Great teaching is never static. Educators pay attention to what is working, make adjustments, and try new approaches to better support learning. The same is true of professional development.
This year, the Mentor Network is adding one-on-one meetings to provide mentors with more direct support. Mentors will meet individually with their cohort leads each month from September through November and again from February through April.
The meetings will give mentors space to ask questions, talk through challenges, and discuss how things are going with their mentees.
“We want mentors to feel comfortable opening up about what is happening, what they need, and how we can better support them,” said Yadira Lorenzoni, senior program manager. “The leads can then bring the common themes they hear into the professional learning community (PLC) meetings so everyone can learn from them.”
For example, if mentors are struggling with difficult conversations or similar classroom situations, cohort leads can bring resources and discussion questions to the larger group without sharing anyone’s personal experiences.
The one-on-one conversations will also help cohort leads plan PLC meetings around what mentors are experiencing in real time. The change is designed to strengthen relationships and make the support mentors receive more useful.
Interested in joining? Learn more about the Mentor Network here.