10+Mentoring

Lambert says on page 36, "mentees...who tend to live up to their mentors' expectations when a deep belief in their capabilities is expressed." So my question is, what happens when a leader doesn't check in on new teachers and most of the time doesn't remember their names? How are teachers supposed to succeed and excel if there is no feedback, communication, modeling, or training? " A high leadership capacity school is one in which teachers choose to lead because their environment has allowed them to do so." (Lambert, pg. 36).

I don't have an answer to this, but as leader I would suggest to the "leaders" of the departments. Do not let the new teachers teach the new students. In a profession with a very high burn out rate we continue to put the new techers with the most difficult students. Why don't we put the most experienced teachers with the most difficult students and create an environment where learning can happen. If you have not see the movie Freedom Writers, this is a great example of a new teacher with a difficult class. It ended up being a success story, but ever that teacher moved on to a college position. I would like to know why she did not stay at her entry level job?