I was lucky enough to get paired with a faculty member that I’ve known for a few semesters. Though it can be nerve wracking, I think the most important thing to remember about working with a faculty member is that you’re essentially a team. As fellows, we’re in a unique position to not only be a support for the students in the classroom, but we can also help support our mentors as well. There’s always going to be good days and days that are hard and frustrating, and you can help your mentor by being accommodating and offering to help in different ways, either by being more of a presence in the class itself or by offering to take on more office hours. I think the biggest piece of advise to future fellows is to remember that your faculty mentors rely on you as much as you rely on them. This isn’t a regular professor/student relationship, which is really refreshing at times, but can be intimidating at first. Just remember that you can talk to your mentor and be honest with things that are/aren’t working. It’s also important to recognize that your mentors aren’t just working in one classroom, but multiple, so whatever you can do to help make their jobs easier can mean a lot. This includes being prepared for meetings, being engaged in the classroom, and setting an example for students. Don’t be afraid to ask for clarification about why a professor is assigning something or why they teach in a certain way, because the more you know and understand about a mentor, the more you can help your students when they want to know what their professor’s expectations are. Most importantly, I think my advice for future fellows is to not underestimate how much they can do for their mentors/students.