On Friday, October 17, the Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) program at Brown University once again hosted its Mentor Professional Development Day, bringing together Providence-area teachers who mentor MAT students in year-long classroom placements.

The full-day program, held on Brown’s campus, was designed to strengthen the pedagogical skills and support networks of these experienced educators. The event reflects the MAT program’s commitment to reciprocal learning, ensuring that both mentors and MAT students benefit immensely from the partnership between Brown and local schools.

While the mentors engaged in focused professional learning on campus, MAT students served as substitute teachers for the day. According to Katie Rieser, director of the MAT program, stepping into the classroom independently provides invaluable practice and perspective.

"This day is about learning on both sides," Rieser said. "Mentors step back to reflect on their practice and strengthen their approach to guiding new teachers, while MAT students get the experience of leading a classroom for the first time. Mentorship is about growth for everyone involved."

Strengthening Practice and Collaboration

Mentor teachers came from Brown’s six partner schools in Providence, East Providence, and Central Falls, representing a wide range of disciplines and grade levels. The day's structure was designed to blend scholarly insight with practical collaboration:

• Mentor teachers began the day with a session facilitated by Brown’s Department of Education faculty, diving deep into current research on effective mentorship and clinical supervision.
• Workshops throughout the day focused on strategies for navigating difficult classroom conversations and integrating equity principles into daily instruction.
• In the afternoon, mentors collaborated in small groups to problem-solve real-world scenarios, drawing from their collective expertise to generate practical, immediate strategies for the coming semester.

Valuing Teacher Expertise

The program deliberately emphasized the value of cross-district collaboration and the expertise of the teachers themselves.

Rieser noted that opportunities for teachers to gather in this way are deeply meaningful. "Professional development often doesn’t center on the expertise of teachers," she said. "Our mentor professional development days are different. They create space for teachers to learn from each other and to be recognized for the essential role they play in shaping future educators."

As the MAT program continues to grow its partnerships with local schools, these mentor development days simultaneously support teacher retention, foster collaborative networks, and ultimately strengthen the teaching profession in Rhode Island.