Professional Development | ISTE 2014 Coverage

Online Ask a Mentor Service Pairs New Teachers with Experienced Educators

• By Stephen Noonoo
• 07/01/14

Torsh is teaming up with New Teacher Center (NTC) for a new teacher mentorship service, "Ask a Mentor," which will give teachers on-demand access to teaching mentors who can provide them with feedback and support.

Educators will be matched with an NTC mentor who will collaborate with them via an online platform. New teachers can request feedback through scheduled video chats or asynchronous messages. Teachers can also share video of their classroom with mentors in order to get direct feedback on instructional practice and student engagement. Mentors will continue the conversation by posing questions to their teachers and helping them map out improvement strategies.

"It would be phenomenal if every new teacher in the country had access to the support of a mentor and a high-quality new teacher induction program," said Ellen Moir, New Teacher Center founder and CEO in a statement. "While we work on making this vision a reality, we believe 'Ask a Mentor' can help greater numbers of new teachers across the country become more effective by accessing the expert guidance of specially-trained, accomplished teachers."

Initially, the service, released now in beta, will focus on teachers in STEM subjects for grades 6-12. It will see a formal launch in late August in time for the new school year. Both companies are attending the ISTE conference in Atlanta through July 1, at booth 1826.