DOE mentoring program aims to support new teachers

Gina Sershen, a fifth grade science teacher at Brandon Valley Intermediate School, remembers well the first few years of her teaching career. “I felt overwhelmed,” she said. “I came into a room that had a chalkboard and a stack of books, and I had to make everything up from there. My first two years were trial and error, and now I look back, and I shake my head. I think, ‘what was I doing?’”

Remembering that feeling is why now, more than 20 years later, Sershen serves as a mentor for the Department of Education’s (DOE) mentoring program. “I’m happy to help,” she said. “When I think of that overwhelmed feeling, I still remember that, and I want to help new teachers who might be dealing with that.”

The DOE’s mentoring program is designed to help new teachers find their footing as they begin their career in education. The program pairs a new teacher in their first or second year of teaching with an experienced educator who serves as a mentor. The mentor provides support and guidance as the new teacher leads their students in learning.

Mentors can help in any area the new teacher asks of them. The DOE’s mentoring program holds webinars in specific areas such as classroom management and student engagement, but all areas are up for discussion in the mentor-new teacher relationship.

“I start with sharing curriculum to help them get on their feet,” said Sershen. “I help them get started with ideas for the classroom as a whole at first, and then I help them with special education needs – paperwork and how to modify classes to meet the needs of all students. Then, if they’re having behavior issues in the classroom, I’ll step in with that as well.”

The DOE’s mentoring program also includes a Summer Mentoring Academy, an event that features speakers who discuss common early-career situations and how teachers can tackle them. In order to complete the program, new teachers and their mentors must attend two webinars, the Summer Mentoring Academy, and a kickoff event that is held in the fall. Mentors must spend 35 hours with their new teachers throughout the year.

The mentoring program is currently taking applications from mentors and new teachers. Sershen says she recommends that both veteran and new teachers sign up for the program. “I think it’s super important for our young teachers to feel comfortable and successful in their first years,” she said. “It’s a wonderful program, and it’s not just wonderful for the mentee – it’s been great for me too. You can learn from each other. I’ve had new teachers teach me about technology-related things while I’m helping them set up their classroom. You both can learn so much.”

Mentors who fulfill all of the participation requirements received a $1,000 stipend per new teacher from the DOE for their work. If all program requirements are met, both mentors and teachers receive program completion certificates that can be used towards recertification requirements.

To learn more about the DOE’s mentoring program, and to apply, visit the DOE’s mentoring webpage. New teachers and mentors must apply by Sept. 2.