Ed Week

Eight Qualities of a Great Teacher Mentor

By Kimberly Long

Papers are spilling off the desk. The voicemail light is blinking. Your email inbox is never ending, and little smiley face stickers are somehow stuck in your hair.

We’ve all been there. When it comes to teaching, there are always those days when the final bell rings and you just want to vent about the day, interact with someone older than age six, or simply have someone to talk to.

One of the most important—and overlooked—aspects of education is having mentors who help you manage the grind of daily struggles and the challenges of the profession. As an early career teacher, I have been blessed to work with many incredible teachers who have salvaged my sanity, dried my tears, and challenged me to be more than I thought I could be.

Mentors may be formally "assigned," or they may informally walk into your life. Mentorship can occur in a mandated mentor program, when one teacher is looking out for another, taking a struggling teacher under your wing, or simply welcoming a new person to the team. Mentorship doesn't have to be a formal process—but it is a crucial form of support for new and early career teachers.

Interested in becoming a teacher mentor? Here are eight qualities to focus on:

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