1. Match Mentors with Newly Hired Teachers
   Proximity and availability between the mentor and beginning teacher facilitates the mentoring process. For special education teachers at different sites, it might be useful to have a mentor at the school to assist with building operations and a special education mentor to assist with curricular and teaching strategy issues. Mentor and beginning teachers who teach at the same grade levels can share content and instructional methodology. Matches in gender, age, teaching philosophies, and personality types can also enhance the mentor-protege relationship.
2. Introduce Mentor Program
   Content for support programs for the beginning teachers includes:
   • Content/subject matter
   • Methods to present content to students using appropriate tools
   • Opportunities for reflection on their own practices
   • Informal and established emotional and social support systems
3. Provide Joint Mentor-Beginning Teacher Training and Inservice
   • Define roles
   • Discuss goals for mentoring
   • Provide mentor training

Click for strategies both mentors and supervisors can use
to make beginning teachers successful during their first year of teaching.