What Six ELP Participants Said About the Pilot Program

From day one, the ELP program was designed to provide New Teachers with professional support to help them gain confidence and competence faster.

This support would come from veteran teachers in their school building (Building Mentors) and who teach the same grade level and/or subject matter (Virtual Instructional Coaches). 

For our Building Mentors and Virtual Instructional Coaches, it was an opportunity to grow as a professional educator, give back to the profession, and provide the support they had - or wish they had - when they embarked on their teaching career. 

As the two-year ELP pilot program comes to a close this spring, we wanted to find out from those in the program: Did our program work as intended?

When we launched the pilot, our Executive Director, Dan Burkhalter, wrote, “If we can reach new teachers with the right resources and support to help them succeed, we can advance the profession, help school districts address issues with retention, and enrich student learning.”

Here’s what six participants had to say.

New Teachers Valued the Supportive Community and Advice They Received  

We reached out to three New Teachers to understand what aspect of the program and what advice had the biggest impact on them. 

All agreed that having the space to talk to and learn from other teachers was especially beneficial. “The most impactful aspect of the ELP program has been getting to connect with other new and veteran teachers and be open about the highs and lows of teaching within a supportive community,” Matthew Thomas, a sixth and seventh grade math teacher, said. 

Jeyson Seneli, a Spanish 1 and 2 teacher, agreed. “The breakout meetings and the opportunities to talk with other teachers and hear them share their experiences was the most impactful for me.” 

“My mentor really understood me and was there for me when I needed advice,” Maria Colosimo,  an elementary school art teacher in Minnesota, told us.

As for the advice they got? Across the board, it is evergreen advice that will stay with them for the rest of their lives.

“The best advice that I received when I started my teaching career was to focus only on what mattered the most, in and out of school,” Matthew responded. “This has helped me keep my priorities in check.”

“Remember to balance my work, take time for myself, and care for my mental health to avoid burnout,” Maria shared.

“Ask for help when I need it and be mindful of myself,” Jeyson said. “Understand that my capacity to handle stress does have a limit. I need to take care of my mental health before reaching the burnout stage.” 

Building Mentors and Virtual Instructional Coaches Appreciated the Professional Development 

When we reached out to Building Mentors and Virtual Instructional Coaches, we wanted to know what they found beneficial about their role during the ELP pilot and the feedback they received from New Teachers. (In a fun coincidence, all three teachers we spoke with are high school English teachers.)

A theme clearly emerged: The professional development each veteran teacher received was welcomed and greatly appreciated. 

Kristina Pittman, who served as a Building Mentor, said she has learned valuable lessons about mentoring, “especially the importance of co-teaching and modeling; the need to support a teacher through the change process; the importance of building strong, trusting relationships; the importance of inquiry-based reflection and inquiry-based learning; and the need for open communication and dialogue with teachers and administrators.”  

Aric Foster echoed Kristina’s experience. As a Virtual Instructional Coach, he found it “useful to review coaching strategies for working with emerging educators. Not enough time and resources are spent on developing strong mentors (in education certainly, but probably in other fields as well).

Ing-Mari Ryan, also a Virtual Instructional Coach, specifically called out the training our partner, the Danielson Group, provided. “It was high quality and well constructed,” she noted. “I learned from both the content and the process of the sessions. I especially benefited from how we studied the rubric in a holistic way.”

Feedback From New Teachers Reinforced Our Theory: Professional Support Matters

The feedback they received from New Teachers reinforced the theory we tested during this pilot program: New teachers need professional support to stay in the profession. 

“The New Teachers I worked with have consistently expressed their gratitude for having a mentor to turn to when they have questions or concerns,” Kristina continued. “One new teacher said, ‘I definitely wouldn't return to teaching next year if I didn't have this support system in place.’” 

Ing-Mari’s mentees provided similar feedback: “They felt they were able to count on the relationships they developed through ELP.”

Feedback from Aric’s mentees reflected the broader struggles of new teachers around the country. “They are hopeful and ambitious, but also cautious and a bit leery,” he said. “They are excited to make a difference in the lives of young people but are unsure how to best help them navigate growing issues in the lives of school age children: school shootings, cyber bullying, mental health awareness, etc.” 

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This summer, we will work with Digital Promise to fully assess the program’s effectiveness at supporting and retaining New Teachers. 

As for what’s next, we are working with our teachers’ union partners in the Midwest to expand the program to new school districts in their states. We will share more details soon!