Tips for Mentors
March 2025
Dear Mentors,
How's the weather over where you live? As spring approaches and seed planting time draws near, it's the perfect moment to reflect on the seeds we wish to plant for our mentees. Just as we carefully select and nurture the seeds in our gardens, we can also consider the guidance and support we provide to help our mentees grow and flourish.
We propose a brainstorm activity with your mentees.
Write down at least three upcoming events or ideas that you might plant a seed about/discuss with your mentee(s).
Examples: spring break prep, end of course exams, an assembly, a unit test, etc.
Invite your mentee (s) to think about what they would like to see flourish in this season. Write each one down on a separate sticky note.
With each sticky note, work with your mentee to think about the following questions:
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What would you like to convey to your mentee regarding the importance of each item?
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How much time and energy do you think each might require and what influenced your thinking about the time needed?
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What might be some of the “need to knows” for each of the items? What might be the “nice to knows” for each?
By addressing these questions, we can cultivate their potential and watch them blossom in the seasons to come 🌷🌸🌼.
March Learning-Focused Conversation
We are excited to continue out discussion around the essential questions from February.
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Mentor reflection: In what ways can I recognize and address my own unconscious biases to ensure I provide equitable and effective support to all my mentees?
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Mentee reflection: In what ways can I help my mentees to recognize and address their own unconscious biases to ensure they provide equitable and effective support to all students?
To gain perspectives on resistant behaviors, we invite you to learn about Historically Responsive Instruction by reading this article with us this month:
Historically Responsive Literacy: A More Complete Education for All Students | Cult of Pedagogy
Join our March Roundtables if you would like to learn what tools you can share with your mentees to help them examine their teacher and student interactions to ensure an identify-safe learning environment.
Use these tools and resources to support educator-student connections and facilitate growth:
- Sign up for our Roundtable in February to learn more here: BEST Mentor Roundtable We sincerely invite you to continue growing your practice as mentors with us!
Connecting to Mentor Standards:
Standard 4: CURRICULUM, INSTRUCTION AND ASSESSMENT
e. Designing Lessons: I engage my mentee in designing lessons focused on authentic engagement,
differentiation, and equitable practices that ensure learning for all students.
Standard 6: EQUITABLE PRACTICES FOR MENTOR AND MENTEE
b. Facilitate Relationship Building: I work to improve awareness and sensitivity toward issues of equity and race (e.g., cultural knowledge, racism, inequities, microaggressions, discriminatory practices) when building and improving relationships with my mentee, students’ families, colleagues, and the community.
c. Promote Classroom Equity: I seek to promote classroom practices that meet the needs of all learners.
Listening Session on Culturally Responsive Education
The Professional Educator Standards Board (PESB) staff wants to hear from P-12 educators!
Are you interested in shaping the conversations around Culturally Responsive Education in Washington State?
PESB staff will be hosting a listening session to discuss Competency, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (CCDEI) standards, and how preparation programs can ensure that all beginning educators are prepared to be culturally responsive educators.
- What are the culturally responsive instructional and assessment strategies you are using to help students succeed academically?
- How can educator preparation programs ensure beginning educators are prepared to be culturally responsive educators?
- How are you creating and leading for equity?
If you are interested in sharing your thoughts on the above questions and attending this session, please register at your earliest convenience.
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DATE
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TOPIC
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REGISTRATION
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Thurs. March 13, 2025, 4-6 pm
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Culturally Responsive and Inclusionary Practices
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Zoom Registration
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BEST Grantee Convening: Promising Practices
March 18, 2025
0830-1230
Contact your district BEST coordinators/leaders for registration link!
Convening registration is still available!
If you're a BEST grantee or a mentor, you're welcome to join our convening to be in BEST community and learn about promising practices in our State.
Take a look at the Convening Program here:
2025 BEST Grantee Convening
Do you have questions about the Convening? Check out our FAQ here:
2025 BEST Grantee Convening FAQ
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