IMPORTANCE OF MENTORING IN TEACHER TRAINING

Abstract

Success involves learning and cultivating relationships, building the capacity of teachers, figuring out better pathways to success, and providing the support teachers need to come together as communities of practice. Enhancing a teacher's professional identity is a potential solution to the drift and disconnection experienced by many teachers during their career. Mid-career teacher leadership involvement in a multi-experienced professional cohort presenting and attending together at a conference is one way to increase their professional identity. The potential of an enhanced sense of professional identity through self-awareness of their mastery experiences, collaborative skills and teacher leadership is that it may impact a mid-career teacher's connection to the profession, resulting in a renewal of commitment to teaching. Revolution, not reform, is needed to re-discover the power of teaching. Almost all teachers have tremendous power which can be released, given the proper exposure. This cannot be accomplished by tinkering with a broken system. Intellectual structures, definitions and assumptions should be changed, and then teacher power can be released.

Headnote

Abstract: Success involves learning and cultivating relationships, building the capacity of teachers, figuring out better pathways to success, and providing the support teachers need to come together as communities of practice. Enhancing a teacher's professional identity is a potential solution to the drift and disconnection experienced by many teachers during their career. Mid-career teacher leadership involvement in a multi-experienced professional cohort presenting and attending together at a conference is one way to increase their professional identity. The potential of an enhanced sense of professional identity through self-awareness of their mastery experiences, collaborative skills and teacher leadership is that it may impact a mid-career teacher's connection to the profession, resulting in a renewal of commitment to teaching. Revolution, not reform, is needed to re-discover the power of teaching. Almost all teachers have tremendous power which can be released, given the proper exposure. This cannot be accomplished by tinkering with a broken system. Intellectual structures, definitions and assumptions should be changed, and then teacher power can be released.

Keywords: mentor, mentoring, teacher leadership, early-career teachers, co- teaching.

MENTORING

Mentor (noun): lifelong learner, supporter, friend, guide, listener, and role model

Mentor (verb): to observe, listen, analyse, discuss, guide, support

Mentoring is the process of serving as a mentor, someone who facilitates and assists another`s development. The process includes modelling because the mentor must be able to model the messages and suggestions being taught to the beginner teacher1Mentors facilitate learning, model and demonstrate lesson lessons, co-plan, co-teach, and provide feedback, while building and maintaining a trusting relationship. When tied together with instructional coaching, mentors can help new and early-career teachers see their teaching world through a different lens.

High-quality mentoring partnerships provide the new and early- career teacher with an opportunity to work closely with and learn from an experienced teacher. The partnership is fostered by structured collegial exchanges, such as peer observations, face to face conservations outside of school hours, and effective communication via e-mail or telephone, in which the new and early-career teacher and mentor participate together. Structured time is set aside as a necessary part of the collaborative collegial exchange, as it enables collaborating activities such as co- planning, co-teaching, modelling, and reflecting to take place.

When mentors deal with new and early-career teachers who are different in the sense of ethnicity, culture, linguistics, or age, some considerations need to be taken to avoid making judgements. As a result of these expectations, the functions of mentors can be mentioned as follows:

* Mentors are advisors, people with career experience willing to share their knowledge.

* Mentors are supporters, people who give emotional and moral encouragement.

* Mentors are tutors, people who give specific feedback on one's performance.

* Mentors are masters, in the sense of employers to whom one is apprenticed.

* Mentors are sponsors, sources of information and aids in obtaining opportunities.

Mentors are models, of identity; of the kind of person one should be, to be an academic.

IMPORTANCE OF MENTORING

One of the main problems of the education system in most countries is that teachers have lost their leadership function in the schools. Moreover, it is a very big issue for the beginning teachers. Teacher training through mentoring activities are now considered as an effective professional development methods for new teachers. In fact, authorities think that these training activities can be helpful in educational system for new teachers as well as experienced teachers2.Teacher mentoring encourages teachers to remain in the profession, improves their instruction, and enables them to become members of a learning community. Local school systems were given greater responsibility for developing and implementing teacher mentor programs within their systems. When administrators, mentor teachers, and other stakeholders support novice teachers through their critical first years of teaching, all children are being taught by highly qualified teachers who are committed to their students and their schools. More than this, authorities believe that mentoring training is needed activity than classroom teaching, and that even veteran teachers cannot always objectively measure the effectiveness of teaching process of new teachers3.

TEACHERS MAKING A DIFFERENCE

As I already mentioned above, one of the main goals of mentoring is to keep the new teachers in the profession. Better support structures must be devised to induct new teachers and retain them in the teaching ranks4. Moreover, although teaching process involves intensive interaction with the students during the day, the task of teachers is generally done in isolation from colleagues. This can be especially difficult for new teachers who are often left on their own to succeed or fail within the confines of their own classrooms - an experienced likened to being "lost at sea"5. Teachers can make a difference in each other's lives. Experienced teachers who act as mentors are known to be influential in the retention of new teachers. The teacher's role is absolutely and without a doubt one of the most important roles in the school life. Think of all the people in all different walks of life, people of diverse cultural backgrounds, people of varied intelligence and experience, short ones, tall ones, young ones, older ones - each and every individual has been influenced by a teacher. Mentoring programmes are critical for success of new teachers, and a focused programme dealing with specific issues such as special education can be beneficial.

We must be equipped with skills of quality teaching, a positive attitude, a love of learning more about ourselves and others, and the ability to reach a diverse group teachers and students where there are sometimes more cultures represented in one school than we ever thought possible, at times when we are asked to deal with intercultural issues that we may not even be aware of.

