23. Surviving & Thriving: Advice for New Teachers & Mentorship Programs with Najah Lambert

Happy first Friday in August! I’m so glad you’re joining me today because I’ve said it before, I LOVE connecting with my listeners and community within Wife Teacher Mommy. I’m so excited because in today’s episode, I’m doing just that. I have guest Najah Lambert on the podcast, who is a member of the Wife Teacher Mommy community and (virtually) raised her hand at being a guest on this podcast. She is a wealth of knowledge and we’ll be discussing advice for new teachers and mentorship programs within a school.

Najah has taught for 10 years as a Pre-K/Kinder private school teacher, but is a second-year 4th grade public school teacher. She loves teaching, but admits she could do without the stress! Najah has a vision and passion for helping new teachers and also explains how other teachers can mentor and support new teachers.

Throughout our conversation, Najah is open about her experience as a new teacher. She explains that even though she’s considered a veteran teacher, her experience in a new school as part of their mentorship program wasn't very positive. She attributes various factors into her conclusion, but has now created something meaningful and passionate about improving mentorship programs.

As a result, Najah came up with 10 ideas that every teacher mentorship program should incorporate. Those 10 ideas are:

1. Passionate mentors
2. Compatible pairings
3. Allocate time for mentor-mentee PLC
4. Allocate time for mentor to observe mentee
5. Allocate time for mentee to observe mentor
6. Provide constructive and positive feedback
7. Open communication with administration
8. The duration of the mentorship program
9. Celebrate successes
10. Team building

As first year teachers, or veteran teachers in a new building or district, shouldn’t be left to their own accord, which is why it’s important not to overlook the training aspect for them. Najah and I revolve our discussion around how to support new teachers that will leave them surviving and thriving. As the new school year begins, think about how you can be a friendly face to new teachers or ensure your new teacher mentorship program is a positive experience for your new teachers.

Resources Mentioned:

• Join the Wife Teacher Mommy Club!
• Visit wtmgiveaway.com for more details on our giveaway
• I Spy Math Bundle
• Wife Teacher Mommy: Mentioned on Podcast Amazon List 

Head to the show notes: https://www.wifeteachermommy.com/podcast/advice-for-new-teachers

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