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Mentorship Program

Mentorship Program

ACTR, jointly with The American Association of Teachers of Slavic and East European Languages (AATSEEL), invites you to participate in the ACTR/AATSEEL Bridge Building Program, which aims to connect secondary teachers and post-secondary instructors, who are starting out in their teaching careers or who do not have access to a regular teaching mentor at their current position, with more experienced colleagues who can offer advice and insights on teaching and career development.

Mentees:
Anyone seeking advice on teaching practices, instructional technology, pedagogical resources, and program development. A mentee may be someone at the beginning of their career or a more seasoned professional seeking to connect with peers who have more experience or expertise in any of these topics. You do not have to be a member of ACTR, though we encourage you to join (membership dues are $20 for graduate students).

Complete the application form for the program and we will match you with a mentor.

Mentors:

Instructors who have at least 5 years of full-time teaching and/or administrative
experience and are willing to share their insights with junior colleagues navigate classroom teaching, program development, and career growth. You can make
a real impact and help create meaningful connections in our field. Participants do not have to be ACTR members, though we encourage everyone to join to benefit from a range of resources and increase your scholarly impact in the community.

Complete the application form to be matched with a mentee.

Application form for mentees

Application form for mentors

The Mentorship Program Committee:

Maria Khotimsky, chair
Jillian Costello (AATSEEL representative)
Olga Klimova
Lee Roby
Natasha Ushakova
José Vergara
For questions, contact Maria Khotimsky at khotims at mit.edu

Instructions:

Connection: Please respond to this email to acknowledge the receipt of the message and connect with each other. If you do not hear back from your Mentor/Mentee, please reach out to the Committee.
Meeting schedule: Coordinate the time and frequency of meetings that are mutually convenient based on your schedules and time zones. The recommended meeting frequency is once a month; you may discuss alternative arrangements. Discuss the language of communication you are both comfortable with (you may benefit from discussing some questions in Russian and others in English).
Suggested format(s): You may choose to consult asynchronously through emails, comments in a Google doc, or any other way convenient for the both of you. The Mentee may request the Mentor’s feedback on their syllabi, lesson plans, learning activities, and assessments, or ask for observation notes on their lesson video recording. You may also choose to hold regular (monthly) synchronous meetings over Zoom to discuss best practices or problems, consult on program building and evaluation, and get advice on careers in administration or outside academia.
Mentees: Prepare questions that you are seeking help with and send several questions ahead of the meeting. Your questions can address various issues, including but not limited to: courses you are teaching or currently developing; particular topics or teaching activities in your courses; instructional technology, such as tools, applications, and resources; general topics in pedagogy, such as classroom management, assessment; DEIAB practices in your program; program development and assessment, extracurricular events, recruitment and promotion ideas; general career advice (CV, professional statement, interview preparation, conference participation, networking, future career opportunities).
Mentors: Review the questions provided by the Mentee. Consider additional questions or areas for discussion. Think back about your experience in the field and your own professional and pedagogical growth. Share your favorite resources, publications, and practices. Be ready to give feedback on activities, course plans, or CV. Be encouraging, respectful, and supportive in your communication. You have a real opportunity to make an impact and to learn what it is like to be at the beginning career stages in our field right now.
Meeting schedule changes: For synchronous online meetings, please send a confirmation at least the day before the meeting. Please communicate potential changes to your mentorship meeting schedule in a timely manner.
Canceling participation: Life happens, and we all face unexpected disruptions to our plans. If you are no longer available to participate in the Mentorship Program, please inform your partner and reach out to the Program Committee. Reach out to the Mentorship Committee (contact Maria Khotimsky, khotims at mit.edu). We value your time and will work promptly to set up a new mentoring pair.