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    Better than a buddy system: A framework for new teacher mentoring

    By Leslie Ceballos, Thomas Manning and Sharron Helmke
    April 2025
    In the majority of schools, a new teacher assumes essentially the same responsibilities as an experienced one. This puts the novice teacher — and her students — at a significant disadvantage. New teachers often lack the real-world wisdom, experience, resources, and skills veteran teachers have gained from years of experience. Nationally representative data shows that one in 10 new teachers in the U.S. has no student teaching experience (Podolsky et al., 2016). Furthermore, in 2023 schools in 49 states plus the District of Columbia employed more than 360,00 teachers who were not fully certified, meaning they had little or no training prior to entering the classroom (Tan et al., 2024). To complicate the situation, schools without strong processes and commitments to ensure teachers engage in

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    References

    Bryant, J., Ram, S., Scott, D., & Williams, C. (2023). K-12 teachers are quitting. What would make them stay?McKinsey & Company. tinyurl.com/327edchk

    Ceballos, L., Manning, T., & Helmke, S. (in press). Mentoring new teachers: A framework for growth. Learning Forward.

    Ingersoll, R.M. & Strong, M. (2011). The impact of induction and mentoring programs for beginning teachers: A critical review of the research. Review of Educational Research, 81(2), 201-233.

    Kini, T. & Podolsky, A. (2016). Does teaching experience increase teacher effectiveness? A review of the research. Learning Policy Institute.

    Learning Forward. (2022). Standards for Professional Learning.

    Manning, T. & Bouffard, S. (2020). Mentors make a difference. The Learning Professional, 41(6), 20-23.

    Podolsky, A., Kini, T., Bishop, J., & Darling-Hammond, L. (2016). Solving the teacher shortage: How to attract and retain excellent educators. Learning Policy Institute.

    Tan, T.S., Arellano, I., & Patrick, S.K. (2024). State teacher shortages 2024 update: Teaching positions left vacant or filled by teachers without full certification. Learning Policy Institute.


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    + posts

    Leslie Hirsh Ceballos is an accomplished educator and leader based in Dallas, Texas, currently in her eighth year as an assistant principal, with experience at Brentfield Elementary in Richardson ISD and Boon Elementary in Allen ISD. Previously, she served as a district instructional specialist in Allen ISD, focusing on elementary science and instructional technology, and has also been a campus instructional coach and classroom teacher for 3rd and 6th grades. In addition to her school-based work, Leslie is a senior consultant with Learning Forward, supporting districts across Texas, Kentucky, and Guam in mentoring and teacher development. She is co-authoring a book on mentoring new teachers, expected to be published later this year. Leslie has been married to her husband, Santiago, for 12 years, and they have three children: Emma, 8; Mia, 6; and Luka, 3.

    Tom Manning
    + posts
    Thomas Manning is an educational consultant.
    Sharron Helmke
    Senior Vice President, Professional Services at Learning Forward | + posts

    Sharron Helmke, senior vice president of professional services at Learning Forward, designs and manages the organization’s consulting service programs that support state, regional, and local organizations in translating their improvement and learning goals into custom-designed high-quality professional learning programs that result in scalable and sustainable change. During her twenty-plus years in education she has served in a variety of roles at the campus and district levels, including teacher, instructional coach, and district-based program administrator. She is an international coaching federation certified professional coach, a Gestalt professional coach, and a trauma-informed care provider, all of which inform her approach to supporting educators. She is the author of numerous professional articles, including “To make a difference for every student, give every new teacher a mentor” in the August 2022 issue of The Learning Journal.


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