By Roxanne M. Williams Ed.D.. Experience is the best teacher?

How to be a Good Mentor

ByRoxanne M. Williams Ed.D.

I walked to the other building in a daze. Wasn’t somebody going to walk over with

me and tell me a little bit about what to expect? Wasn’t anyone going to show me where the bathroom was or tell me what the other teachers do for lunch? Wasn’t I

going to get a few words of encouragement, or for heaven’s sake, an idea of what time the first period started?

I felt very alone. I started to really understand that I was totally on my own

(Wong, 2002).”

Experience is the best teacher?

NEA Research – Most teachers said cooperative and competent colleagues help them the most in providing the best service in their teaching positions.

Better Idea…Have an Experience with a Mentor

Best Idea…Have an Experience with a Good Mentor

Can Anyone Become a Good Mentor?

A cheap sweater unravels after one washing, and a poor mentoring relationship will do the same!

I have a theory about this…

Mentor training: Formal systematic program that teaches best practices for classroom observation, conflict resolution, and teaching frameworks. This component implies that just teaching experience is not enough.

Definition of Mentor Training

How would you rate mentor training?

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Evertson & Smithey (2000)◦ Two types of mentor training compared◦ Better conferencing skills◦ Protégés of highly trained mentors journaled specific

discipline plans and student centered approaches◦ Protégés of highly trained mentors were rated higher

on lesson pacing, checking for student understanding, and implementing rules, routines, and procedures.

Giebelhaus & Bowman (2002) Calkins & Kelley (2005)

Literature and Research on Mentor Training

Induction Manual – Outlines mentoring process◦ Meetings◦ Steps in classroom observation process◦ Forms◦ Timelines

Coaching & Mentoring: First-year & Student Teachers (Podsen & Denmark, 2007)

Enhancing Professional Practice: A Framework for Teaching (Danielson, 1996)

The First Days of School (Wong, 2001)

Systematic Strategies for Mentor Training

Monthly Topic & Meetings◦ Personal Goal Setting◦ Professional Journal Reading◦ Classroom Observation

Systematic Strategies for Mentor Training Continued

Relationship building: A meaningful relationship must exist between mentors-protégés before any positive professional development can occur.

Definition of Relationship Building

How would you rate relationship building?

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Calkins & Kelley (2005)◦ Faculty had difficulty with knowing how to build

mentoring relationships Hobson (2002)

◦ Protégés had problems with their mentors Rose (2003)

◦ Identifies different types of mentoring

Literature and Research on Relationship Building

Supervision of Instruction (Glickman, 1990)◦ Conceptual development must be considered

Induction Day◦ Year 1-4 Teachers and Mentors

Presenting Together at a Conference Sometimes it is wise to reassign mentor-

protégé pairs

Systematic Strategies for Relationship Building

Mentor selection by mentoring styles: Matching mentors with protégés based upon the needs or functions required, such as teaching, sponsoring, encouraging, counseling, and befriending (Anderson & Shannon, 1988)

Definition of Mentor Selection by Mentoring Styles

How would you rate mentor selection by mentoring styles?

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Literature and Research on Mentor Selection by Mentoring Styles

Different mentor roles Mentoring styles

reflect protégés professional maturation

Mentors may adjust approach

Anderson & Shannon (1988)

Nyquist & Wulff (1996) Burlew (1991) Calkins & Kelley

(2005) Cunningham (1999) Rose (2003)

Needs Assessment (Podsen & Denmark, 2007)

Ideal Mentor Scale (Rose, 2003) Create your own survey

(SurveyMonkey.com)

Systematic Strategies forMentor Selection by Mentoring Styles

Measures of mentor effectiveness: The need to measure the affects of the mentoring process in order to guide the direction of the mentor-protégé relationship and inform mentors of their effectiveness.

Definition of Measures of Mentor Effectiveness

How would you rate measures of mentor effectiveness:

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Literature and Research onMeasures of Mentor Effectiveness

Measuring relational satisfaction levels

Identify type of mentoring role preferred

Identify differences in mentor effectiveness

Calkins & Kelley (2005)

Evertson & Smithey (2000)

Hobson (2002) Rose (2003) Williams (2009)

The Relationship Survey (Williams, 2009)◦ Piloted and Administered in Dissertation ◦ Measures Relational Satisfaction Levels of Mentors

and Their Protégés◦ Survey Items Targeted Learning, Teaching, and

Leading (Progressive Professional Development)

Ideal Mentor Scale (Rose, 2003)

Survey Monkey to Write your Own

Systematic Strategies forMeasures of Mentor Effectiveness

Pairing of mentors-protégés by personality style: Purposeful pairing of mentors-protégés based upon personality tests and research indicating which types work best together.

Definition of Pairing of Mentors-Protégés by Personality Style

How would you rate pairing of mentors-protégésby personality style?

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Literature and Research onPairing of Mentors-Protégés by Personality Style

Certain careers attract specific personality types (MBTI)

Use diverse personality tests

Professional development cannot happen if people are not “getting along.”

Hobson (2002) Rose (2003) Williams (2009)

MBTI (www.cpp.com)◦ 4 Dimensions

Extraversion (E) versus Introversion (J) Sensing (S) versus Intuition (N) Feeling (F) versus Thinking (T) Judging (J) versus Perceiving (P)

Systematic Strategy for Pairing of Mentors-Protégés by Personality Style

Student learning outcomes: If the mentor-protégé relationship is an effective one, their professional development should be evident through positive student learning gains.

Definition of Student Learning Outcomes

How would you rate student learning outcomes?

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Evertson & Smithey (2000)◦ Protégés classrooms of highly trained mentors

had students that were more attentive and well behaved

Horton & Oakland (1997)

Literature and Research on Student Learning Outcomes

Evertson and Smithey (2000): Make it evident that mentor training is imperative

Coaching & Mentoring: First-year & Student Teacher (Podsen & Denmark, 2000)

Full Circle Back to Mentor Training

Systematic Strategies for Student Learning Outcomes

A Good Mentor Should be Like Being in a Warm Fuzzy Sweater?

What do you think about this?Which component of mentoring most often determines the effectiveness of the relationship?

1. Mentor training2. Relationship building3. Mentor selection by

mentoring styles4. Measures of mentor

effectiveness5. Pairing of mentors-

protégés by personality style

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