MENTORING ACTIVITIES

There is no fixed way of establishing a mentoring activities and program. One researcher recommends that after goals are set, it becomes timely to establish the mentoring program so that it will support the mentor-protégé pairs "throughout the development of their relationship." An initial step is to build a support structure that includes the making of physical arrangements and the handling of logistics. Another step is to create mechanisms for monitoring and communicating to ensure continual assessment of the relationship. A third step is to evaluate the staff developer's skills and abilities, and the mentoring program6.

Like the induction processes common to other occupations, there are number of different, and sometimes conflicting, purposes behind the teacher mentoring activities. Among them are support, socialization, adjustment, development and assessment. Moreover, mentoring can refer can refer to a variety of different types of activities - classes, workshops, orientations, seminars. These programs have become the dominant form of teacher induction in the last decades7.

The enhancement to the professional identity of a teacher placed in a leadership role is accomplished through both formal and informal activities. Through these experiences teachers recognize that they are members of an active community of evaluative dialogue where ideas, methods and experiences are shared, and in so doing that they have special expertise in the profession and are able to share that knowledge. This interaction creates a process through which an active participant constructs personal knowledge, skill, and values directly from an experience within the environment. Self-realization occurs when carefully chosen experiences are supported by self and group reflection, critical analysis, and synthesis. Experiences are structured to require the learner to take initiative, make decisions, and be accountable for the results. The outcome is personal and self constructed, preparing for and leading to future experiences and personal recognitions. Relationships are developed and nurtured. Experiences may result in success, failure, adventure, risk- taking and uncertainty, since the outcome cannot be totally predictable. Everyone involved has their own perspective on a situation and event and these perspectives influence understanding and action. Individuals learn as they participate by interacting with the community, its history, assumptions and cultural values, rules, and patterns of relationship; the tools at hand, including objects, technology, language and images; the moment's activity, its purposes, norms, the practical challenges. Shared knowledge emerges from the interaction of these elements.

In mentoring activities, normally, there is a pair of novice teacher and more experienced teacher. This veteran teacher explains school policies, regulations and procedures; share methods, materials and other resources; help solve problems in teaching and learning; provide personal and professional support; and guide the growth of the novice teacher through reflection, collaboration, and shared inquiry8.

Activities that involve professionals in open and dynamic discussion, mutual problem solving and/or collaborative learning draw the participants into a community of learners (or what we refer to as a professional cohort) and contribute to an understanding of both theirs and the group's capabilities. Thus it is suggested that teachers who participate together in meaningful and purposeful ways are more likely to remain in the profession because they feel valued and supported in their work. A variety of studies have also found clear evidence of the positive effect of professional experiences on teachers' self-efficacy and level of morale. These developed and then self-recognized qualities and behaviours are what define teacher leaders.

Mentoring of young teachers provides an opportunity to develop and model teacher leadership concepts. The more experienced teachers serve as a role model, encouraging, counselling, and befriending less experienced teachers for the purpose of promoting both groups professional and personal development.

Footnote

1 G. Gay, "Modelling and Mentoring in Urban Education. Education and Urban Society", Volume 28, N0. 1, 1995, pp.103-118.

2 T. Ganser, "Preparing Mentors of Beginning Teachers: An Overview for Staff Developers", Journal of Staff Development, Volume 17, 1996, No.4, pp.8-11.

3 T.M. Bey And C.T. Holmes, Mentoring: Contemporary Principles and Issues, Reston, VA: Association of Teacher Educators, 1992.

4 L.A. Huling-Austin, A Synthesis of Research on Teacher Induction Programs and Practices, Paper Presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, New Orlians, LA, 1989.

5 T. Sizer, Horacès Compromise: The Dilemma of the American High School , Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1992.

6 M., Janas, Mentoring the Mentor: A Challenge for Staff Development. Journal of Staff Development, Vol.17, No.4, 1996, pp.2-5.

7 E. Fideler and D. Haselkorn, Learning the Ropes: Urban Teacher Induction Programs and Practices in the United States. Belmont, MA: Recruiting New Teachers, 1999.

8 S. Feiman-Nemser, And M.B. Parker, Mentoring in Context: A Comparison of Two U.S. Programs for Beginning Teachers, NCRTL Special Report. East Lansing, MI: National Center for Research on Teacher Learning, Michigan State University, ED 346 091, 1992.

References

REFERENCES

Bey, T. M. And Holmes C.T. Mentoring, (1992), Contemporary Principles and Issues. Reston, VA: Association of Teacher Educators.

Feiman-Nemser, S. And Parker, M.B., (1992), Mentoring in Context: A Comparison of Two U.S. Programs for Beginning Teachers. NCRTL Special Report. East Lansing, MI: National Center for Research on Teacher Learning, Michigan State University, ED 346 091.

Fideler, E. and Haselkorn, D., (1999), Learning the Ropes: Urban Teacher Induction Programs and Practices in the United States. Belmont, MA: Recruiting New Teachers.

Ganser, T., (1996), "Preparing Mentors of Beginning Teachers: An Overview for Staff Developers", Journal of Staff Development, Volume 17, No.4, pp.8-11.

Gay, G., (1995), "Modelling and Mentoring" in Urban Education. Education and Urban Society, Volume 28, N0.1, pp.103-118.

Huling-Austin, L.A., (1988), A Synthesis of Research on Teacher Induction Programs and Practices, Paper Presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, New Orleans, LA.

Janas, M., (1996), "Mentoring the Mentor: A Challenge for Staff Development", Journal of Staff Development, Vol.17, No.4, pp.2-5.

Sizer, T., (1992), Horacès Compromise: The Dilemma of the American High School, Boston: Houghton Mifflin.