thementoree

In the latest installment of our Letters From The Mentoree series for host, associate, collaborating, and cooperating teachers, as well as mentors, Noa Daniel, Iolanda Volpe, and Denise Furlong, Ed.D., explore a simple but powerful idea: the greatest gift a mentor offers isn't certainty, but presence, curiosity, and the willingness to learn alongside others.

When mentors make their own learning visible, they empower teacher candidates to become reflective, confident professionals—ready not just to teach, but to keep learning throughout their careers.

How do we move beyond being the person with all the answers and instead become the person who helps others keep learning? We'd love to hear your thoughts.

https://open.substack.com/pub/thementoree/p/your-presence-is-the-present?r=5hsz9j&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true

Every strong mentorship begins with a relationship.

In the latest Letters from The Mentoree, Noa Daniel, Iolanda Volpe, and Denise Furlong, Ed.D look at how to build a supportive relationship with your teacher candidate mentee.

Discover practical ways to foster safe, supportive connections that lead to a more meaningful and rewarding practicum experience—for mentors, mentees, and ultimately, students.

Read it here:

Knowing Your Mentee Before Growing Your Mentee Building safe and supportive connections while getting to know your mentee lays the groundwork for a fulfilling practicum experience for Mentor Teachers.

Different faculties use different terms—host teacher, associate teacher, cooperating teacher, collaborating teacher—but regardless of the title, any educator who opens their classroom to a teacher candidate is stepping into a mentorship role.

In our latest *Letter from The Mentoree*, we invite educators to consider what shifts when we view this essential role through the lens of mentorship rather than modelling. What happens when the goal is not to create a copy of ourselves, but to support another educator in developing their own professional voice and practice?

https://thementoree.substack.com/p/host-teachers-are-mentors?r=5hsz9j

We would love to hear your thoughts.

How do you view your role when supporting a teacher candidate? What does mentorship look like in your classroom?

Host Teachers Are Mentors Creating Practicum Experiences Rooted in Growth, Agency, and Belonging

In this final Letters from The Mentoree in this series written by Noa Daniel Dr Denise Furlong and iolanda volpe, directed to preservice teachers, we encourage all course instructors and professors to consider using these letters with their teacher candidates.

These pieces were written to validate, challenge, encourage, and humanize the journey of becoming a teacher. If they can help spark meaningful dialogue, reflection, or connection for even one teacher candidate, then they have done what they were meant to do.

Where do preservice teachers turn for help?
Perhaps part of the answer is: toward one another, toward mentorship, and toward communities willing to hold honest conversations about the realities of teaching and learning.

https://thementoree.substack.com/p/where-do-you-turn-for-help?r=5hsz9j

In this 4th letter to Preservice Teachers, Noa Daniel iolanda volpe and Denise Furlong, Ed.D share the value of actively seeking the people you need to support, challenge, guide, and teach you.

You may be lucky to find this in one person but, more likely, it is about building your network with a bevy of people.

Seek widely, choose wisely.

Find your flock.

https://open.substack.com/pub/thementoree/p/find-your-flock?r=5hsz9j&utm_medium=ios

Thank you to .mentoring.association for a wonderful few days of learning, networking, and connecting ideas around mentorship from across industries, k12, higher ed, and more. So much to unpack!

Congrats to Dr. Ben Kutsyuruba of for officially beginning his time as IMA president!

“A Jedi uses the Force for knowledge and defence—never for attack.” — Yoda

Mentorship is no different.

If you’re using your experience to:
- prove a point
- shut down ideas
- position yourself as the expert

That’s not mentorship.

Mentorship uses knowledge to:
- build confidence
- protect space for growth
- guide without controlling

The goal isn’t to create someone in your image.

It’s to support someone in becoming their own.

Because in mentorship—just like in Star Wars—
power isn’t defined by what you know,

but by how you choose to use it.

May the Fourth be with you.

Should I stay or should I go?

In this latest Letters from The Mentoree, Noa Daniel and Iolanda Volpe share insights on why teachers remain in the profession, despite the unending challenges.

We hope this piece is helpful and reminds you that mentorship has a role to play in curbing attition and helping teachers remind themselves why they love teaching.

https://open.substack.com/pub/thementoree/p/attrition-and-retention?r=5hsz9j&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true