As an administrator, you know the powerful impact good mentoring can have on the success of new teachers in your school or district. Mentors who are prepared, trained, and experienced can make a world of difference for new teachers who are charged with accliminating to a new school culture, setting up their classrooms, establishing their practice, and engaging students—while adjusting lesson plans and assessing student learning on a daily basis.

Informal mentoring—one experienced teacher kindly helping a new teacher—has always taken place in schools to one degree or another. Over the last 20 years, formal mentoring programs have gained in popularity, and with today’s need to focus on teacher effectiveness and retention, administrators and professional development staff need ways to identify and prepare good mentors (Rowley 1999). Rowley (1999, 20–22) identified these qualities of a good mentor:

Committed to the role of mentoring

Accepting of the beginning teacher

Skilled at providing instructional support

Effective in different interpersonal contexts

A model of a continuous learner

A communicator of hope and optimism

Mentoring isn’t a one-size-fits-all proposition; and you know best what type of program fits your school, faculty, and district. Come to the KDP Mentoring Resources page to find a comprehensive list of resources you can use as you consider creating, augmenting, or revising your existing mentoring program.