What Is Mentoring?

Zachary presents the mentorship as a learning partnership between mentor and mentee. This reinforces my understanding of the nature of adult learning and the notion that the mentor is less an authority figure and more of a facilitator. In my work as a mentor for special education directors, I will utilize Zachary’s four-stage approach for encouraging learning and promoting change. This reading has helped me to see mentorship as a process with distinctive components, as defined by Zachary (2012). During the preparation phase, I will focus on ensuring I fully understand the reasoning behind the mentoring relationship (Zachary 2012). I will accomplish this through personal reflection and a collaborative discussion with the mentee. I will remember that this phase sets the tone for the relationship. The next step, negotiating, is the business stage and the time when mentoring partners come to an agreement on the learning goals and define the content and process of the relationship (Zachary 2012). It is essential that during this phase I facilitate the conversation to enable a productive meeting and set measurable goals with aligned activities that will ensure they attain their goals. Part of the stage that I need to work on is creating a shared understanding of boundaries and limits. I will accomplish this through communicating the delineation between the mentor and mentee’s role and responsibilities. The third stage, the enabling phase, takes the longest amount of time because it is when the implementation of the learning occurs (Zachary 2012). During this period, I will support the mentee’s learning by communicating the goals and providing thoughtful and timely feedback and encouragement. I will ensure that additional time is dedicated to supporting the mentee’s work. Before reading this book, I was less confident during this phase and

Setting clear attainable guidelines as to when and where mentoring sessions will take place and the duration of the mentoring process.

Mentors will have the opportunity to work with their mentees frequently throughout the year. Mentors will have the responsibility to do a walk-through twice a year for the first year teachers and once for second year teachers. This allows for mentors to provide instructional feedback and support to the mentees. Also it could allow for the mentees to share new teaching strategies to their mentors. Another thing that mentors would have to do is a bimonthly check in with the mentees. This allows for new teachers to feel more supported and less over-whelmed.

Embedded within my vision for learning and leading are my teaching and mentoring philosophies. Lifted from that vision, my mentoring philosophy includes the belief that mentoring that is grounded by a contextual relationship with goals that are clearly communicated, that fosters a cognitive relationship, and that is developed in a culturally responsive environment, which is empowering and engaging for the mentor(s) and mentee(s). In support of the mission and goals of the mentoring relationship, the mentor fosters a vision that is connected to the values and hopes for the future of the institution, community, and the mentee. It is collaboration for learning that is co-constructed through a thoughtful development and action on the part of all

Darling (1984) discusses 14 roles of a mentor including; an energiser, an investor a feedback giver and a roe model (Gopee, 2008). Suggesting that a mentor should have a motivational attitude, willing to give their time, knowledge and experience freely thus aiming to teach at every given opportunity (Casey and Clark, 2011; Gleeson, 2008). Moreover, the mentor should uphold the highest of standards and be someone who is held in high regard by their peers and students, this will become effective when giving constructive feedback to the student and facilitating reflection (Kinnell and Hughes, 2011). Goppe (2011) supports Darling’s work stating that a mentor is a allocated person who gives time and knowledge to helping a student learn and develop. The NMC (2010) state that at least 40% of a placement should be under the direct supervision of the allocated mentor.

A mentor is a tough job that needs to be committed to the role that they are in. Mentors understand that in order to grow as a teacher

The issue with the majority of mentoring studies starts at the very beginning, Clutterbuck suggests that the biggest problem for research into mentoring is still to define what it is. (D.Clutterbuck.1996) Phillip suggests that mentoring can have varied meanings and that the terminology exposes a varied amount of assumptions. The example he gives is that mentoring young people has been related to schemes aiming at tutoring, coaching, counselling, role modelling, advising and teaching. Likewise a variety of terms could apply to the young person being mentored such as mentee, apprentice and pupil. The actual process may also have various descriptions given to it such as, helping, advising and guiding. However the knowledge and understanding of

Mentorship has his origins very far away back in the history and in time the concept of mentor developed, but, as Kilgallon, K. and Thompson, J. has outlined “Mentorship within healthcare and social care is not classic mentoring”(Kilgallon ,K. and Thompson, J. ,2012

“A mentor is defined as someone who draws on their experience and knowledge to advise and guide a less experienced person to enhance their performance or support their development.” In my career,

In order for me to gather a greater understanding of the research based around mentoring young people that already exists, I carried out a literature review. I also conducted a case study of a young person mentored for the last two years of his school life. I collected the data from the young person by using a semi-structured interview, which I then analysed together with the findings from my literature review. A variety of key findings were identified which relate to

A mentoring teacher is a professional who respects their mentee/student. They understand that showing respect is all about the small things. The teachers respect the ideas and space of their students. A mentoring teacher truly listens to their students and even makes a connection by recognizing nonverbal and verbal clues received by their students that could assist with coming to the student needs. The mentor challenges their students to think critically, press them to grow in some many new ways, and pushes them outside of their comfort zone. A mentor celebrates their students’ success – it could be a simple thank you or good job. The mentor understands that honesty is the foundation of any student/teacher relationship. They understand the

Mentoring is defined as an informal transference of knowledge between an expert and a neophyte. The mentor is said to have greater knowledge either in a particular field or of general, human qualities that he or she wants to transfer to the mentee. (PowerPoint 1: Slide 3). The purposes of mentoring include supporting professional development within an organization; identifying and nurturing an employee's emerging talents, and teaching employees professional standards. Mentoring can be used to 'stretch' the talents of the mentee and even help to develop the talents of the mentor him or herself. Both parties can learn from the exchange (PowerPoint 1: Slide 11).

The term mentoring has several variations and the definition has evolved over the years. According to Dubois and Karcher (2005), mentoring is described as a relationship nurtured and cultivated between a younger person and a more mature, wiser individual leading them to success through guidance and support. Rhodes and Dubois (2008) later developed the meaning of mentoring involving a connection between an older adult and an unrelated child providing continuous advice, training, and encouragement from the adult to enrich the temperament of the child. The definitions seem to be the same but researchers aim to be more specific and intentional in the

A mentor is somebody who is experienced and is able to lead a person/small group of people efficiently and give necessary and beneficial advice. The mentoring process focuses on the personal development of the mentee, through the season of relationship and communication with the mentee.

Mentors play a critical part of support for teachers in this profession. Having many outstanding mentors throughout my preservice years and even now as a first year teacher, I have witnessed amazing support from all of my mentors. There are a plethora of ways a mentor can support a preservice or new teacher to enhance their planning, instruction, and content knowledge. One way a mentor can support is with consistent engagement and encouragement. Another way is by serving as a collegial and emotional support during this challenging phase of his teacher’s career. And additionally by orientating new teachers to the school community and teaching in general.