Mentoring Novice Teachers: Perspective of a Mentor

• In Event: Mentoring Teachers: Navigating Real-World Tensions

Abstract

Participation in the mentor writing group helped immensely in identifying personal struggles with mentoring out of my comfort zone and which behaviors among beginning teachers triggered frustration as well as growth. As one of a group of ten mentors who wrote about the daily challenges of mentoring first year teachers, I was able to eventually identify the tensions and form workable solutions that assisted in improving the practice of early career teachers and my own growth as a mentor. The purpose of my participation in this session is to validate the importance of group support, in this case, a group of writers, who worked together over a two year period, to support each other’s practice.
Mentor development became a key component of the writing group, as we formed two supportive ‘teams’ and explored the five ‘mentoring tensions’ and their impact on mentor practice as well as beginning teacher practice. Straddling between providing the emotional support most teachers desired, as well as instruction in effective classroom management skills AND content was more than a full plate.
Members of the writing group did not shy away from asking critical questions and prodding each other to explore our roles in a teacher’s initial failures and ultimate successes. Initially, we explored the change in our role from that of a classroom teacher to that of an advisor to an adult in a new learning situation. In fact, a realization came about for all of us: that each beginning teacher/mentor relationship is unique and we bring a different skill set to each relationship.
In the writing group, several participants focused on the role of the mentor in developing meaningful relationships with members of each school’s community: beginning teacher, administrators, and other stakeholders. Guiding beginning teachers through the maze of the ‘school culture’ can be a challenge when the mentor is learning it concurrently with the new teacher.
The next step, building a trusting relationship and, at the same time, supporting content was quite challenging. It was often discussed, especially in the context of supporting a teacher whose content area we were not comfortable with.
How to guide a teacher to accelerate their practice, asking critical questions, and at the same time remain the helpful, trusting guide, is a continuing tension. Through discussion, we came to the conclusion that each relationship between a mentor and a beginning teacher is unique, although many of the skills we develop, are transferable.
Participation in the mentor writing group ultimately enabled all of the members to reflect upon the leadership skills we had learned or honed in the process of becoming competent mentors. Support from fellow mentors was crucial as the journey of self-reflection can be a challenge in itself. In a group of writers, both support and gentle critique helps push every member’s practice forward.

Author

• Kathy Aldred, Boston Public Schools