Mentors Need Mentors, Too!
by Dana Phillips
What Gives?
Too often, when someone steps into a leadership role, the support they once received disappears. One day, they’re recognized for their potential—‘We see you, we believe in you, take on this challenge!’—and the next, they’re left to navigate the role on their own. I’ve seen this pattern again and again in education. The excitement and honor fade quickly as the reality of new responsibilities sets in: ‘Wait, I’m supposed to do what? How? With whom?’
Many new leaders push forward, figuring things out as they go. Some manage to thrive by seeking out colleagues and resources, but others struggle—feeling overwhelmed, disheartened, or even burned out. Why does this happen? Why do we assume that just because someone excelled in the classroom, they automatically have the skills to succeed in leadership?
Maybe it’s because we’ve seen these leaders-to-be in action in their classrooms, in our meetings, or within their extra duties. They are ready, competent, and willing. They are well liked by their peers, embedded in the potential of their campuses, and perform well on their teacher assessment metric. Unfortunately, that is just not enough.
Each school year, highly rated teachers are tasked with supporting the newest on the educational block and at the end of each year, many of those same teachers do not want to take on the task again, or may even want to leave the teaching profession altogether. Let’s do something about that! If you’re a district leader, campus administrator, or educator looking for a way to retain and support teacher leaders, the solution is clear—mentors need mentors, too!
The TxCEE Mentoring Program ensures mentors have the training, tools, and support to succeed. Here’s how we make it happen: We train and support campus-based teacher Mentors so they can be effective and want to continue on in their leadership role.
From Skeptic to Advocate: A Mentor’s Story
At a summer institute, I met Kitty Springhart, a PK teacher from South San Antonio ISD. She was kind, attentive, and engaged in the training—but unsure about mentoring. She showed up every day with a smile, ready to collaborate, but mentoring? She had not bought into the idea that she was a good fit. She would share that she just wasn’t sure about the whole mentoring thing: the time, the expectations. She had been teaching for years, was set in her ways, and had started thinking about retirement.
By October something shifted. Month after month, when Kitty and I met for our Fireside Chats to reflect on her work as a mentor supporting a novice teacher who came to teaching after a career as an engineer, she was energized, enthusiastic, and engaged! Kitty had a renewed vigor and felt more connected to her campus. She attributes it to the support she received from the TxCEE Mentoring Program. Not only does she want to continue mentoring, she doesn’t want to quit teaching!
Multi-tiered Mentoring for Mentors
Let’s look more closely at how the TxCEE Mentoring Program mentors campus-based teacher Mentors like Ms. Springhart. With a multi-tiered system of support, campus-based teacher Mentors are trained and supported at every level.
- First, we provide 12 hours of foundational training. In foundational training, mentors learn what it truly means to support a novice teacher. They explore how mentoring influences both teacher growth and student outcomes, impacting behavior and academics alike. Participants also learn coaching tools and practice the skills to mentor within TxCEE’s Architecture of Coaching model: goal set, plan, implement, analyze, reflect, and adjust.
- Next, we meet with mentors during monthly one-on-one Fireside Chats (FSC) to look closely at our mentoring success standards, set mentoring goals, check-in on the coaching work being done with their novice teacher, and provide Mentor coaching when problems of practice inevitably arise.
- In addition to providing essential one-on-one time with a TxCEE Mentor, the program brings all campus-based teacher Mentors together each month for review, collaboration, training, and support. Calling the Virtual Collaborative Learning Community (VCLC) the shining star of the TxCEE Mentoring Program is an understatement.
When teacher Mentors from El Paso to Houston, Amarillo to the Rio Grande Valley, and cities in between come together, something powerful happens. They share real challenges, exchange strategies, and support each other in ways that transform their mentoring practice. The VCLC builds confidence, deepens coaching skills, and creates a network of mentors who learn from one another in real time. It turns isolated experiences into shared growth, ensuring that no mentor feels alone in their role. The impact is undeniable—mentors mentoring mentors, strengthening schools, and shaping the next generation of educators.
- Lastly, our campus-based teacher mentors are provided with an opportunity to have a Mirror Session to share a video of one of the FSC coaching conversations and receive feedback on a Mentor goal. Although we all get nervous being recorded, the mentors come back happy to have had the experience.
Ms. Springhart, for one, only recorded as a favor to me, her TxCEE Mentor Coach; she was not thrilled. She doesn’t like to see herself on camera, and she feels with the video rolling her conversations are inauthentic. Once more however, she was delighted with the outcome and the insights it provided. She was able to reflect on her coaching language, her tone, body language, and questioning. She noticed how she provided feedback and that her paraphrasing helped slow down the conversation and anchor back to the purpose of the coaching session. And, she said she would submit another video for additional feedback!
Mentoring mentors works!
Join Us
If your district is looking to strengthen or launch a mentoring program, the TxCEE Mentoring Program is the solution. As a certified TEA vendor, we align with both T-TESS and TIA, ensuring high-quality, research-based support for mentors.
What sets us apart? We are educators, supporting educators. Our team understands the realities of the classroom and campus life, we design training and resources that are both practical and impactful. We believe in the power of communication, collaboration, and mentorship to develop teacher leaders who inspire and retain great educators.
Let’s build a strong pipeline of teacher leaders together! Contact us today to learn how the TxCEE Mentoring Program can support your district.