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I tend to use these last three mentor languages. If the new teacher says, "My lesson really failed today!" I would say, "I'm sorry to hear that. Why do you think it failed?" When he/she tells me I would make a suggestion as to how it might go better or give them a source that might help. There are many listed on our Mentor website that I could look through. If it is a teachable moment, I might say "This might be helpful..., maybe you might want to try this..." I am always positive and may tell a story about what happened to me in a similar situation. It's a good idea to get to know the new teachers. Some don't want you to give them suggestions. They already know what they are going to do. They just want you to listen. Some want suggestions. Some are so swamped with everything and just may need a shoulder to cry on and a lot of help catching up. If they need me to take a study hall so they can check papers. I can do that. I am careful not to make it a habit. Some things they just need to figure out themselves.

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As someone who is new to mentoring, this is not something that I have used very often as a mentor.  However, I have used this strategy in my math classes.   Many times, there are multiple ways to solve math problems.  Using paraphrasing has helped me to summarize and clarify when students are trying to explain how they reached an answer using a different method than what I taught them.  This has been very effective and it is a strategy that I plan to implement going forward with my future mentorees.

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Again, since I do not have  a lot of experience with mentoring yet, this is not something that I have used with a mentee.  However, I do plan on using it in the future with them.  In fact, I currently use clarifying questions daily in my classroom and at home.  Many times, I will ask students questions when they are writing because their ideas are not always clear.  I will also ask clarifying questions if I am helping a student (or my own children) with a personal issue (ex: fight with friends).  Finally, I have used clarifying questions when I have been observed by others.  I want to be the best teacher possible for my students.  Therefore, when others provide me with feedback and suggestions, I want to make sure that I fully understand what they are saying so that I can make the necessary adjustments.  I believe that this type of questioning is essential in everyone's lives.

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As I stated before, this is also something that I have not used with a mentee, but I plan to in the future.  However, it is a method of questioning that I use frequently in my math classroom when the students are problem solving.  If we are discussing equations, I may ask, "What happens if we substitute this with ....?"   I am requiring the students to look at a problem from a different perspective.  This is also a type of questioning that I hear from my colleagues when I approach them for assistance/advice.  They try and help me see all sides of an issue.

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Non-judgemental responses are something that I used frequently with my student teacher last year.  I would observe him teaching and then we would meet to discuss how the lessons went.   As someone who is not particularly fond of math, it was easy for me to pick out effective strategies and techniques that he utilized while sharing his love of math with his students.  I was actually learning right along with them.  However, he wasn't perfect and I did need to assist him at times with his classroom management techniques.  This required me to start by focusing on what he did well and then offering suggestions and strategies that would help him  deal with the difficult students.  I believe that this technique is essential for a teacher.  If students, colleagues, mentorees, etc. feel attacked and judged, they are less likely to accept advice and suggestions.  I know that I am that way.  Thus, I believe that it is important to become familiar with this technique and utilize it frequently.

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This is probably the strategy that I used the most with my student teacher last year.  He would experience something in the classroom and/or come to me for advice and  I would give him suggestions on how to react to or resolve the issue.  Of the different types of suggestions, I tended to share an anecdote (I do love to talk - especially about myself! :)) and/or give direct suggestions most of the time.  I found that my student teacher was very open to these types of suggestions.  However, I have worked with more veteran teachers who do not like the direct approach.  Some of these individuals do not like another teacher and/or supervisor telling and/or suggesting something for them to do.  One type of suggestion that I would like to implement in the future is posing different possibilities.  This allows the mentoree to make choices and be more in control of his/her learning.

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Teachable moments occur almost daily in our profession, especially when working with students.  While I have not had the opportunity to use this with a mentee, I have used it frequently in my classroom.  For example, we are currently doing a novel unit about  the Great Depression in language arts.  When discussing the harsh treatment that the little boy in the story received, I pushed my lesson plans aside, and we had a great discussion on how people are discriminated against even in today's world.  Even though the curriculum did include this, I believe that the students learned a lot and will remember our discussion because it was applicable to their lives today.  This is a strategy that I hope to utilize with future mentorees.

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Paraphrasing is the ability to summarize what someone is saying and repeat it back for further reflection. At times understanding the need for a re-examination of one statement or another allows us to unpack any feelings, emotions, or underlying effects our co-teacher may be having.

