S = Say something positive. New teachers usually focus on what they are doing wrong. They feel the challenges and know the struggles. When you give an authentic compliment, it shows you are noticing what they are doing right. We all want to hear something
It took novices to end 108 years of futility. The Chicago Cubs finally won a World Series. Their talented young players did not know they weren’t supposed to win. Half of the Cubs starting position players are under the age of 25. A group of veteran players
It’s time for the school year to begin. Where are your novice teachers? Did they return to teaching? What are you doing to support novices to stay in teaching? If you are a teacher, a mentor, or an administrator, you can help more novice teachers stay
Weeks of 16-hour days, endless re-arranging of furniture, and final decisions about bathroom passes and rules for pencil sharpening—all were about to pay off. I was so tired from spending so much time preparing for my students, I wasn’t even really that nervous on my first
There's always lots of ground to cover at New Teacher Orientation. Inspiration. Information. Registration
"The Novice Mindset is the belief that we grow continuously through fearless, deliberate practice." - Jon Eckert You know the feeling of facing a new challenge? It's daunting, but it's exhilarating. Facing new challenges makes us better people; it gives us the chance to expand our skills
As mentors, we work hard at building relationships through the development of trust and respect with the new teachers with whom we work. These relationships are supportive and collaborative in nature and have an influential impact on the beginning teachers and their professional development. Throughout our interactions
In 1999, I began a quest to give back to my community. In no way did I have deep pockets to support any consistent financial donations and worked a 40(+) hour work week in corporate America; therefore, I had little to no extra time for
There is lots of advice floating around in the blogosphere for new teachers about how to navigate the first year. But what if you’re an experienced teacher who’s been asked to mentor a first-year teacher? Schools don’t often provide you with much guidance or support.
When we start the journey of a teacher, nearly all of us had the same goals in mind. We wanted to make a difference in the life of a child. Some of us came into the profession wide-eyed and nervous while others came in with