Building a Culture of Belonging
Written by: Nicole Nelson
“People may forget what you said, but they’ll never forget how you made them feel.” While often attributed to Maya Angelou, the sentiment captures something I’ve come to believe about supporting new teachers. They may not remember every policy shared during orientation or every item on a checklist, but they’ll remember whether they felt like they belonged.
I’ve been the new person more than once.
Throughout my career, I’ve joined several districts; sometimes as a first-year teacher, other times with years of experience already behind me. No matter where I went, the beginning looked remarkably similar. There was a district orientation, a day or two filled with information, introductions, and paperwork. Then everyone went back to school, and I was expected to figure out the rest.
If I landed on a collaborative grade-level team, I was fortunate that questions were welcomed, relationships developed naturally, and support continued long after orientation ended.
But when my position was unique or I worked more independently, the experience was very different. The orientation ended, but the questions didn’t.
That experience stayed with me.
When we began rethinking how we support new teachers at Lewis Cass, we didn’t start by asking how we can improve orientation; we asked a different question.
How can we make sure every new teacher knows they belong here, not just during their first week but throughout their entire first year?
That question became the foundation of our new teacher mentorship program.
Relationships Need More Than Good Intentions
We all know the statistics. The first few years of teaching are often the most challenging, and districts across the country continue to focus on retaining talented educators. We also know that university preparation programs can only do so much. Every student teaching placement is different, and no amount of coursework can fully prepare someone for the reality of leading their own classroom on the first day of school.
Relationships have always been the heart of mentoring, but we realize relationships alone weren’t enough.
One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is that beginning teachers don’t always know what they don’t know yet.
In August, they aren’t thinking about parent conferences in October. They aren’t worried about using assessment data in November or preparing students for state testing in the spring. The questions come as the year unfolds.
Instead of waiting for those questions to surface, we wanted to anticipate them.
Rather than asking mentors to simply “check-in,” we built a year-long system of guided conversations that followed the natural rhythm of a teacher’s first year. Monthly professional learning topics, mentor conversation guides, classroom observations, and reflection opportunities were intentionally designed to support teachers with the right conversations at the right time.
“How can we make sure every new teacher knows they belong here, not just during their first week but throughout their entire first year?”
Designing for Growth, Not Survival
As we developed the program, one goal remained constant; we didn’t want professional learning to feel like one more thing on an already overwhelming to-do list.
Our monthly meetings were intentionally sequenced around what new teachers were likely experiencing in their classrooms. We started with relationships, classroom routines, and organization before moving into lesson design, assessment, family communication, and reflection later in the year. Each mentor received conversation guides and resources to help move beyond logistics and into meaningful coaching conversations.
What surprised me most was how quickly those conversations became the heart of the program.
The Moment I Knew It Was Working
One evening during one of our monthly mentoring meetings, we paused the agenda and asked teachers to simply reflect on their year with a partner.
As I walked around the room, I wasn’t hearing complaints or questions.
I was hearing relief.
Teachers were sharing challenges they thought only they had experienced. They laughed about lessons that didn’t go as planned, celebrated small victories, and encouraged one another through the difficult moments.
They realized they weren’t alone.
That moment changed the way I viewed the purpose of the program.
The monthly meetings weren’t just delivering professional development. They were creating a community where vulnerability was welcomed, questions were normalized, and teachers began building a professional network they could rely on long after their first year.
Ironically, the part of the program I worried about the most – the monthly after-school meetings – became one of its greatest strengths. Instead of viewing them as “one more meeting,” teachers consistently described them as valuable opportunities to collaborate, ask questions, and learn from one another. Survey feedback reinforced this theme, with participants highlighting the value of mentor conversations, regular check-ins and opportunities to discuss authentic classroom challenges together.
“The monthly meetings were great! I really got a lot of information out of the meetings. I did enjoy the meetings with my mentor teacher; it allowed for more conversation about things we did not think about before.”
What We Learned
Looking back on our first year, a few lessons stand out.
Support shouldn’t end when orientation does. Orientation is important, but it’s only the beginning. The questions teachers ask in July are very different from the questions they ask in January.
Mentorship needs structure. Great mentors naturally build relationships, but intentional conversation guides help ensure important topics aren’t overlooked while still leaving room for authentic discussion.
Sometimes the most valuable professional learning isn’t a presentation, it’s a conversation. Giving new teachers dedicated time to reflect, collaborate, and realize they aren’t navigating challenges alone may be one of the most impactful supports we can provide.
“They were creating a community where vulnerability was welcomed, questions were normalized, and teachers began building a professional network they could rely on long after their first year.”
Looking Ahead
One of the most valuable parts of designing this program has been recognizing that it will never truly be finished.
Feedback from both mentors and new teachers is already shaping what comes next. Teachers suggested spreading orientation topics across the year to reduce information overload, increasing opportunities for classroom management discussions, and continuing mentor check-ins beyond the first year. Mentors emphasized the value of observation, structured conversation guides, and dedicated time to meet during the school day.
“Loved the idea and procedure. I would have loved to have something like this in my mentorship program.”
Those ideas will continue to shape the evolution of the program because, much like teaching itself, mentorship is never about reaching a finished product; it’s about continually responding to the people we serve.
I remember the people who took the time to answer my questions, reassure me when I doubted myself, and remind me that I didn’t have to figure everything out alone.
That’s the kind of experience we hope each new teacher has.
Because the goal was never simply to build a mentoring program.
It was to build a place where new teachers feel like they belong.
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