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 with 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: Well-being
• Supporting New Teachers: Ideas for Taking Care of Ourselves
• What's Happening this Month: Important Dates and Events that Impact Mentoring
• Monthly Mentor Spotlight: Jacob Griffon, VBMS; Sara Bowles, CLES; Jaimie Twist, SMS

As we move into November, it’s natural for teachers to find themselves in the Disillusionment phase—where the early excitement of the school year can start to give way to challenges that feel more demanding. Observations, assessments, tracking student progress, and communicating with parents post-report cards can all add to the sense of being stretched thin. This phase often brings questions like, "Am I doing enough?" or "Is anyone else feeling this way?"

For mentors and lead mentors, supporting the well-being of our new educators is crucial during this time. Well-being is our physical and mental health and includes our social health. Personal fulfillment, positive emotions, and the ability to effectively manage life's challenges encompass the concept of well-being. As we check in with new educators, remind them of the importance of self-care and establishing manageable routines that provide balance. Help educators find ways to maintain continuity in their planning, even with breaks on the horizon, and to reassure them that these feelings are a natural part of the journey.

Supporting educators in the Disillusionment phase means validating their experiences and fostering resilience. Together, we can help them find strength in the community, knowing they’re not alone in facing these challenges.

Our Resources for Lead Mentors or Mentors drive is available for you to explore. Here's a link to the Table of Contents , 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 contribute to this community.

Taking care of ourselves in important, and engaging in conversations with our new teachers around these topics is pertinent to keeping them in the profession. Our BeWell program offers many supports in conjunction with these basic needs. Set up a Personal Healthy Habit challenge with your new folks. As I write this, I am signed up to engage in the Division-wide BeWell Healthy Habit of "Lean on Me." This one focuses on taking steps to ask for help when you need it for whatever the need may be. Consider one of the topics below as they are essential to our ability to keep moving forward:

• Sleep
• Nutrition
• Exercise
• Nature
• Balance

• Well-being Practices: Share personal well-being strategies that have helped you through this phase. Adjustments like boundary-setting, reflection time, or short wellness breaks can make a significant difference in maintaining balance.
• A monthly needs assessment can help you pinpoint the needs of your mentee, supporting their ability to balance the tugs and pulls of work and home. This also provides an opportunity to celebrate growth and the wins by having them identify what went well and how they know that is working. Identifying an enhancement, adjustment, or improvement supports the focus on effectively managing challenges. This is available in the General Resources folder and each Support Meeting folder in our shared drive.
• Lesson Planning for Continuity: November's short weeks and frequent breaks can disrupt the flow of lessons. Offer guidance on structuring lessons with flexibility in mind—breaking larger concepts into smaller parts can help maintain continuity without overwhelming teachers or students.
• Use this conversation template for focusing on planning, available in each Support Meeting folder in our shared drive.
• Managing Make-Up Work: With progress reports around the corner, help teachers establish realistic ways to manage and prioritize make-up work. Tips for streamlining grading and scheduling time specifically for catching up can ease their workload.
• The 8 Quick Checks for Understanding from Jay McTighe in this Edutopia article may help your mentee decide if make-up work is needed or provide other ways for a student to demonstrate understanding.
• Observations as a Safe Space: Consider offering an informal observation to help alleviate the apprehension around administrative evaluations. Observing their classroom first can provide helpful feedback and build confidence. This resource lives in the Support Meeting Resources folder for each level.
• Tips, Tricks and Templates for Observations - use this for pre-observation conversations and post-observation feedback.
• 30-Second Feedback - for short bursts of positive reinforcement that link 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.
• SEL Integration: Ensure new teachers feel supported in incorporating social-emotional learning (SEL). If they don’t already have strategies, provide resources or ideas on integrating SEL naturally into daily routines. Incorporating SEL strategies not only benefits students but also serves as an essential bridge for supporting the well-being of mentees. By sharing favorite SEL supports, mentors can empower new teachers to create a classroom environment that prioritizes emotional health, resilience, and community. When new educators feel equipped with SEL strategies, they are more likely to experience confidence in managing their classrooms, navigating challenges, and building meaningful connections with their students—all of which can help alleviate stress and feelings of isolation that often arise in the Disillusionment phase. Both of these resources below are conveniently linked in Classlink:
• Share a favorite strategy from our SEL Stockpile as a model for your mentee during a support meeting. Discuss how this can be used in class to support academics and build a stronger classroom community.
• Try an activity from the Panorama Platform (Sign in with Google) together and debrief how it went and if any changes should be implemented when trying it in the future

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.

If you have new mentoring relationships start, a blank roster is linked below for your convenience.

💡This month's spotlight is shining on mentors supporting their new educators as they navigate Disillusionment. Each of these mentors goes beyond surface-level support to create environments that help new teachers feel understood, encouraged, and equipped to handle their challenges. This type of support is critical in combating the disillusionment and stress often experienced in early teaching stages.

• Mr. Jacob Griffon supports teachers by fostering community and consistent support. His frequent check-ins and thoughtful gestures help boost morale and create a welcoming environment. By offering essential resources and leadership in the mentorship program, he ensures teachers feel connected and equipped to thrive, helping them move past feelings of discouragement and isolation.

• Ms. Sara Bowles offers open, continuous support, making the new teacher feel welcomed and comfortable with seeking help. This approach is critical during Disillusionment when feelings of isolation or self-doubt are common.

• Ms. Jamie Twist provides consistent, hands-on support, modeling lessons and essential skills, which helps build confidence and clarity for new teachers struggling to find their footing.

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 has a positive impact.

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.