In this segment of Teacher Real Talk, Farnaz and Dr. Antonella Valeo discuss the importance of mentorship in TESOL, and why mentoring doesn’t have to be about being the absolute “perfect” teacher or having all the right answers. They reflect on why mentorship doesn’t have to be a one-way relationship, and how newer teachers can have just as much to contribute as experienced ones. They also talk about what it means to step into a real classroom and how there can be just as much learning in the conversations that happen after a lesson as in the lesson itself. At the heart of it all is a simple idea: that teaching adult learners is messy yet meaningful and that it's the warm sense of community that continues to draw so many people to TESOL.

Dr. Antonella Valeo is an Associate Professor at York University where she teaches graduate courses in applied linguistics, TESOL, and ESL to undergraduate students. Her research explores language teaching and learning with a focus on classroom-based interaction, corrective feedback, and teacher education and development. Her research interests and scholarship build on many years of experience as a language teacher, teacher educator and supervisor in a range of classrooms in Canada and internationally.

Antonella's ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Antonella-Valeo

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