe you while you make parent calls (whether they are proactive or reactive). They can observe how you navigate an area they are looking to improve (transitions, time, behavior, planning, reflecting). Here are some resources to utilize for observations:

• 30-Second Feedback - for short bursts of positive reinforcement that links a specific teaching practice to a specific learning outcome.
• Learning-Focused Conversations for Reflecting - questions to elicit deeper reflection on practices.
• Conversation Map - Ways to respond to a mentee to elicit more specific information.
• Year-long Mentoring Support - if you are planning ahead, this may help you consider upcoming concerns or ideas.

Professional learning opportunity for support our optimism is starting October 7th:

• #VBThrive Book Club - Deliberate Optimism: Still Reclaiming the Joy in Education - Asynchronous book study.

Be sure to add your support meetings to Frontline as Site-Based Activities. Facilitators and attendees can earn points for these needed and required sessions that support the professional growth of our new educators. Remember a minimum of quarterly meetings is required, and meeting more frequently offers more timely and proactive support.

💡Mentor Jennifer Wampler at Diamond Springs is mentoring Gabriella Trombetta. Gabriella had this to say about Jennifer's positive impact: "Jenny Wampler is my team leader, and she has been amazing. She has been so positive, patient, and supportive throughout this whole learning experience for me being a first-year teacher. She takes the time to answer any questions I have and to reassure me when I get overwhelmed. She takes charge of planning for everyone on the team, so they have an outline of the lessons we are to do and I feel like the reason I have been able to navigate kindergarten, especially it being my first-year teaching, has been because of her."

To celebrate the great work lead mentors and mentors are doing to support our new teachers, here's an opportunity to nominate someone for recognition. Using this Google form, tell us about a mentor in your building who is having a positive impact. Feel free to share the form with mentees and administrators as well. Please send in pictures of the awesome supports happening in your buildings by emailing me at karol.bledsoe@vbschools.com to share.

Reach out and let me know. I can model an activity for you, be a discussion partner on how an activity or strategy might work or engage with you in a solution-finding conversation around a dilemma you have.

Contact Karol Bledsoe, Professional Learning Specialist, karol.bledsoe@vbschools.com