I have always heard of the top down conversation and really believe that we all are equal as employees whether you are a principal or a teacher. What I mean by that is that we should all have the same passion working for kids and want the same results to put kids learning first. When I talk with my mentee or my administration, I want them to know that I know they bring value to the team as a whole. This is meaningful for them and the school as they are a part of the process of what we do.

I have worked with both a leadership team whose way was "my way or the highway", and "let's have a collaboration and come to a consensus of ideas". The latter way is definitely most preferred in my opinion. I have grown significantly by feeling as though I have a voice in my educational career.

I see the value in this when we make co agreements in our partnership agreement. This level of questionnaire helps me to focus on where to start and guide my mentee as a new teacher.

Each of the qualities in Alverno's list is absolutely what you would want in a mentor. Many times you will get 90% of those qualities but also a mentor can have flaws that a mentee can help them grow in. I remember my first year teaching and was provided a mentor that did not work with students in a classroom but rather just for testing. It was hard to gain some of the insights I felt I needed to be successful in my room. Her grace and listening skills helped me to work through struggles and we together learned how to build a successful classroom for my moderate needs students. I appreciated that she did not have all the answers as it helped me to seek them out which stuck with me.

I believe this is so important to keep up on. Goal setting can be small especially when everything feels so overwhelming. I feel like when we get to the end September we are working on formals, parent conferences, progress monitoring while a new teacher is still trying to keep a routine and build classroom management. Setting small goals for the new teacher while still being a teacher in the classroom and help show the growth and build a sense of success.

The importance of having a student look deeper into finding the answer to something is what we do as teachers. It should be the same for mentees and would help them to grow exponentially.

Building relationships has always been a number one focus for me before we can truly be understood as a mentor. The ay I go about building a relationship with my mentee is letting them know that my purpose is not to change them but rather help them build on their unique style and learning growth.

This makes so much sense. It is imperative to have the understanding of what your teachers need in your school to bring together a community of "powerful instruction" and students learning improvement.

It is key to have a knowledge base in what you are teaching, supervising and mentoring. Your confidence in the topic helps to flow within the new teacher and helps build their confidence.

This is a great way to share the wealth of leadership and bring the school as a whole to build the community within that school.

My one advocacy for new teachers is helping them to determine what they need in this moment and not force extra processes or learning until they are ready to receive it. There is so much to learn as a new teacher and I remember my first year so many people were telling me about different strategies, policies, apps, curriculum, etc. This was great except I thought I needed to know all of it at once. That made me feel overwhelmed and unproductive. Take time to let the new teacher help guide you to what they need in the moment so they can feel successful without being overwhelmed.

Building relationships with new teachers allows them to feel more secure in their planning and ability to ask questions. My new school has been difficult to ask questions to as they are such a small community and was comfortable in their model. As a special education teacher, it becomes harder to ensure implementation of the laws when the school has been avoiding the correct process for several years.

This research makes perfect sense. It takes a growth mindset to open yourself up to growth. If you cannot see yourself growing in your current mindset, then something has to change. When students change their mindset, they can see the light ahead which is contributed to their growth.

Working with different paraprofessionals over the years, I can relate to my first year in a program where the paraprofessionals were veterans and hated trying things that are new. I would often have to put lessons together and model for them how the students are responding to get them on board. It should not have to be like this. Changing your mindset is essential if you want to grow and if you are in a position to help students grow.

When is the last time you felt like you were heard but not understood? These are some great strategies to be sure we are understood and a great form of advocacy.

I love this concept that "a dialogue is a learning conversation". It is helpful when we can come together having a conversation about something that needs many voices to help build a plan to help make something better. For students, in their best interest!

Empathy should be valued more as a tool for being able to be an important part of a students or even staffs life. Instead of having some resources for students with disabilities such as sensory breaks, social emotional time, and having more time on learning academics, I believe all students should be able to have similar resources to help them be the best they can be throughout the learning day.

It is so important in my classroom that students get to move and I agree this should be an expectation for all students as a need for continued taking in of information. Because I teach students with severe sensory needs, it is easy for me to plan engaging lessons with tons of movement and sensory.

When your supervisor truly wants to see you grow in your field and expertise, growth in inevitable. That is the true mindset of a true leader.

I remember being a child protective case manager and having to understand that all parents have the right to raise their children as they see fit, without hurting them. Some of the customs might have included spankings (my generation), and some my use love and logic. Neither are wrong but incorporated in their culture. Letting people be people is hard sometimes when we feel strongly about something, but necessary to be able to understand the rights we all hold true.