I hope to use this strategy when helping any future mentees dive further into a problem area. I know that when a mirror is held up to a situation it can be quite helpful. By beginning with “What I hear you saying is…” I would be able to not only show what information I’m gleaning, but also ensure that I’m understanding them correctly. It’s in misinterpretation that most difficulties within and out of our classrooms lie in our buildings. By making the effort to truly connect with a person, really understand what they’re trying to communicate, that we establish solid and trustworthy connections with one another.

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This technique is used when the listener wants to further understand the meaning or reasoning behind certain statements. I’d use this technique to ask for more information to gain a better understanding of the whole picture of a day’s events or a particular learning opportunity.

By allowing room for further communication on one topic I hope to create trust by showing my sincere interest in their teaching. I would want to make sure that misinterpretation isn’t able to happen through truly understanding what is going on in that particular situation.

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This style of questioning helps bridge the act of teaching with the why of teaching. By providing a space for teachers to examine their reasoning for a specific teaching style mediation questions can help clarify the reasoning behind certain practices.

I would use this strategy particularly when helping a new teacher plan a concert schedule. Looking at all sides of what’s been done in the past, what they would like to do, and the changes between the two can be stressful. They may feel tied to the ‘old way’ of doing things simply because it’s what is normal to the school or families. The flip side of this would be too much change too fast. Examine the structures that were in place and try to understand the thoughts behind this. For example, when I first came to MACS I was told I would be providing a Halloween concert to the local nursing home only three weeks before we had to be there. Instead of canceling this event- which is exactly what I wanted to do- I looked further into the ‘why’ and found more about how this community outreach greatly improved our student’s understanding of the corporal act of Mercy “Visit the imprisoned” as well as fulfilling a community outreach requirement.

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By using non judgemental responses a mentor can use language to be encouraging to a new teacher, as well as show enthusiasm, interest and specific praise for a job well done. This builds trust and encourages self-assessment in new teachers. By showing supportive feedback we are able to help new teachers examine further how they are effective within their classroom settings.

I hope to use this language after an observation time. I think it would be best used during rehearsal time or content teaching. In music and art prepping for big performances or art shows can be stressful, and I have found this is the best time to have an administrator enter my room to see when the real hard work occurs. By viewing the students in an active state of learning it’s easier to have some real conversations later about the learning and teaching processes that occurred.

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Suggestions are best used when a new teacher is open to learning more about one thing or another. It’s important to look for an opening in a conversation or a specific moment when they’ve invited your viewpoint. It is important to offer a menu of choices or open ended and invitational statements when offering suggestions. There are five different styles of suggestions: pose a possibility, pose a direct question, share an anecdote, reformulate, and direct suggestion.

I hope I would be able to use this in a rational based approach. Seeing how many styles of suggestions are out there is encouraging to me because I get worried about imposing my own teaching style on a mentee. I particularly like the idea of asking questions or asking the mentee to decode a situation for ‘another teacher’ who’s situation may be a lot like her or his classroom.

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Times that are spontaneous opportunities that offer a chance to fill in instructional gaps and take a new teacher to the next step is a teachable moment. Seeing the moments in teaching that may slip through a new teacher’s understanding and offering further information is when teachable moments occur.

I would hope to help a new teacher with transition times, as in specialty classes this can be quick and painless, or difficult and time-consuming. How can we keep a class occupied as they are lined up and waiting for a late teacher pick-up? Might a review on learning concepts help eat up some time? What should we do if a teacher drops off their kids early because they “just need a break already” from a particularly unruly class? Maybe now would be a time to set boundaries with your teaching partners in a polite but firm manner.

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Thinking over my discussions with my new mentee, I don't think I use this technique very often. When paraphrasing , you are letting the person know what you are understanding them to have said. I feel this would be important when working with my mentee because sometimes I may hear something different than what he./she actually means. So if I would paraphrase what I heard and it was not what my mentee actually meant, we can get this cleared up right away.

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Before I viewed the clips on mentor language, I was predicting that I would be very good at this language since I always ask questions to be sure that I am understanding. But in viewing the clip, I realize that I mainly paraphrase. I do not ask for more information of what was said. This will be a langu

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Before I viewed the clip, I was predicting that I would be very good at this mentor language since I am always asking questions to make sure that I am understanding what the person has said. In reality, I am paraphrasing because I am not asking for more information or the reason for what was said. This language will take a little more effort on my part when meeting with my mentee.

