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. This month, the newsletter is going out only to Lead Mentors as you all are in the process of finalizing relationships. Please feel free to share the newsletter this month with your folks since it will not be delivered directly to their inbox. 🙂

In this edition:

• Focus: Building Community
• Supporting New Teachers: Try These Ideas for Building Community
• What's Happening this Month: Important Dates and Events that Impact Mentoring
• Monthly Mentor Spotlight

Your new teachers started off during Orientation and In-service weeks with great anticipation for the coming school year. They were excited to get into their classrooms and connect with students. Research and experience tell us, however, that new teachers can often begin to feel overwhelmed quickly with the many pulls of our profession (to read more about the phases of new teachers, click here). Taking time to build community with your new educators helps them feel supported and part of a team they can lean into when they feel unable to make progress. Remind new teachers that progress is messy, as illustrated in this picture.

During your first support meetings this month, consider how you can create opportunities for mentors and mentees to build community with one another and how new teachers can build community in their classrooms. Also, predict what problems may pop up and possible solutions for your new teachers to try. This is a good time to revisit some of the supports you shared during your welcome events. Most importantly, take time to listen and be empathetic to the stress your new teachers may be feeling.

This summer, I unveiled a resource that will continue to grow--I've established a shared drive just for all of you! 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.

This resource was used during our summer round table sessions with a mix-and-mingle strategy to help us get to know one another and learn some very interesting things with a low-risk sharing:

• Team Building Questions - these conversation starters can be used in a variety of ways:
• Everyone responds to the same one.
• Cut them up and use one per participant (which is how we used them this summer).
• Share and trade with your partner before moving to another group.

This resource for new teachers to help build community in their classrooms with students was shared with teachers during the Orientation Essential Learning Environment session. Consider having your mentees look back over this handout they received. What could they try this week? Next week? Do some of these feel like they could be modified for daily use? Do some of these take more time and may be better suited for once a week or once a month?

• ELEMENTARY Rapport Building Ideas
• SECONDARY Rapport Building Ideas

We engage in conversations with our mentees for many different purposes. Through those conversations, we are not only providing support, but we are building a community of trust and safety, where vulnerability and positive outcomes are key:

• Conversation Map - Ways to respond to a mentee to elicit more specific information
• Learning Focused Conversations for Planning - focus the conversation to help your mentee plan for instruction most efficiently
• Year-long Mentoring Support - if you are planning ahead, this may help you consider upcoming concerns or ideas

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 is required, and meeting more frequently offers more timely and proactive support.

Lead Mentor Dr. Rowson at Seatack welcomed new teachers to her "Dream Team" this year. They got to know their building and build community during their homeschool welcome by completing a scavenger hunt. Thanks so much, Katrina, for your work in supporting new educators.

📢 Special shout out to Liquita James (Newtown ES) and Meghan Van Horne (Independence MS) for supporting our summer collaboration Round Tables for Lead Mentors in July. Thank you for sharing your expertise and helping others ideate around supporting our new educators! 🎉

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. As always, you are welcome to send in pictures by emailing me at karol.bledsoe@vbschools.com to share as well.

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