These Rutgers Alternate Route Mentors Share Why Mentorship Matters

Rutgers Alternate Route candidates are fortunate to learn from some of the best educators in New Jersey. During candidates’ time in the Alternate Route program, they develop life-changing relationships with their mentors, receiving advice they carry throughout their education careers.

In these relationships, mentors and mentees give equally. The mentees receive from seasoned colleagues valuable practical guidance that is not always gained through formal instruction, and the mentors reap the rewards of watching their mentees successfully implement suggested strategies or improve their own teaching practice with fresh ideas that new teachers introduce in their classrooms.

We often hear how mentors have helped their mentees succeed, but what if we shared the positive impact mentees have had on their mentors?

We asked our mentors to share what they love about their mentees and how they helped make the recent school year successful. 

Why do new educators need mentorship to succeed?
 

“I believe that mentorship is a critical component in the new educator’s success. The mentor serves as their go-to person and their support system whenever they need help navigating their new teaching career. The mentor is that shoulder that the mentee can lean on and cry on when they need it.”

Assumpta Foy, who teaches French and mentored Marjorie 

“New educators greatly benefit from mentorship because it provides the guidance, support and encouragement they need to navigate the challenges of the classroom. Mentorship helps them build confidence, refine their teaching strategies and gain practical insights from someone with experience. It also fosters a sense of community and collaboration, ensuring they don’t feel isolated in their journey. Through mentorship, new educators can thrive in their roles and make a lasting impact on their students.”

Brittany Nilsen, who is a Supervisor of Early Childhood Education and mentored Alma

“New educators have a higher success rate with a mentor because educators have many responsibilities both inside and outside of the classroom. A school community has many layers, between policies, procedures, norms, and culture. It's easy to get overwhelmed, as you're learning how to be the best you can be for your students and the community you serve. A mentor allows the new educator to have a ‘one-stop’ resource anchor. A given ‘person in your corner’ who's looking out for their wellbeing and offering advice and support.”

Crystal Piro, who teaches Biology and mentored Dennis 

“There are so many aspects to teaching that are not fully taught in school, so I think it's really important for new educators to have a strong mentor who can help them navigate ALL the facets of teaching and managing a classroom environment. My mentee and I work in a specialized classroom environment where teachers are responsible for not just educating students, but also supervising multiple paraprofessionals in our classroom. This adds a dynamic to the classroom that requires certain management and leadership skills. I think it's helpful to have a mentor who can provide guidance in regards to leadership, conflict management and how to handle staff, not just students.”

Matthew Ryan, who teaches Special Education and mentored Robin

“I think that new educators need mentorship to succeed because it will help them to learn information about building protocols, discipline process and classroom management in a way that they would not know if they didn't receive that additional support they receive from a mentor.”

Elizabeth Sanabria, who teaches Spanish and mentored Maisha
 

How did mentorship help your career?
 

“Mentorship helped me a lot in my career. As an immigrant, my mentor did not only help me in my teaching, but she also gave me advice on the social and cultural domains that I still use today. My mentor helped me every step of the way during my first year of teaching and after. My mentor gave me valuable pointers and advice that helped me grow into the 20-plus year educator that I am today.”

Assumpta Foy

“Mentorship has been invaluable in my career, offering me both guidance and the opportunity to reflect on my own practice. Having mentors allowed me to feel supported, especially in those first few years when I was navigating the demands of teaching. It helped me develop effective teaching methods, understand student needs better, and refine my leadership skills. The mentorship relationship not only accelerated my growth but also deepened my commitment to the profession.”

Brittany Nilsen

“Mentorship provided me with the help and support needed to navigate a new school community and the ins and outs of being an educator.”

Crystal Piro

“Mentorship is not just beneficial for the mentee but also the mentor. I always say that I learn more about myself through working with my students, and I think the same applies to mentorship. It's important to hear different perspectives, and sometimes veteran teachers can learn a lot from a fresh new teacher's perspective. Being a mentor also helps me hold myself accountable. When I review certain aspects of the job with my mentee, sometimes I'm also reminding myself!”

Matthew Ryan

“Mentorship helps my career because it helps me reflect on my own practices and how to deliver constructive feedback to new staff members.”

