Mentoring celebrates new and veteran teachers
Teaching is a demanding career, and even the most passionate educators need a strong support system to lean on. Through the Teacher Mentor Program, Dallas ISD ensures that new teachers never have to navigate the profession alone.
By investing in new teachers’ confidence, growth, and long-term success as professionals, Dallas ISD’s mentorship program goes beyond the education code requirement. The program builds nurtured relationships that make a lasting impact.
“It’s exciting to think about the possibilities and the outcomes that will come along with these relationships,” said Beverly Lusk, executive director of the HCM Employee Experience team. “It’s important to us that our mentor teachers can lead and coach with empathy. It also takes great listening skills to truly be a support system for their novice teacher.”
The Teacher Mentor Program connects novice teachers with more experienced teachers who help them maintain morale, confidence, and effectiveness. Mentors meet with their teachers weekly, and often more frequently as relationships grow, offering guidance on classroom management, workload balance, and navigating the many requirements that come with being an educator.
With 840 mentors supporting nearly 1,000 first- and second-year teachers, the program is one of the largest in the state. Across the district, great mentors are effective teachers themselves who are emotionally intelligent and have the capacity to become a safety net for new educators.
This year, veteran teacher mentors are receiving more in-depth, skills-based training and coaching. This layer of additional support strengthens mentor relationships and reinforces Dallas ISD’s culture of belonging.
As National Mentoring Day approaches on Oct. 27, HCM will host its annual mentor-mentee mixer at Dave & Buster’s on Oct. 28. This event will be a time of community and celebration for teachers who have built strong partnerships through the program.
For more information about the District’s Teacher Mentor Program visit https://www.dallasisd.org/teachermentor.
