078: Student-Centered Mentoring with Dr. Amanda Brueggeman

What if teacher mentoring focused less on checklists and more on students? Dr. Amanda Brueggeman revolutionizes the traditional approach to supporting new educators with her student-centered mentoring framework.Drawing from over 20 years of educational experience, Amanda reveals how transforming mentoring relationships from one-directional knowledge transfers into collaborative partnerships creates profound ripple effects throughout school communities. Her approach places student success at the core of professional learning conversations, building collective teacher efficacy, which research shows has one of the highest impacts on student achievement.The conversation challenges long-held assumptions about teacher development. Rather than positioning experienced teachers as perfect experts with nothing to learn, Amanda advocates for vulnerability and a growth mindset from both parties. This reciprocity not only honors the fresh perspectives new teachers bring but models the exact qualities we hope to develop in students.By structuring mentoring conversations around evidence of student learning rather than procedural compliance, teachers develop richer pedagogical understanding while naturally incorporating student voice into instructional decisions. Ready to reimagine how you support teachers in your school?EPISODE RESOURCES:Connect with Dr. Amanda Brueggeman via LinkedIn and her website.Read her articles:Student-Centered Mentoring: Keeping Students at the Heart of New Teachers’ Learning (Corwin, 2022).3 Key Areas to Monitor in Your New Teacher Induction Program  Using Collaborative Strategies to Retain New Teachers AND Their Mentors Are We Asking the Right Questions? Reflecting with New Teachers