Since 2020, our country has been hit with a wave of teacher resignations that don’t seem to be subsiding anytime soon. Social media and the news are full of reasons why teachers shouldn’t stay in the profession. Instead of focusing on the overwhelming and stressful situations that we tend to find ourselves in, one of my goals is to find the good and inspiring in the field of education.
Teachers need a support system. We need work friends that feel like family. We need leaders who can inspire us and encourage us even on those dark days when we feel like nothing will make us smile. We need that teacher bestie who will bring us a surprise coffee and make our whole day better. We need each other!
University students who are the future educators need role models and mentors to show them the positive and amazing things about teaching. I remember when I was first taking education courses, one of the placements I was put in for practicum was a teacher who was obviously burned out. She was quitting at the end of the year and had fallen out of love with teaching. Every word out of her mouth was negative, to both myself and her students. Every free moment she had, she would turn to me and ask “why are you going to be a teacher?” It was very discouraging. Luckily, I was placed into a teacher’s classroom the following semester that was the complete opposite. She had worked for 20 years as an educator and still loved the profession despite the struggles. This teacher was honest about the negative parts of education, but still showed how life changing the art of teaching really can be. She had a passion for both learning and teaching and showed that to her students every single day.
Are you thinking about mentoring a future teacher? Here are some things I’ve noticed are important throughout my years of mentoring university students in different ways.
1. Variety is key! If your college students will only be there a few times to observe, make sure to write down those dates to make sure they are seeing different types of lessons. I like my students to see my 6th graders in different classroom structures and situations. I definitely DO NOT strive for perfection or do things I wouldn’t normally do when they come in for observations. They should be able to see the reality of being in the classroom.
2. Be honest without being completely discouraging. It is your job as a mentor teacher to welcome that future educator into your classroom so they can learn from you and not from a textbook. It is not your job as a mentor teacher to tell them to not go into education. You can be honest when they ask questions and ultimately the more they are there, they will see some of the pitfalls of teaching. But hopefully you are also showing them the good and positive aspects of it as well.
3. Ask what they feel comfortable with in terms of teaching in front of your students and help them to create successful lessons to teach! I have some practicum students who only wanted to teach their set amount of days or lessons and I respected that. I have had others who really wanted to co-teach with me more often and I definitely encouraged that. I like to think of my classroom as an inviting and safe place where university students can try new techniques and really find their teaching style and confidence. If possible, make some time to discuss future lessons and lessons that have already been taught with your aspiring teachers. It is important they see the value in reflection and you can help with lesson plan creation.
Current educators can play a huge role in developing the next generation of amazing teachers. During this uncertain and changing time in our field, it is even more vital we look for the positive in each and every day. I hope to pass on that outlook to future educators. They need safe spaces to grow and to discover if teaching is the correct career for them. Have you had any university students in your classroom? What are some tips you have for mentoring?
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Lisa Barnard
Lisa Barnard is a 6th-grade science teacher in the city of Flagstaff. She has experience in both elementary and middle school settings. This will be her 11th year of teaching and she loves inspiring a joy of learning in her students. She also mentors university students who are interested in becoming teachers. After earning her bachelor's degree in Elementary Education from Northern Arizona University, she went on to also get her masters in Elementary Education with a Reading Specialist Endorsement. In her free time, she enjoys landscape photography, reading, collecting fossils, writing, and hiking around Arizona with her husband Nick and their two dogs.
Comments 1
I have always loved being a mentor! I had amazing mentors early in my teaching career, and now that I am an instructional coach, I am finding amazing mentors even after 20 years in the classroom. We all need inspiration and people in our life that can make positive change. We should surround ourselves with positive, uplifting, people that can help us make change in the classroom!