From the President

By Kristin Michalski

When scrolling through my Facebook feed, I was asked by an educational organization, “What are you grateful for?” My response was “All the teacher mentors I’ve had in my 30-year career. They made me the teacher I am today.” I truly believe as a teacher and member of WSST, mentorship has played a major role in my development as an educator.

My first experience with mentorship occurred with my science methods class at UWM and my advisor and WSST member, Craig Berg. He first connected me to WSST by requiring a presentation at the conference’s Exploratorium. This was my very first conference. It took me a few years into my teaching to attend another conference, but I was encouraged by another teacher and WSST member, Marian Schraufnagel, to do a presentation with her. This led me to have the confidence to do presentations on my own at future conferences. I first became a conference committee member when Dick Seng invited me to be a member of his team. One of our goals as an organization is to match mentors with mentees at conferences and beyond.

The greatest benefit to a mentee is the source of knowledge that an experienced mentor has to offer. They can provide insight into a lesson or a problem. Using their shared experience, they can offer suggestions and guidance to work through development of a science unit or dealing with a challenging student. These teachers can share their mistakes and lessons learned from their own experience. As new teachers navigate through challenges, they can tap into the vast resources a veteran can provide and know they are not alone.

Another benefit to mentorship is providing someone to listen. New teachers can brainstorm ideas and mentors can offer advice and constructive criticism. This is done without judgment, and the mentee knows someone is listening and on their team. This supports growth by helping the mentee focus their efforts by helping them set goals and offer feedback and encouragement. It is about forming trust and helping one another toward goals

Networking is a powerful tool in a mentoring relationship. Experienced mentors can offer connections to their networks such as our statewide organizations, WSST or local groups such as WESTA (WI Earth Science Teachers Association) and MAPS (Milwaukee Area Physics Share). These networks are about sharing, rather than taking. Mentees gain new insights outside their or their mentor’s classroom. These connections lead to expanding best practices and content knowledge.

As I write about the advantages of mentorship on the mentee, I’m struck by how both the mentee and the m entor relationship result in the same benefits as mentioned above but so much more. It is an interconnected relationship. Mentees help mentors… ● Gain perspective ● Learn new or forgotten research-based strategies ● Improve leadership skills ● Rediscover excitement in the classroom/WSST conference ● Make connections outside the classroom ● Reignite their passion for education ● Recognize their own strengths and weaknesses

The 2023 WSST Conference is in Madison, March 9-11. I challenge you to find someone who has yet to attend the conference and bring them to Madison. If you have not attended the conference and are looking for a mentor, WSST will partner you with someone who can help you navigate the conference or life as a teacher. My Facebook comment on gratitude found its way into a national magazine because those in education know that teaching doesn’t exist in a vacuum that we need support from those around us.