In Meridian, first-year teachers are provided extra support through the BEST mentoring program. BEST stands for Beginning Educator Support Team. BEST is provided through a grant from OSPI and contracted through Northwest Educational Service District 189 (NWESD). The program supports teachers during their first three years of teaching to help train and retain staff members. All first-year teachers in Meridian take part in the program.
“It’s not about inundating the new teacher with all of these resources and overloading them with here’s how you do things or telling them this is what a good teacher is. It’s leading them to be reflective in thinking ‘what would I look like as an effective teacher?’” said instructional coach Cynthia Richardson.
The BEST mentoring program is built on six standards which include cultivating a learning-focused relationship between the mentee and mentor; promoting reflective practice; focusing on professional growth; building a mentee’s knowledge and skills in curriculum, instruction and assessment; connecting the mentee to systems of support; and fostering equitable thinking, practices and outcomes.
At the beginning of the school year, each new teacher is paired with a mentor teacher. Mentors attend a two-day conference to learn about OSPI mentoring best practices and continue their mentor learning through professional development opportunities. Each week, the mentor teacher meets with their mentee for an hour to check in, provide support, collaborate on lesson plans and reflect through coaching conversations. Each new teacher is observed by the mentor four times a year to provide feedback to encourage professional growth.
“As a first year teacher, my brain is constantly producing questions as to how I can better improve my practice. I have found tremendous benefit in being able to ask questions and gain insight from my mentor,” said Meridian Middle School teacher Jacob Dennis. “Knowing that I have a built-in support system has given me a steady dose of confidence to go about my daily responsibilities with the assurance that my thoughts and questions will be heard and met with direct feedback from my mentor.”
Richardson, who surveys first-year teachers annually, reports that new teachers in Meridian describe feeling supported. She attributes that success to the district’s investment in supporting new teachers with mentor/mentee engagement and intentional pairings. Partnering with the NWESD also provides an extra layer of support for the BEST program as they have created optional virtual learning sessions that any new teacher can attend, focusing on popular first-year teacher topics like classroom management, communication skills, and supporting individual student needs while also providing the mentor with extra learning opportunities.
“I did not have much of a mentor as a new teacher, so I wanted to make sure that a new member of our team received the support they needed. With this being my seventh year, I felt I could offer a lot of advice to someone who was entering the profession,” said Meridian Middle School teacher Marcus Hollan.
Those who choose to be mentors see the importance of supporting the next generation of educators and feel passionate about creating a culture of continued professional learning. Coaching conversations are confidential and take a strengths-based stance which helps build a trusting relationship.
“The mentor isn’t there to judge or to say ‘you’re doing this wrong’ to the mentee. We are there to be a guide, a sounding board, and at times a mirror to reflect their practice. We actively listen, paraphrase their thoughts, and shift the conversation so novice teachers can come to their own conclusions and build their next steps. This is vital to the growth and development of their own instructional practices,” Richardson said.