Education Law

Can E-Mentors Save the Day?

A common thread among administrators, teachers, school board members, and other education professionals is that good teachers make the difference. If a district can keep good teachers and help them mentor younger teachers, that helps the future of America even more. It seems so simple, but it's what we at BoardBuzz read and hear all the time. Maybe that's why the story about E-mentors from Edutopia caught our eye.

Go back five years--In 2003 we were at the beginning of the war in Iraq, blogs were still a relatively new idea for mainstream America, Myspace was recently invented, Facebook wasn't even launched yet, and SMS texting on your cell phone was a crazy new concept. Many of those students in college who were at the cusp of the creation of these tech-savvy and now mainstream mediums are entering their first year as teachers. Is it realistic that they will want to be mentored by teachers who don't embrace the technology driven society we live in today? Fast forward five years--In 2013 will those who are new teachers now share their wealth? What will we evolve into for teacher leaders and mentors in the next five years?

Edutopia's article showcases some of the ways new teachers can query about a topic or discuss some challenge that they have faced recently. What's more impressive is that it allows teachers to cross borders. Teachers often face similar challenges, whether it's an urban teacher who feels like they're in over their head, a suburban teacher who feels in over their head, or a rural teacher who feels in over their head (yes, it's common). In the past new teachers were limited to those in their building to seek help. E-mentors can be in any state or city, providing wisdom and experienced advice for the novice teacher. If this can help good teachers become great, and keep those great teachers in districts that seek excellence every day, then E-mentoring is an outstanding way to start this school year.

Full post as published by BoardBuzz: NSBA's Daily Weblog on September 09, 2008 (boomark / email).