Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/1512793
and would check in after. The mutual trust that we built in these moments radically enhanced my self-confidence at a critical time in my development as a teacher. 2. Model teacher leadership Realistic optimism is a powerful part of mentoring. It means being critical thinkers and analyzers of the institutions in which we work. But it also means maintaining hope that those institutions can become more just — and sharing strat- egies for advocacy if possible. In my own leadership, I attempt to model this approach by advocating for the needs of students in interactions with my colleagues and administration. I also pursue advocacy opportunities outside of my district. Great mentors have a deep commitment to equity and only speak of students and colleagues constructively. They embody professional norms in all settings, especially when colleagues disagree. At my school site, we fully include our mentees in our robust professional learning community process, as well as all staff development, to support their professional growth. 3. Practice humility, and be open to new ideas Another facet of effective mentoring is demonstrating through your actions how you continue to develop your emotional and ped- agogical capacities throughout your career. Doing so creates a culture of reciprocity and knowledge-building, as it demonstrates that you are willing to learn from your mentees as much as you are willing to teach them. Mr. Antenore and I used to have energizing conversations about the civic meaning of our discipline and how to best deliver that meaning to students. He would inspire me with ideas about what to teach, and I would inspire him with new ideas about how to teach it. 4. Have the courage to take public risks Risk-taking holds tremendous growth potential, and great mentors model this by implementing lessons outside of their own comfort zones. They use evidence-based strategies to meet the dynamic cultural, academic and intellectual needs of their students and can explain the "why " behind their decision making. As a teacher, I must be comfortable embracing change at a moment's notice. When I'm mentoring, I bring my mentee into the fold. I present my new lesson ideas to hear their thoughts. I also love to implement lessons that my mentees design, helping them work through their goals and processes along the way. We have open dialogues about mistakes and successes and what we must do next to hone our practice, which builds mentee confidence and provides a model for mentees to then encourage productive risk-taking with their own stu- dents. 5. Nurture your mentee Stay in the classroom as much as possible while your men- tee is teaching to observe and coach them discreetly and positively. While doing so, prioritize the balance of allowing them to engage in productive struggle as they take neces- sary risks to support students without letting them drown to see if they can cut it. At the end of most lessons, Mr. Antenore would guide me with cogent questioning and gentle feedback so that I could arrive at good answers to the many classroom challenges that I encountered and would continue to encounter throughout my career. While there are many other traits that mentors can embody to best support new teachers, these five capacities center stu- dents and provide a solid foundation. In a time when schools are struggling to find highly competent educators in many disci- plines, it's imperative that we ensure that those who decide to become teachers have the support that they — and their students — need to thrive. Highly effective mentors have the power to set up a future teacher for long-term success, impacting thousands of students for the better. Juan Francisco Resendez, Irvine Teachers Association, is a high school civics, world history and religions teacher. He also teaches social studies methods at UC Irvine and is a Teach Plus California Policy Fellowship alumnus. This story originally appeared in Edutopia. "Highly effective mentors have the power to set up a future teacher for long-term success, impacting thousands of students for the better." 43 D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 3 / J A N U A R Y 2 0 24