Join a New Teacher Mastermind

Virtual Groups

for Ongoing, Responsive Support

Our Mission

The New Teacher Masterminds are virtual learning communities for teachers with 0-3 years experience. They are a safe place for new teachers to receive and provide support with other teachers all over the country–helping you cut the learning curve, receive personalized classroom support, and focus on what matters most: making the difference that only you can in your students’ lives.

Why New Teacher Masterminds?

New Teacher Masterminds are a 21st-century professional learning community that connects new teachers like you to teachers and districts across the world, and respond to what you need help with when it’s most relevant to you.

Rather than the typical approach of top-down professional development–where you’re given workshops to sit through or an expert-novice mentor relationship–new teacher masterminds empower you to speak up, ask questions, network, and – most of all — find and give support from and to others in similar situations.

There are thousands of teachers in your shoes this year. So why do this thing alone? Remember: 1) You belong in this profession. 2) Proof: you have expertise to help others like you. 3) You don’t have to do this alone.

Masterminds help you get out of isolation and into a professional learning environment where it’s ok to air your deepest worries–and then get support to conquer them.

New Teacher Masterminds Provide Teachers:

Responsive professional development

Decreasing burnout and increasing confidence

Collaboration around student achievement

Raising student scores, and with it, teacher morale

Structured reflection and feedback

Increasing your sense of efficacy and accelerating your growth

Collaboration across the district and around the world

Significantly increasing ideas, resources, and strategies available to you. Hello, teacher toolbox.

What People are Saying:

Just being able to vocalize/talk through my frustrations and challenges has been super therapeutic. Besides that, I’ve learned how to actually change things that aren’t working rather than just complain, and I’ve become wayyyy more confident I my teaching abilities. The benefits are worth it. Mastermind equals instant feedback, a community of people going through the same things, and a space to reach out for help and help others. It gets no better than that!

Jazlyn Handy

Special Education ELA Teacher, Alfred G. Waters Middle School

Because of the mastermind group, I have a much easier, and clearer way of thinking through my lessons, as well as adapting to new environments at a much quicker pace. Getting together with other educators online, working through struggles, and celebrating our successes, is something remarkable. All should consider joining because it ignites the fire for why we teach.

Gabriel Harley

Choir and Orchestra Teacher, Everett Meredith Middle School

This mastermind has really helped me to be more confident in my teaching ability. Being able to talk with other teachers in a no judgement zone has been extremely useful. It has been a really positive experience having other teachers be able to help problem solve with me and bounce ideas off of and help each other out.

Aileen Murray

Career and Technical Education Teacher, Appoquinimink High School

We typically have official mentoring and induction for new teachers, but it doesn't meet the demands they face. Not only is the New Teacher Mastermind Program a quality professional experience that supports new teachers, but it dives deep into the issues that plague retention efforts, and it provides a network of connections for new staff to thrive in their schools.

T.J. Vari, Ed.D.

Assistant Superintendent, Secondary Schools & District Operations Appoquinimink School District

About the Mastermind Program

Masterminds provide consistent, responsive support throughout the year for skills you need in the moment. The heart of the program are the mastermind meetings, for which you are placed into a mastermind group with 4-8 others with complementary needs and strengths, along with an experienced instructional coach as facilitator. By sticking with the same group throughout the year with teachers outside your school, you’re able to form meaningful, trusting relationships with colleagues that get it and will cheer you on through all your loftiest teaching goals and biggest teaching worries.

In the program, you’ll meet with your mastermind group online for 1.5 hours every other week in a video call. During each meeting, teachers take turns in the “hot seat,” where they share a teaching challenge or goal and receive 20 minutes of coaching and resources from the rest of the group. In this way, you can benefit both from focused coaching on your current challenges as well as the opportunity to develop your own leadership–not to mention all the benefits you get from collaborating over the most common struggles new teachers face. Members often say they get just as much out of helping someone else in the hot seat as they do from their own hot seat time.

In addition to the mastermind meetings, 3-6 additional hours a month are dedicated to a variety of responsive professional development, including but not limited to one-on-one coaching, self-paced, online workshops, and independent follow-up work on your own stated goals. All our work is based on what you want to work on the most–we’re here to support you.

2020-2021 Program Details

What's included:

Cost:

Deadline:

Stop doing this thing alone.

FAQ

Most frequent questions and answers

How many years of teaching experience should I have to join?

Ideally, 0-3 years of teaching experience works best for these groups to make sure everyone benefits. However, teachers making a large grade or content switch can also benefit from joining a New Teacher Mastermind as they adjust.

When can teachers join?

Enrollment for the 2019-2020 school year is on a rolling basis. Contact us at info@newteachermasterminds.com right away to jump in to a group.

The 2020-2021 program is a year program and begins July 15. The deadline to enroll for the 2020-2021 program is June 1, 2020. Enroll here.

When do groups meet?

Groups meet year-round for 1.5 hours every other week in the afternoons and evenings, US-time. Once enrolled, we work with you to fit you into a group that works for your needs and schedule, and then meet at the same day/time for every meeting.

What is the time commitment for teachers?

At a minimum, teachers must be willing to commit to attending all mastermind meetings – which total 3 hours a month.The groups run from July 15 to June 15, excluding two weeks for winter break and US national holidays.

The success of the group depends on the attendance and participation of its members, so attendance is mandatory for all months of enrollment.

For maximum benefit from the group, teachers should expect to spend about 1 additional hour a week either on working toward their goals stated in the group, an included workshop, or one-on-one coaching.

How do I know if I would be a good fit for a mastermind?

The most productive mastermind members are teachers who:

1. Have 0-3 years of teaching experience
2. Can commit to 1.5 hour meetings every other week
3. Are able to work on their teaching goals or sharpening their skills around 1 hour/week outside of the mastermind
4. Are willing to both offer and receive help from other teachers

All grade levels and content areas are welcome. We have a huge variety, and that’s what makes us strong!

What equipment do I need to participate?

We use Zoom as our meeting platform, which is a web-based application. Teachers can access Zoom on any type of computer or tablet as well as their phone, as long as they have a webcam and microphone.

Do you accept purchase orders?

Absolutely. Contact us at info@newteachermasterminds.com to get set up.

What are my options if it's out of my budget?

I understand that membership costs can be tricky, especially on a new teacher’s budget.

Ideas for getting around budget restraints:

1. Ask your administrator to fund part or all of your membership. Send them to the administrator’s page to show them what they’re all about to help make your pitch.
2. Create a Donor’s Choose project.
3. Ask for friends and family to pool together and enroll you as a gift. What better gift is there than supporting you creating an incredible career?
4. While you’re talking to your friends…invite them! For every friend that enrolls with you, I’ll give you both $50 off. That means if you find 4 friends to join with you…yup. That’s $200 off for all 5 of you.
Before you all enroll, just email me for your friend-group discount code.

I am not a new teacher, but want to join a mastermind. Do you have groups for more experienced teachers?

We are currently developing a waitlist to launch a veteran teacher group. If you’re interested in joining that waitlist, email info@newteachermasterminds.com–and invite your friends, too!

Enroll Today

Questions? Inquiries?

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