Elizabeth Sanabria 

What was it like working with your mentee?

“Working with Marjorie was like helping that ‘little sister’ into navigating the teaching world. It has been a great pleasure working with Marjorie because she is very receptive and never hesitates to try new strategies in her classroom. I loved the fact that she created and followed the chart on making the phone calls home and following up thereafter.”

Assumpta Foy

“Working with Alma has been an incredibly rewarding experience. She is a dedicated and passionate educator who brings energy and fresh perspectives to everything she does. Throughout our time together, Alma demonstrated an eagerness to learn and grow, and it continues to be a joy to see her progress. Her enthusiasm for teaching and her commitment to her students is truly inspiring. It was an honor to guide her and watch her flourish as she navigated the alternate route program.”

Brittany Nilsen

“Dennis is one of the most positive people that I know. He is very patient, has a kind disposition, and always gives the benefit of the doubt. He is quick to lend a hand wherever he can. He's very dedicated to our students and really has a passion for teaching biology. He is often one of the first teachers on campus and one of the last to leave. He is happy to make the extra effort to provide his students with opportunities to engage with the material. He also provides a space for all of our students to participate in a personal hobby of his to play Dungeons and Dragons by hosting it as an extra circular club.”

Crystal Piro

“It's been a pleasure working with Robin over the past year and a half. Robin's situation at our school is a bit unique in the sense that she was a paraprofessional in her classroom before being hired as a teacher through Alternate Route. This meant she already had a good grasp of the students and staff in her room and a good idea about what our school administrators expect from teachers. Over the past year, Robin has gone through a lot of ups and downs with her classroom and it has been nice to see her face those challenges and do her best to overcome them. Being a teacher is exhausting and stressful and I give Robin a lot of credit for her continued dedication towards her students and staff.”

Matthew Ryan

“It was a pleasure working with Maisha, she has a great sense of humor and was very easy to work with, especially since she had her PhD and is highly educated.”

Elizabeth Sanabria 

How did you and your mentee grow during your time together?
 

“We both grew during our time together in many ways. First of all, Marjorie brought the new technology and teaching strategies she learned in her Alternate Route program. While she showed me these new methods, I helped her with the daily functions of a teacher. We put lesson plans and incorporated different activities to fit our learners. Together, we put a plan on how to handle discipline issues in our classrooms.”

Assumpta Foy

“Dennis and I grew as coworkers and teammates who have a mutual respect and understanding of what each brings to the table in real-time. He's quicker in some of the tech aspects, and I have the experience, but it's nice to have a teammate who is willing to put in the time to be solutions-orientated to the challenges we face in our community, and confident enough to experiment with new things. He's a great partner to have!”

Crystal Piro

“Hopefully, Robin feels like she has benefited from our time together and I hope our meetings have led to her growing professionally. I've noticed some more confidence in Robin compared to last year and I'm hopeful she feels supported professionally. I've also noticed she has done a nice job advocating for herself. It's important for teachers to gain the confidence that's needed to advocate for themselves, their staff and students. When something is bothering Robin, she seems to understand that addressing the issue head-on and early on is more productive than letting a conflict fester. My hope is that our time together will help her grow into a confident and passionate educator!”

Matthew Ryan

“During our time together, Alma and I both grew in meaningful ways. As a mentor, I had the opportunity to reflect on my own practices and adapt my guidance to meet her needs, which enhanced my skills as an educator and leader. Alma’s growth was equally impressive; she embraced every challenge with a positive attitude and continues to be open to feedback, coming to me when she needs advice or a listening ear, even still. Together, we fostered a supportive and dynamic relationship where we both learned from each other and became better educators. Her growth and success are a testament to her hard work and dedication, and I’m proud and grateful to be part of her journey.”

Brittany Nilsen

“We were able to grow together in terms of reflecting on our struggles as teachers and also with regard to problem-solving together for each other and for our students' success.”

Elizabeth Sanabria

If you’re considering following your dream of teaching, Rutgers Alternate Route can offer you the support and training you need to succeed. Be sure to follow Rutgers Alternate Route on Twitter and sign up for Alternate Route’s monthly newsletter for more information and stories from the field of education.