MentorMeEdu

Where do I even begin?  😀

When I applied for the Los Angeles cohort of the Google Innovator program earlier this year, the problem in education that I identified as being passionate about solving was that of new teacher attrition.  After going though the design thinking process at the academy, I decided that I was going to work on this issue from the angle of a virtual mentoring program.

This is definitely a passion project of mine!  I don't get paid for this.  I just want to make a difference!  I am soooooo passionate about helping new teachers remain in the teaching profession and I truly believe that having a virtual mentor, someone that is non biased, not in the same school or district, is a VALUABLE resource for new teachers!  When I was a new teacher, I had a mentor in my school (that didn't REALLY mentor me) and I had a mentor at the district who was awesome.  Along the way of my educational career, I've gained a TON more mentors that have assisted me and guided me.  As a new teacher, having an innovative, seasoned, passionate mentor in my corner would have been priceless!  I STRIVE to make this a reality for new teachers so they NEVER consider leaving the teaching profession.  So that they won't get burned out.  So that they will ALWAYS remember their calling to teach and to make a difference in the lives of the students that they have the pleasure of interacting with each and every day!

Fast forward!!!  I have been assigned an AMAZING mentor, Quin Henderson (@qhenderson) who is also a Google Innovator and is seeking to solve teacher attrition through a different means.  Quin has created EdTrex that seeks to keep educators passionate about teaching so they don't leave through creating meaningful experiences!  Check out more about this awesomeness here:  https://edtrex.net/

After bouncing ideas off of him, continuous brainstorming and a LOT of research, I have been able to accomplish a lot of things!  In an attempt to toot my own horn, be my own cheerleader, and take a look at the progress that I've made, here is what I've done since leaving the academy in July:

• Launched MentorMeEdu!!!
• Created a twitter handle. @mentormeedu
• Created a website. www.mentormeedu.org
• Created interest videos and put them out into the world!
• Successfully recruited a pool of 30 PHENOMENAL mentors ready to serve new teachers.  I mean seriously....if you saw some of the names on this list, you'd be blown away!  I am so blessed that so many of you believe in this passion project of mine!  Eeeeekkkk!!!!  With this, with you believing in me and this work, I KNOW that I have to be successful in making it happen!
• Started the matching process of new teachers to virtual mentors.
• Have started creating the monthly focus/monthly curriculum that new teachers and mentors will use as a guide for their monthly meetings.
• Set up a MentorMeEdu Slack account to continue to engage both new teachers and virtual mentors.
• Reached out to various new teacher organizations in an effort to recruit new teachers to become a part of MentorMeEdu.

The one area that I am needing to grow is in building the pool of new teachers interested in receiving a virtual mentor.  I believe that there is not only power in celebrating the successes of what I've been able to accomplish, but that I also need to be transparent and vulnerable about where my areas of opportunity are as well.  

So what do I want to continue to accomplish?  By putting this out there, into the world, I am going to be held accountable to make sure these things happen!  Before the end of the 2018-2019 school year, I want to do the following:

• Start a MentorMeEdu podcast where I interact with new teachers and veteran teachers/teacher mentors about their successes and failures along the way.
• Successfully recruit, match and engage with at least 30 new teacher/virtual mentor pairs.
• Continue to tweet consistently and build social media presence about this passion of mine.
• Present somewhere all about my journey of creating MentorMeEdu and it's impact on new teachers and virtual mentors.  

I am so excited about the future of MentorMeEdu and it's impact that I KNOW it will have on both new teachers and virtual mentors.  I am still working and making changes so that it becomes a valuable tool for all of those that join the MentorMeEdu family!  

How can you help?  I'm glad you asked!  Here you go!

• Follow us on Twitter @MentorMeEdu and retweet the tweets!
• Share MentorMeEdu with new teachers interested in receiving a virtual mentor!
• If you're a veteran teacher, become a virtual mentor!
• Spread the word!
• Send me ideas of how to grow MentorMeEdu!

Thanks so much for allowing me to be vulnerable about this journey.  Thanks for celebrating my tiny successes with me.  Thanks for any and all suggestions/help/good vibes that you send my way!  I LOVE my PLN and know that I couldn't do this without you support and guidance along the way.  For that I thank you!