Mentor vs Coach

    These readings reminded me of my mentor during my first year of teaching. The numerous amounts of emails received in a day and the large classes filled with students caused much anxiety for me during the first week. My mentor provided so much emotional support for me and used his past experiences to alleviate the chaotic scene of a school at times. I found it extremely relatable when Grossman & Davis  (2012), stated "Most mentoring seems to focus on providing emotional support, helping teachers navigate the challenges of the first year of teaching" (p. 2). I also witnessed a first year teacher in our high school leave in less than two weeks. He was not given any mentorship or administrative support throughout the whole process. 

    Many of these readings have correlated with my past experiences as a teacher. My second year of teaching, things had slowed down. The job had slowed down enough for me to start focusing on improvement with my instructional practices. My instructional coach helped me achieve many of my goals. I wanted the absolute truth from him during his assessment of me. I was constantly asking questions and setting aside my ego in order to improve my educational practices for my students. According to Morel (2019), "To make the most of coaching, ask questions, bring a positive attitude, show up, work hard, dig deep, and stay accountable" ( p. 5). The same exact effort I wanted my football players to bring to practice and their football games, I was bringing towards my instructional coach. 

    Im extremely thankful for the support my mentor and coach provided for me. I think for educators, it is extremely important to have these programs in place for all teachers. We all need help sometimes. Even something as small as a simple conversation can go a long way in not feeling so alone at times. Having administrative support is also crucial. Many administrators were once teachers who taught in a classroom. They can also play such a huge role in helping teachers develop appropriately. Mentoring helped me adjust to the new environment and coaching helped me "improve my instructional practices in order to increase student learning" (Oliver , 2007, p. 1).

References: 

Grossman, P., & Davis , E. (2012). Mentoring That Fits . ASCD .

     https://www.ascd.org/el/articles/mentoring-that-fits

Morel, N. (2019). How To Get The Most Out OF A Coaching Session . ASCD.

     https://www.ascd.org/el/articles/how-to-get-the-most-out-of-a-coaching-session

Oliver , B. (2007). Just for the ASKing! IV(IX).