You gave the directions. You explained the assignment. You told students how much time they had. You reminded them whether they could work together. Then, approximately thirty seconds later: “Can we talk?” (If you’re lucky enough to have students who ask first!) “What are we supposed to do?” “How much time do we have?” “Can…

The first year of teaching is a firehose of information and new experiences. In most states, the new teacher is assigned a mentor, but that mentor is usually a full-time teacher themselves. They may or may not receive training on how to mentor or release time. So the well-meaning plan to “meet regularly and talk…