Get More From Mentor Meetings: Bring One Problem, Some Evidence, and a Rehearsal

October 31, 2026 Two illustrated armchairs facing each other across a small round table with two mugs and an open book, with a speech bubble above each chair.

Two illustrated armchairs facing each other across a small round table with two mugs and an open book, with a speech bubble above each chair.

You have probably been told to find a mentor. You may not have been told how to use one. The result is a familiar meeting: a quick check-in, a list of everything that feels hard, some kind encouragement, and a few ideas that are too general to try tomorrow.

Tip 29 in the book is about finding mentors: identify the right people, ask well, and build mentoring relationships that can change as your career changes. The site's Try this tomorrow move for Tip 29 is small. Choose one person whose practice you respect, ask one concrete question, then follow up after you try the advice.

The follow-up is the part that turns advice into growth.

Why structure helps

A review of 15 studies of induction and mentoring for beginning teachers found that most showed positive effects on teachers' commitment and retention, their classroom practices, and their students' achievement. The studies varied in their data and methods, each had limitations, and there were exceptions (Ingersoll & Strong, 2011). Mentoring is worth your time. A clear structure helps you get more out of it.

Tip 38 adds a useful frame: theory from school does not equal practice. Use theory as a guide while letting classroom experience, evidence, and reflection refine your judgment. A good mentor meeting is where that refining happens.

Step 1: Name one problem of practice

A narrow question creates a more useful conversation than a general request for advice. "Classroom management is hard" is too broad. "My directions for group work take too long and students still ask what to do" is something a mentor can help with in twenty minutes.

Ask yourself: what specific classroom moment or instructional decision do I want help with?

Step 2: Bring a little evidence

Bring just enough evidence for both of you to see the same problem. What happened, and what have you already tried? Keep it free of student names and identifying details. A count, a short description, or a sample of anonymous work is usually enough.

Step 3: Ask to rehearse

This is the step that changes the meeting. Instead of asking only for advice, ask to practice a move, language, or decision before you use it live. Say the direction out loud. Run the first two minutes of the lesson. Let your mentor stop you where it gets unclear.

Step 4: Commit to one next step

End with one action, a day you will try it, and the evidence you will both look at next time. That last part sets the agenda for the next meeting before you leave this one.

A classroom example

The free Mentor Meeting Planner on the site includes a completed example.

The problem of practice is: my directions for group work take too long and students still ask what to do. The evidence: three groups asked for the first step again during yesterday's lesson. The rehearsal request: listen while I practice a 30-second direction and tell me where it becomes unclear. The next step: use the revised direction Thursday and bring the student task completion notes next week.

That meeting has a clear start, a practice moment, and a reason to meet again. It also gives the mentor something specific to respond to, which makes the mentor's job easier too.

Finding the right person

Your assigned mentor may not be the best person for every problem. The Tip 29 page asks a helpful question: whose judgment do you trust for the problem you are facing now? A colleague down the hall who runs smooth group work may be the right person for this one question, even if they are not your official mentor.

Sources

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. https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654311403323

Site references

Tip 29: Finding Mentors to Support and Empower Your Teaching Career
Tip 38: Theory from School Does Not Equal Practice
Free resource: Mentor Meeting Planner, including its completed example
Book: Crush It from the Start: 50 Tips for New Teachers by Dr. Matthew Rhoads, Dr. Samantha Fecich, Dr. Casey Jakubowski, and Dr. Kevin Leichtman (SchoolRubric Inc., 2022)

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