Engage in authentic conversation and reflection with experienced educators

Purposeful Mentoring Conversations

Guest(s): Douglas Fisher and Vanessa Smith
Date: 04/02/2025
Run time: 50:29
Season 4, Episode 2

In this episode, Carol talks with Doug Fisher and Vanessa Smith about Purposeful Mentoring Conversations. Purposeful mentoring conversations are crucial for effective mentorship to understand the specific needs and goals of the mentee so that mentors can tailor the conversation accordingly. By doing so, mentors can provide targeted guidance that will have a more significant impact on the mentee's growth.

So, whether you are a mentor or a mentee, remember the importance of purposeful conversations in your professional development journey.

Interested in Podcast PD?
Check out Carol's blogpost Podcast PD: A Professional Learning Strategy to Earn District Credit - opens in a new tab!

Additional Resources: 

Mentoring for Teacher Success linked to MIA-Flyer-V4



Episode Audio

Douglas Fisher Photo

Douglas Fisher

Douglas Fisher is professor and chair of educational leadership at San Diego State University and a teacher leader at Health Sciences High and Middle College. Previously, Doug was an early intervention teacher and elementary school educator. He is a credentialed English teacher and administrator in California. In 2022, he was inducted into the Reading Hall of Fame by the Literacy Research Association. He has published numerous articles on reading and literacy, differentiated instruction, and curriculum design, as well as books such as The Teacher Clarity Playbook 2/e, Your Introduction to PLC+, The Illustrated Guide to Teacher Credibility, The Teaching Reading Playbook, and Welcome to Teaching!.

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Vanessa Smith Photo

Vanessa Smith

Vanessa is a National Board Certified elementary educator in her sixth year of teaching and a proud recipient of the Milken Educator Award for North Carolina. Passionate about making learning fun and creative, she strives to inspire a lifelong love of learning in her students. As an Expanded Impact Teacher, she leads her first-grade team and co-lead beginning teacher meetings, supporting both students and fellow educators.

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Carol Pelletier Radford Photo

Carol Pelletier Radford

Carol Pelletier Radford is the founder of Mentoring in Action, an organization dedicated to the success of novice teachers and their mentors. Before she established her own organization to support mentors and new teachers, she was a veteran elementary school teacher and a teacher preparation leader. Carol is the author of Corwin’s bestselling books Mentoring in Action: Guiding, Sharing, and Reflecting With Novice Teachers and The First Years Matter: Becoming an Effective Teacher.

Carol received her Education Doctorate from the Harvard University Graduate School of Education, where she focused her studies on mentoring and teacher leadership. She is also a certified yoga teacher who practices meditation and shares mindfulness strategies with educators through her online courses and website. Her podcast Teaching With Light features the stories of teachers and inspirational leaders. Her next passion project is the creation of a Teacher Legacy Network, where retired teachers can share their wisdom with the next generation of teachers.

You can learn more about Carol, find free resources, videos, meditations, courses, and all of her books at mentoringinaction.com/.

Twitter: @MentorinAction
Facebook: @MentoringinAction4Teachers
Instagram: @cpradford
 

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