Transcript

Hey, Teacher Fam. Welcome back to the Teacher Support Network podcast. I'm your host, Anton McCoy, and I'm so glad you're here. And right now we're kicking off season two of the podcast with this episode. 

So let me kick us off with a question. Who's been a mentor in your teaching journey? Who's been that steady voice, that cheerleader, or that wise guide helping you through the madness of teaching?

Here's what I know. Mentorship isn't just for brand new teachers. It's something every educator needs at every stage of the journey. And when we hear the word mentor, a lot of us immediately think about brand new teachers. Yes, new teachers in those first one to three years benefit so much from mentorship.

I deeply care about new teachers and early career educators and continue to be involved in supporting them so they can remain and thrive in this teaching profession. 

But mentorship matters in every season, not just with novice educators. Think about when you change grade levels or subjects, or when a Gen Ed teacher moves into a full-time SpEd role, or when an instructional assistant becomes a licensed teacher.

Even folks who come into teaching from other careers, like industry experts teaching CTE, need mentorship as well. And let's not forget when a teacher makes the leap into administration, it can feel like starting over too. 

The truth is, no matter how long you've been in education, every time you step into something new, mentorship can be the difference between thriving and just surviving.

So what makes mentorship so powerful? Well, let me break it down a bit from my point of view on what I've seen in my years of teaching. First, mentors bring experience from the trenches. They've lived through what you're about to face and can help you avoid the pitfalls of many new teachers.

Second, mentorship reduces the learning curve. You don't have to spend years figuring out systems when you can learn them in weeks from someone who's been there already.

Third, mentors provide emotional support and y'all, that's really huge. Teaching can feel isolating, but having someone who says, you've got this and  keep going can make a world of difference.

Fourth, mentors pass along tools, resources, and time saving shortcuts. And if you're like most teachers, I know time and energy are two things you usually never have enough of.

But here's the thing, not all mentors are created equal. The right mentor isn't just someone with more years of teaching under their belt.  You want someone with experience in your field, or at least someone who understands the challenges you are facing. Some mentors even have special training in ways to help support adult learners.  Above all, a good mentor is patient, collaborative, and willing to guide rather than control. 

Think of it like dating.  Not every mentor is the right fit.  The best ones don't try to make you copy them or make you a copy of them. They help you become the best version of you. 

As a teacher and as an individual,  I'll never forget my own mentors. One of them was eina. She was the educational director at a private school for students with learning disabilities that I worked at in New York City when I began to teach and was getting my master's degree in Special Education.

Dena was amazing. She had this calm confidence about her. Whether it was a parent, a teacher, or a student in crisis, she always seemed to know exactly what to say and how to move people forward. I used to watch her in action and was in awe of how she could help a student with a learning behavioral or social challenge make a breakthrough time after time.  

One day after she had helped me through a tough situation with a student, I asked, “Dena, how did you do that? How did you know exactly how to reach this kid?” And her answer shocked me. She said, “ Antoine, you have to learn how to be diagnostic.” 

Wait, what? That was it.  Short and simple, but it stuck with me like Mr. like a Mr. Miyagi moment from the Karate Kid. At first I thought, what does that even mean? But over time I realized she was teaching me to look beyond the surface behaviors and symptoms and instead use those as clues to get to the root cause of a student's struggle. Then choose interventions that actually address the root cause, instead of just the symptoms.  That single piece of wisdom of learning to be diagnostic literally transformed the way I approach teaching from that point on.

That's the power of mentorship. Mentors see things you don't see yet, and they help accelerate your growth in ways you can't always understand in the moment.

I'll give you an example of another mentor I had later on in life. So years later, when I pursued my National Board Certification as a teacher, I had another mentor who walked me through the process.  This wasn't just about surviving anymore because I had been teaching for a while. This was about pushing myself as a seasoned teacher to reach new levels of mastery as a SpEd teacher.

So from Dena to National Board Certification, my mentors taught me this. Mentorship is not just for beginners, it's for every stage of growth. So here's a big idea I want you to walk away with today. Every teacher needs a mentor. That's how we grow. That's how we thrive. But before we close, I want you to think about this:  Who is your mentor in this stage of your teaching career? Maybe it's a colleague, maybe it's a coach, maybe it's someone you have yet to meet. Take a moment to name that person. Or to recognize that you may need to go find one because none of us are meant to do this work alone. 

As we close, if you're in those first one to three years as a new special education teacher and you're looking for some extra guidance, I've got something just for you.  It's a free resource called, The New SpEd Teacher Survival Guide. It's a simple five pillar blueprint to help you build balance, confidence, and calm in your early years of teaching. 

You can grab it through the link in the show notes for this episode. So download it, keep it handy, and let it encourage you as you build your foundation as a teacher.

So in closing, don't do this work alone. Whether you're brand new or seasoned, mentorship will carry you further than you could ever go by yourself. Be encouraged, teacher friends, you're doing better than you know, and you're planting good seeds even if you can't see the fruit yet. Until next time, bye for now.

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