Overview
As with any accomplished, problem solving venture in a large construct such as the Professional body of educators there are challenges that need to be overcome. Some programs have been started with limited success, with re-address of issues taking place along the way. Successful programs have learned from the attempts of earlier ventures and have provided a means to strengthen the profession as a whole by guiding younger initiates away from the pitfalls of those early years and by providing a means for older professionals to be revitalized and rejuvenated in their chosen field by being a mentor.
The barriers faced in any successful mentoring system can be divided into three categories: Problems with the overall construct, Problems faced by mentors and Problems faced by mentees. Each school and district will be faced with their own unique set of circumstances that provides an extra layer of issue to this already complex idea. While there is a growing body of research that formal mentoring does lead to higher teacher retention in the early years, there is other research that points out how mentoring is still only one piece of the puzzle. Ingersoll and Smith found in their research that participation in a formal mentor program together with participation in professional development specifically for the beginning teacher did not produce any statistically higher results in teacher attainment at the end of the first year (Ingersoll & Smith, 2004). What it did demonstrate however, is that having shared planning time within their discipline with a more experienced teachers reduced leaving in the first year by 44%.
What studies have also found is that supplying a mentor is simply not enough. The mentors training, philosophy and overall approach and skill set are the defining factors. (Kram, 2007) Specific attention needs to be given to the overall construct and the use of an e-platform for delivery. Although the internet may prove to be an environment that allows for circumvention of some issues it brings its own as well. For example there may be an increased potential for misinterpretation and miscommunication between people, there is a slower progression to the development of a relationship and a skill set required that may be foreign to some older mentors (Wong & Premkumar, 2007)
Focusing Understanding
While perusing the suggested readings, keep in mind the three categories of mentoring barriers (Problems with construct/mentees/mentors). Are you able to forecast barriers that might arise in your anticipated mentorship? What are some of the ways, at your site specifically, these types of dilemmas could be circumvented?
Readings [All located in your file manager]:
Metz, N. (2004) What’s a Mentor Anyway? Educational Administration Quarterly Vol:40 Issue 4
Perlmutter, D (2008) Do you have a Bad Mentor? The Chronicle of Higher Education Vol: 54 Issue 37
Shadiow, L (1996) Remembering a Mentor. The Clearing House Vol:69 Issue 5 pp: 177-279
Reflections
Some common pitfalls faced by mentors in teacher induction programs include:
• Overprotection: The mentor attempts to shield the incoming teacher from every possible mistake.
• Mentor Inflexibility: The new teacher is not permitted to have choice in the advice and modeling offered.
• Mentor Dominance: The mentor makes to strong an attempt to dazzle their protege with their own personal skillset and knowledge or experience.
• Lack of Communication or Miscommunication: One cannot stress the role of solid communication in any relationship. In an e-mentoring program, there is a chance that a person’s message will be misinterpreted due to a lack of body language.
• Lack of Follow-through: There must be a demonstration that the mentor is committed to responding to their mentee’s concerns and questions. The mentor must also show that they are dedicated to being supportive during challenging times.
Interactivities
Activity 1: One of the biggest challenges faced with any successful mentoring program is to find qualified mentors who are will to allocate time and release themselves from their work-related duties to participate. Many mentors ask, “What are the benefits available to me for establishing a mentoring relationship?” Read the Susan Hanson article, “What mentors learn” that you will find in your file manager, and post a reflection on what you hope to have happen with your participation as a mentor. While writing, keep in mind that colleague who might be hesitant to engage in a mentor program.
Activity 2: Have a collegial discussion with an educator you know who has experience as a mentor regarding the following situations. Can you identify ways for all participants involved in these situations to question and examine their practice? Discuss your thoughts on your google.site to share with your mentee and create a link for other mentors in the discussion area.
€ A new teacher at the school has a mentor who is completely inflexible. She is unsupportive to incorporating new teaching strategies and is forcing her younger colleague to adopt her “tried, tested and true” approach.
€ The incoming teacher is being advised by his mentor to set substandard goals for his students based upon their socio-economic situations.
€ A second year teacher is complaining that they can never find time to communicate with their mentor. That they find the whole process of mentoring as burdensome and ineffectual based upon their previous experience.
€ An experienced mentor spends all of their time with a protege attempting to bedazzle them with their own perceived success, knowledge and capabilities.
