Learn more about the Ackerley Partner School Network and its work.
What makes a mentor great?
While many novice teachers report that their mentoring experience is one of the most impactful parts of their teacher training, most universities and alternative teacher training pathways offer little or no actual training for mentors in effective practices—in part because of the lack of research about what those effective practices are. That’s changing thanks to the Mentor Labs Project, an innovative venture in which the UW's five teacher education programs are working together to uncover—and share—the practices of successful mentors. Read more
Mentor power
In the video below, UW researchers, mentor teacher Cate Simmers and teacher candidate Emma Cornwell share how investing in mentoring contributes to the development of new teachers, as well as overall school performance.
Elevating the practice of teacher mentorship
For decades, a pre-service teacher’s typical experience has largely consisted of first sitting in the back of a classroom, watching an experienced teacher lead a lesson, and then switching places. In summer 2016, the Ackerley network held a Mentorship Design Lab for mentor teachers at Roxhill Elementary School to support local educators in improving their practice as both mentors and teachers. Read more
Uplifting the Profession
In the video below, learn about the valuable role mentor teachers play in preparing teacher candidates for success, and how their own teaching practice benefits from serving as a mentor.