It is not enough to say, "these conversations are important, but we don't know how to have them". We as citizens need to learn more about how to have these conversations. We are always learning many things daily and it is just as important to know our beliefs on race. Know how we feel will help the conversation be open, honest and forward moving.

Social emotional learning should be provided to all students just as it is to students with disabilities. I know that most schools offer a circle time to allow students to share out in the morning or afternoon, one time a day, and lasts 30 minutes for all students leaving maybe a minute per student. For our kiddos with special needs, it is all day, in every teachable moment available. All students should be valued the same resources. To me the difference is worth it.

Equity is about meeting each person where they are at and providing a "balanced distribution" of what that human needs. Being a part of bringing equity for another guides them into their best selves. This is what we all want to become.

Do the right thing. Simple.

Trust holds a lot of weight in any relationship. When you have it, there is a peace and calmness in your heart, but when it is lost, the grieving process is heavy. Its ok not to know everything. Its ok to be vulnerable. It is NOT ok to be unable to trust. In the field of children it takes a village, a team of people who can be counted on for the best interest of another. Trust is that important.

Being reliable is essential I believe especially when you are mentoring a new teacher and teaching a group of students. Many teachers have ways to be so engaging and believable to their audience. This tool build their ability to be reliable in their topics of teaching. Students depend on their teacher's ability to provide the lesson in a way everyone understands and is involved in the process of learning.

This statement is true! All about the buy in. Same with staff as with students.

In our school, ALL teachers have a voice. There are many ways a teacher or staff can provide input into the way school is moving forward. There are building leadership committees, family and community committees, engagement committees, nutrition committees among others. When a school feel like a family, it runs better in my experience.

This is restorative practice at its best. The student was not singled out, he was asked what his need was to be successful, and he did not feel blamed or shamed.

There can be no other communication between people but respectful in order to gain any type of success within that conversation. Building relationships has always been my go to. It helps to achieve whatever task you are trying to complete.

I feel that in special education, I do this everyday. Also underrepresented, students with disabilities, I have became a voice for them to receive the most appropriate education, resources and socialization.

This action to me is simple and important for all individuals. As individuals, this is the first form of respect to someone as an individual. This impression can make or break future relationships.

First and foremost when I see this commitment, I feel it is essential to learn more about things you do not know or understand. So important if you want to reach all of your students.

Working together with other teachers, team members, and stake holders are essential in providing the best practices for a student. "It takes a village to raise a child," said Nancy Reagan, This could not be truer in this day and age. Students are in various places and positions around a school in a day. Get to know your students and who else is involved with them to provide them with the best of our school for their learning benefit in all areas of their life.

I could agree with this statement. Even in districts, there can be a wide varying of abilities pursuant to the neighborhood a student lives in. Schools with a variety of resources to meet the needs of each student will yield better results than just by the district standards.

I do believe that the US does not paint an accurate picture of education achievement as a whole. The US is made up of so many different varieties of culture that it is not fair to say that we are decreasing our academic abilities especially of we are not meeting students where they are at depending on where they live, their cultural background, academic availability for all students and parent involvement. Not all areas can be standardized on one idea or standard. I work in special education and as some of our students may struggle in one area or another, they actually thrive in another, but my experience is we only test them on the whole standards and do not meet students where they are at so they can show their expertise in another.

One of the best tools that I use in my classroom are checklists at the end of a lesson. It lets me and the students know if we did all the objectives and met the goal for the lesson.

We hear this constantly in teaching. Meet the student where they are at, modify or accommodate instruction to help that student be successful and able to grow.

No student learns by just lecturing. There are several different types of learning styles that a student needs to be successful. Knowing that all students require a different style of learning helps the teacher to be able to meet their needs in all areas of growth.

"Errors invite opportunities!" Absolutely agree with this as we don't master everything the first time and many practices need to happen. Making mistakes is essential in learning with positive feedback to help a student feel more comfortable to keep trying.

This is so important especially for our kids with "Autism". Students of any ability do require feedback so that they know where they are at and how they can work through adversity to be successful. Feedback provided immediately helps students move forward quicker and not fester on things that didn't go well.

This is essential when you teach special education. No days are the same and each day requires that "flexible" ability to meet the student where they are at.

I love this! It is important to ensure that each student understands that as teachers we want what is best for the students in their care and that we "believe" that they are capable to learn the skills they need to be successful in all areas of growth.