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I am constantly reflecting on how my lessons went even after teaching many years. For the first year or two of teaching, the new teacher may be just trying to figure things out. So using mediation language with the mentee would be very helpful to get them to think deeper of how their lesson went and how they can better help meet their students needs.

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I think the key word for using this mentor language is to be specific in your statement with what you saw. By being non-judgemental, you are building trust between you and the mentee and are encouraging them to be risk takers.

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I have been using this language quite often with my mentee but not necessarily using the 5 different types. I mostly give suggestions for what has worked for me or for fellow teachers. I will preface that this is just a suggestion and she should do what she feels most comfortable with or what she feels would work the best for her and her style. There is quite an age gap between us, close to 40 years, so we definitely do not have the same teaching style or expectations of students at this point.

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Between suggestions and teachable moments, these are the 2 mentor languages I tend to use the most as I reflect in our conversations. I find that I also use teachable moments often with my first grade students. When the opportunity presents itself, you seize the moment.

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Paraphrasing is something I do not do very often. This is my first year being a mentor, but I also have my other teaching partner that serves as a mentor to the same person since we all teach kindergarten. I love the idea of paraphrasing because it shows my mentee that I am listening to her and trying to get a better understanding of what she is saying. This is something I'm trying to do more often with my husband as well!

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As I first started watching the video, I thought this was going to be mentor language that I prominently used.  However, by the end I realized that I rarely use this language at school. I also never realized the negative effects "why?" can have. I ask my students "why?" a lot, especially when they made a poor choice. I'm setting myself up for failure in these cases because it causes my students to get defensive right away. Looking back on a few power struggles I've had with my students it now makes sense.

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Mediation questions is a mentor language I do not use frequently. I am always quick to offer suggestions instead of asking deeper level questions. However, I can see the value in questioning to get your mentor to try and come up with an answer on his or her own.

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Non-judgmental responses can be used to encourage mentees. If there happens to be an area where improvement is needed I like to use the sandwich method. I would start off with a positive, something he or she is doing really well with. Then I would bring up any areas where I think improvement is needed(offering tips/suggestions if warranted), and then ending with another positive.

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Suggestions is the type of mentor language that I would say I use the most frequently. I need to be careful though because I recognize that suggestions are not always wanted. Sometimes people just want to vent or have a shoulder they can cry on.

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Teachable moments are my favorite. I wouldn't say I use them very frequently with my mentee, but I use them in my classroom a lot. One of my favorite teachable moments was when my students and I were reading a magazine that brought up gravity. No one knew what gravity was, so we put our magazines to the side and watched Youtube videos of what happens in space when there isn't any gravity. I believe that you can learn a lot from teachable moments. Sometimes more than what any curriculum book can offer.

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I think a big part of paraphrasing is acknowledging what the mentee has said. That way we, as the mentor, can help them most effectively. By restating the question or concern in different words, it allows the mentor and mentee to openly discuss what is happening and options for the situation at hand.

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I use this all the time with my mentee. It opens the door for an open ended conversation about the question or concern that is being presented. Instead of provided the direct answer, I will ask for more information to make sure I am understanding exactly what he is talking about.

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I find myself using these occasionally with my mentee. I ask him often, "How was __ different than when you tried __?" It forces him to think about what went well and what could have gone better. By doing that, he is able to suggest potential solutions and then I can provide feedback. It is more meaningful if he comes up with ideas on his own and I act as a guided support.

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Being specific is huge for a mentee. To be able to point out the positives in a lesson so the mentee knows something is going well. When having to present constructive criticism, it is important to make the mentee feel that they aren't failing and that all teachers have these moments. The important part is to be able to realize our "faults" and grow on them.

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This is the strategy I use the most. I always use my experiences to guide other teachers. I always note that it worked for me but may not work for them but it is a start. We would then discuss how the mentee would change the suggestion into something that would work in their classroom and I would provide feedback based on their response. I also try to offer direct suggestions in certain situations. We always discuss how to make it work in their classroom before we end our discussion.

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These happen all the time when working with students. Sometimes we reflect on our lessons to create a teachable moment for ourselves. My principal is very keen on using teachable moments with his staff and the students. This requires a pretty open and trusting relationship to be able to point out gaps and essentially fill them with something else. I think this is an important skill to use with fellow teachers and with students in certain situations.