More than 130 new educators walked into the Appleton Area School District at the start of the 2025–2026 school year, including 62 stepping into their very first classroom. Many carried the same quiet question: Am I ready?
Thanks to a grant from the Appleton Education Foundation, they didn’t have to answer that question alone.
The Foundation provided copies of The New Teacher Handbook: 110 Strategies to Problem-Solve the Hard Parts of Teaching by Berit Gordon, giving new educators a valuable professional resource. The district also pairs each new staff member with a mentor, creating a strong foundation of support from day one.
For Hannah Carter, a first-year sixth-grade math and science teacher at James Madison Middle School, those resources made all the difference.
“I was so nervous to start,” she said. “I remember feeling relieved to have the book and my mentor. I used the book when setting up my classroom routines, rules, and planning out the first week. A key thing I learned from my mentor is that it’s always OK to ask questions—even lists of them.”
That simple permission—to ask—helps transform uncertainty into confidence and colleagues into community.
“It’s so important to prioritize strong relationships and foster a supportive environment,” said Lauren Ott, AASD’s Educator Induction and Mentor Support Specialist. “This grant gives our new educators another way to feel at home from the start. Investing in them is ultimately an investment in our students.”
Ott said AASD plans to continue the mentorship model and use of the books for years to come. Before passing the books on, each teacher will leave a handwritten note of encouragement for the next reader—creating a lasting, pay-it-forward tradition.
This story first appeared in AEF’s 2025 Report to the Community in March 2026. Review the complete 2025 Report to the Community.
