In the age of personal learning and pro-d much is written about the benefit of Twitter and other web-based collaborative forums. At the same time many schools and districts have established programs for new teachers in their schools. But what if yours doesn’t? What if you aren’t ‘new’ – just new to some aspect of your teaching? When I was beginning my foray into technology I faced the same issue. How can you find those elusive mentors?

Ask your librarian! No one in the school gets to see a broader range of teachers, approaches and techniques. When I began talking to our librarian about some tech discoveries I was making she was quick to point out other teachers in our school who were also following that path. Its amazing what you learn by just putting your wish out there and your librarian is one of the best to help you.

Think about how you teach – not what you teach! I found a lot of ideas from teachers who weren’t in my department but who did teach classes that required students to experiment and collaborate. My colleagues in the science department were the first to bring their laptops into the classroom – and I rely on them a lot. They also know a lot about ‘lab’ based learning and, therefore, have some policies/procedures that helped me in my language activities.

Smile – and get walking! One of my most generous mentors is @jonhamlin. I began to learn from  him by simply seeing what was going on in his classroom as I walked by on the way to the photocopier. Eventually I engaged him in conversation and he is open to my asking informal questions when they occurred. Another colleague was reviewing on-line class discussion items as I passed by.  I have gleaned ideas from others by seeing what as posted on their walls, or what was onscreen in their room.

Finding your in-school mentors requires you to be active, involved and have some personal initiative. And isn’t that what a good learner should be?

Colleen