Purposeful Mentoring Conversations

This season of the Teacher to Teacher podcast has focused on Mentoring in Action. In this last episode of Season 4, Carol welcomes Vince Bustamante and Lisa Fain and their conversation is centered around the topic of Designing a Transformative Mentoring & Induction Program. Vince and Lisa delve into the benefits of mentoring and induction programs for both new teachers and experienced educators. These programs not only aid in improving teaching practices and student learning outcomes, but they also support teacher retention and overall school culture.Three Essential Steps for School Leaders Interested in Podcast PD?Check out Carol's blogpost Podcast PD: A Professional Learning Strategy to Earn District Credit for Podcast Listening

In episode 9, Carol and her guests Amanda Brueggeman and Marcel Monnar discuss the importance of student voices in mentoring and teaching. As educators, it is important to continuously reflect on our practices and make adjustments that prioritize the success and growth of our students. This episode’s discussion highlights the significance of asking questions and fostering a classroom community that encourages open communication and feedback from students. Watch video of survey referenced in this episode.Interested in Podcast PD?Check out Carol's blogpost Podcast PD: A Professional Learning Strategy to Earn District Credit for Podcast Listening!

In Episode 8, Carol welcomes Bailey Wilcox & Vanessa Halling, who are a mentee and mentor pair! Their mentorship relationship started when Bailey was a student teacher in Vanessa’s classroom and has continued now that Bailey has her own classroom across the hall. Carol, Vanessa, and Bailey talk about the stance and supports that have made their mentor partnerships successful. Then they jump into common dilemmas, ranging from making content and curriculums relevant to students to classroom management challenges, and talk through how Bailey and Vanessa have worked on these in their own classrooms. Interested in Podcast PD? Check out Carol's blogpost Podcast PD: A Professional Learning Strategy to Earn District Credit for Podcast Listening!

Our guests for episode 7 are Joe Schmidt and Laura Garrison-Brook. Their conversation with Carol focuses on the need for intentionality both in being a mentor and in being a mentee. Together, they share unexpected ideas, tools, and tips to make mentorship relationships and reflection positive and productive. They also discuss how reflection requires both curiosity and courage, and how to make it a habit that is built into your life and practice. Interested in Podcast PD?Check out Carol's blogpost Podcast PD: A Professional Learning Strategy to Earn District Credit!

In episode 6, Carol welcomes Sara Hoeve and Susan Brondyk who are colleagues in the school of education at Hope College. This episode focuses on The Role of Teacher Education in Mentoring Teachers. Sara and Susan give us a behind-the-scenes look at how they set up their mentorship programs to best support both the student teachers and the teacher mentors in schools. In conversation with Carol, they share how they get mentors and mentees on the same page, why establishing a common language is essential, and how they continue to support their new teachers even after they graduate from student teaching.  

In episode 5, Carol welcomes guests Josh Magri and Sydney Snyder as they talk about educator wellbeing beyond teacher self-care. Together they discuss practices and building environments where educators can thrive even in challenging times. Carol, Sydney, and Josh share impactful ideas to help teachers and leaders foster vulnerable conversations, rethink how we define success, give ourselves grace when we make mistakes, and find balance between our personal and professional lives. Create your own Circle of Light with a book study for Carol’s book Teaching With Light: Ten Lessons for Finding Wisdom, Balance, and Inspiration.

In this episode, Carol welcomes Lori Wimbush & Kate Gilbert. The conversation focuses on connecting, breaking down silos, and humanizing the teaching profession through mentorship groups. Carol, Lori, and Kate share creative and joyful strategies that helped them instill positivity in their mentoring groups - from positivity calendar reminders to paint parties. Interested in Podcast PD?Check out Carol's blogpost Podcast PD: A Professional Learning Strategy to Earn District Credit! (link: https://corwin-connect.com/2024/10/podcast-pd-a-professional-learning-strategy-to-earn-district-credit-for-podcast-listening/)Additional episode resources: Group Mentoring: Problems to Possibilities - Mentoring in Action (link: https://mentoringinaction.com/group-mentoring-problems-to-possibilities/)Sharing Best Practices: Emerging Teacher Leaders - Mentoring in Action (link: https://mentoringinaction.com/sharing-best-practices-novice-teachers-as-leaders/)

This episode focuses on preparing mentors and novice teachers to be leaders. Our guests Jay Correia & Suzanne Molitor bring their experience to provide insight on the power of informal, heart-centered mentorship, as well as the importance of formal, purposeful mentoring initiatives. Carol, Jay, and Suzanne share actionable ideas to help both mentors and novice teachers become more visible as leaders, ranging from making space for teachers to highlight their wins to fostering learning conversations between colleagues.Interested in Podcast PD?Check out Carol's blogpost Podcast PD: A Professional Learning Strategy to Earn District Credit!Additional resources: Video Effective Teachers From Students' Eyes

In this episode, Carol talks with Doug Fisher and Vanessa Smith about Purposeful Mentoring Conversations. Purposeful mentoring conversations are crucial for effective mentorship to understand the specific needs and goals of the mentee so that mentors can tailor the conversation accordingly. By doing so, mentors can provide targeted guidance that will have a more significant impact on the mentee's growth.So, whether you are a mentor or a mentee, remember the importance of purposeful conversations in your professional development journey.Interested in Podcast PD? Check out Carol's blogpost Podcast PD: A Professional Learning Strategy to Earn District Credit!

Season 4 of the Teacher to Teacher podcast focuses on Mentoring in Action and this first episode is centered around the topic of Intentional Mentoring.Carol welcomes guests John Almarode and Jaime Curley. The conversation between John, Jaime and Carol touches on the challenges of mentoring, the importance of honest feedback, and the need to personalize and contextualize support for early career teachers. John Almarode is a bestselling Corwin author as well as a Professor of Education at James Madison University. Before his academic career, John started as a mathematics and science teacher. John's most recent book with Corwin is Teacher Clarity and published in February 2025. Jaime Curley has been in education for 26 years and she has worked as a paraprofessional, special education teacher, school psychologist and as a special education administrator. She has been mentoring new teachers since 2011 and she says it is one of the most rewarding parts of the job! We hope that you enjoy this insightful conversation!