Conclusions
We now know that simply supplying a mentor and expecting to produce a successful mentorship relationship is not adequate. There needs to be specific attention paid to the construct of the mentorship program, the desires of the mentee and the training of the mentor to ensure a positive outcome.
In some situations the use of an incentive to attract potential veteran teachers would be also be advisable. Providing in-lieu time or ensuring that class coverage is available when needed who be positive motivations. The reality of our day to day lives at work does force time constraints. This has been noted as a key reason behind lack of veteran teacher involvement in teacher induction programs ( Ingersoll & Kardos, 2005) Other complicating situations that might present themselves include the over-involvement of an administrator or department chair that might feel participation in regular, supportive communication with the new teacher would be effective. This however, is not supported by research. In fact, it is the opposite that holds true. There are findings that show there is no positive change in teacher retention rates with administrators being involved as mentors (Ingersoll & Smith 2004)
The mentees face their own unique challenges. Most of these revolve around finding a good option for a mentor match. There are reasons supportive of having a mentor on site and other motives for having a mentor situated off site. Some mentees find issue with having a mentor of the opposite gender due to situated discomforts (Kram 2007). When making a decision about establishing the mentor partnership; keeping in mind that the new teacher incorporates the attitude, skill set and professional stance of their mentor is foremost in guiding any conclusions that need to be established (Eric Digest No.7).
An established, formal relationship between a protégé and a mentor requires a considerable amount of effort and obligation from the veteran teacher. There is a real necessity for this experience to be rewarding for these individuals and it is the construct of an e-mentoring community that can bring this about. It can also make the requirement of the specific skills necessary to help the new teachers succeed an easier task. Earlier we discussed the issue of time and the requirement for any program to provide assurance for a veteran teacher that their time investment will be compensated in some form. This will ensure the continued involvement of mentors and other stakeholders involved in a successful teacher mentor program. The research of Johnson and Kardos (2005) has provided evidence of the need to ensure that mentors are adequately trained. In fact, the balance of success in a new teacher mentorship is contingent upon this training. This has become the number one identified problem as to why one-on one mentorship fails.
References and Resources
List of References
Hanson, S. (2010) What Mentors Learn about teaching. Educational Leadership Vol: 67 No.8 pp. 76-80. Retrieved from EBSCO host. [February 26, 2011]
Ingersoll, R. & Kralik, J. M. (2004) The impact of mentoring on teacher retention: What the research says. Denver, CO: Education Commission of the States. Retrieved February 26, 2011 from http://www.ascd.org/portal/site/ascd/template.MAXIMIZE
/…en&javax.portlet.endCacheTok=token&printerFriendly=true (6 of 8)12/19/20
Ingersoll, R & Smith, T. (2004) What are the Effects of Induction and Mentoring on Beginning Teacher Turnover? American Educational Research. Vol: 41 No. 3 pp 681-714
Johnson & Kardos (2005) Bridging the Educational Gap. Educational Leadership Vol:62 No: 8 Retrieved March 1, 2011 fromhttp://sbruzzese.org/edem628/readings/unit2d.pdf
Kram, K & Ragins, B. (2007) The Handbook of Mentoring at Work. Thousand Oaks CA: Retrieved March 2, 2011 from http://books.google.ca/books?hl=en&lr=&id=haVXOcQ3OLQC&oi=fnd&pg=PA1938&dq=Kram+2007&ots=yHFN7fJ2vz&sig=rg7HNaGuXp9J6KB2004yBjtbR3A#v=onepage&q&f=false
Metz, N. (2004) What’s a Mentor Anyway? Educational Administration Quarterly Vol:40 Issue 4. Retrieved from EBSCOhost [March 11, 2011].
Perlmutter, D (2008) Do you have a Bad Mentor? The Chronicle of Higher Education Vol: 54 Issue 37. Retrieved from EBSCOhost [March 11, 2011].
Teacher mentoring (ERIC Digest No. 7). Washington DC: ERIC Clearinghouse on Teacher Education. Retrieved February 21, 2011, from www.ed.gov/databases/ERIC_Digests/ed271477.html.
Wong, A. & Premkumar, K. (2009) An Introduction to Mentoring Principles, Processes, and Strategies for Facilitating Mentoring Relationships at a Distance. Retrieved February 24, 2011 from http://www.usask.ca/gmcte/mentoring/PDFPart2.pdf