Photo illustration of three teachers work together during a summer conference in Montgomery County.

A new GoTeachKY initiative called Teachers Helping Teachers is connecting experienced educators to provide virtual coaching and support directly to other teachers to help them deal with the stresses of the COVID-19 crisis. The mentors will assist other educators while school buildings are closed due to the COVID-19 crisis.
Photo illustration by Mike Marsee, Aug. 1, 2019

(FRANKFORT, KY) – A new GoTeachKY initiative called Teachers Helping Teachers is connecting experienced educators to provide virtual coaching and support directly to other teachers to help them deal with the stresses of the COVID-19 crisis.

GoTeachKY is an initiative of the Kentucky Department of Education to inspire and recruit the next generation of Kentucky educators.

There currently are 18 mentors registered, who were recruited from the GoTeachKY ambassadors, the Kentucky National Board Network and educator preparation programs/colleges of education from across the state. The mentors will assist other educators while school buildings are closed due to the COVID-19 crisis.

All 172 public school districts in the state currently are using the Non-Traditional Instruction Program to continue providing instruction for their students through May 1.

The mentors will provide assistance in areas such as content planning, finding helpful resources, using technology and staying connected with their students.

“Many teachers may find themselves stressed, in need of a mentor, or just some ideas and resources,” said Interim Commissioner Kevin C. Brown. “We know teachers are being asked to deliver meaningful instruction in a way they were never trained to handle since school buildings have been closed due to the COVID-19 crisis. I think Teachers Helping Teachers is a great way for educators to provide new ideas, resources and support for each other.

“I am so thankful for our GoTeachKY initiative being willing to take on this project and for both the teachers who have volunteered to be mentors and those who are wanting to be mentored. Together we can make sure our students are still receiving a meaningful education through our non-traditional instruction and we all can learn new lessons on how to make alternative forms of education work for all of our students.”

Mentoring will occur on virtual platforms such as Zoom, Google Hangouts and Microsoft Teams. How often they meet also will be determined by the mentor pair.

Teachers who would like to volunteer to be a mentor should fill out this Google form. Teachers who would like to be assigned a mentor should fill out the form on this webpage.

 

MORE INFO …

KDE’s GoTeachKY initiative will be hosting its first Twitter chat 6 p.m. ET April 13 using the @GoTeachKY Twitter account. The initiative will be using the hashtags #GoTeachKYAtHome and #KYTeachersHelpingTeachers to help teachers find the support they need as they navigate the new world of long-term NTI and distance learning.

For more information about COVID-19: