"Teachers not only teach. They are also advocates, coaches, allies, supporters, and as Aram Ayalon reminds us in this thoughtful book, they are mentors as well. With concrete cases and useful suggestions from two cases – one in Boston and the other in Jerusalem – Teachers as Mentors provides inspiring examples of how promoting nurturing teacher-student relationships can help even the most underserved and marginalized students succeed."
Sonia Nieto, Professor Emerita
University of Massachusetts, Amherst
“We ignore what Ayalon has to say at our peril. This is a book that takes us step-by-step through schools that were carefully designed to make it as easy as possible for teachers and students to learn from each other and from their shared world. Following the spirit of the examples presented here, specifically tailored to individual settings, might transform schools into places not only of achievement in scholastics, but also settings where students and teachers enjoy their work together."
Deborah W. Meier, Director of New Ventures at Mission Hill and senior scholar
New York University’s Steinhardt School of Education
"Teachers as Mentors is an invaluable resource for schools, especially those serving students who are urban, minority, and at-risk. Culture-building through mentoring capitalizes on relationships between teachers and students within democratic learning environments. Teachers who want to become mentors are given specific suggestions for creating close, nurturing relationships through a range of structure, strategies, and resources. The book is accessible, descriptive, and liberatory—giving hope through grassroots examples that teachers who commit to student-centered discourse and action can create the conditions needed for sustainable mentoring environments."
Carol A. Mullen, The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, USA, former editor of Mentoring & Tutoring: Partnership in Learning
"Ayalon's book in an important reminder that schools need to do more than teach curriculum and assess students — they need to care and build relationships. In the current environment of high-stakes testing and accountability, it is easily forgotten that student success, both social and academic, is greatly influenced by student-teacher relationships. Ayalon looks at two schools, Fenway High School in Boston and Kedma School in Jerusalem, that successfully mentor at-risk students. The book is divided into five parts and he provides a summary and synthesis at the end of each part, as well as an appendix with examples of mentoring activities used at each school that may impact practice if implemented. Summing Up: Recommended."
Choice
"Ayalon's book in an important reminder that schools need to do more than teach curriculum and assess students — they need to care and build relationships. In the current environment of high-stakes testing and accountability, it is easily forgotten that student success, both social and academic, is greatly influenced by student-teacher relationships. Ayalon looks at two schools, Fenway High School in Boston and Kedma School in Jerusalem, that successfully mentor at-risk students. The book is divided into five parts and he provides a summary and synthesis at the end of each part, as well as an appendix with examples of mentoring activities used at each school that may impact practice if implemented. Summing Up: Recommended."
"Teachers not only teach. They are also advocates, coaches, allies, supporters, and as Aram Ayalon reminds us in this thoughtful book, they are mentors as well. With concrete cases and useful suggestions from two cases – one in Boston and the other in Jerusalem – Teachers as Mentors provides inspiring examples of how promoting nurturing teacher-student relationships can help even the most underserved and marginalized students succeed."
"Teachers as Mentors is an invaluable resource for schools, especially those serving students who are urban, minority, and at-risk. Culture-building through mentoring capitalizes on relationships between teachers and students within democratic learning environments. Teachers who want to become mentors are given specific suggestions for creating close, nurturing relationships through a range of structure, strategies, and resources. The book is accessible, descriptive, and liberatory—giving hope through grassroots examples that teachers who commit to student-centered discourse and action can create the conditions needed for sustainable mentoring environments."
