AN INTRODUCTION TO MENTORING Adapted by SK Lau

WHAT IS MENTORING? Successful mentoring involves having two or more individuals willingly form a mutually respectful, trusting relationship focused on goals that meet the needs and foster the potential of the mentee, while considering the needs of the mentor, and the contexts in which they both have to function. Kochan (2002)

WHAT IS MENTORING? [Mentoring is] ….. a dynamic, reciprocal relationship in a work environment between an advanced career incumbent (mentor) and a beginner (protégé) aimed at promoting the career development of both. Healey and Welchert (1990)

TEACHER INDUCTION Research suggests that the primary needs of beginning teachers include:  Sustained help in development as a competent person – not screening.  Mentors who are on-site, committed and skilled.  Opportunities to talk with other novice teachers in a setting free of evaluation.  Orientation to the school system, curriculum and community.  Realistic assignments (e.g. the number of preparations, types of classes, and the number of extra-curricular activities) Reiman & Thies-Sprinthall (1998)

NEEDS OF BTs AND MTs Sustained help in development as a competent person – not screening. Support of administration. Assistance from a clinical teacher who has been prepared for the role. Education based on currently available curriculum. Time to work together and plan for growth. Time to do coaching and to provide sustained support. Orientation to the school system, curriculum and community. Opportunities to talk with other mentor teachers. Reasonable assignment.Reasonable assignment which includes only one novice teacher.

THE CYCLE OF ASSISTANCE 1. Establishing a “helping and trusting” relationship. 2. Planning lessons and units with the teacher. 3. Planning for observation. 4. Observing the instruction. 5. Analyzing the data for important patterns in the teaching process. 6. Planning for the conference. 7. Conferencing to review the classroom event. 8. Renewed planning. Cogan (1973)

THE NOVICE-MENTOR RELATIONSHIP (Andrews 1986) Laissez-faire (‘swim-or-sink’) Very limited interaction CollegialVoluntary informal supervision Formalized mentor- protege Contractual relationship Mandatory competency-based Emphasises new teacher status and requires participation in competency programme Self-directed professional Uses self-directed contract, but can use elements of preceding three

LEVELS OF MENTORING (McIntyre & Hagger 1992) ZeroInvolves very general professional expertise not specifically related to needs of new teachers MinimalOffers practical support in areas like planning skills, classroom practice and organization information about the school DevelopedRecognises learning process is complex and becomes involved in strategieslike collaborative teaching

MENTORING RELATIONSHIPS (Elliott and Calderhead 1994) High Novices withdraw fromthe C Novices grow through mentoring relationshipwith H development of new no growth possible A knowledge and images L Low L High SUPPORT E N Novice is not encouraged G Novice becomes confirmed to consider or reflect on E in pre-existing images of knowledge and images teaching Low

SUPPORTING BTs Support sought by beginning teachers:  Technical support  Therapeutic support  Palliative support  Strategic support BTs solicited support from those persons they deemed to be most appropriate or who were most readily accessible – eclectic pragmatism.

Good supervisory discussions are : - ones that help a teacher learn; they are positive yet not uncritical, but always motivating. - interactive, democratic and empowering but loosen the control of the supervisor.

Good supervisory discussions : - evolve in diverse ways; there is no standard model; processes are person specific. - may not end up where supervisors think they will.

Good supervisory discussions involve: - insights that occur unexpectedly. - risk for all parties both personally and academically as assumptions are challenged. - a range of views and disagreement.

Good supervisory discussions : - are open; perfection is impossible. - are contextually grounded and framed in the teacher’s terms. - are rational yet involve the emotions; the two are not mutually exclusive