Defining the Role of Mentoring Across Alternative-Route Teacher Education Programs

• In Event: The Mentoring Dilemma in an Age of School-Based Teacher Preparation

Abstract

CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK
The literature on mentoring in teacher preparation programs focuses on the mentoring of pre-service and beginning teachers. Studies suggest that mentoring positively impacts the development of teaching competencies (Lindgren, 2005), it is crucial for the socialization process (Bullough & Draper, 2004), and mentors offer emotional and psychological support (Marable & Raimondi, 2007). Though informative, this literature lacks research that considers the teacher who is learning to teach in alternative route, or “early entry” (Grossman & Loeb, 2008) programs. This study analyzes the role of the mentor in the learning to teach process across four different early entry teacher preparation programs: Teach For America, The New Teacher Project’s Teaching Fellows, an Urban Teacher Residency, and a “fast track” graduate-level Teacher Education Program.

The fairly recent increase in “early entry” teacher preparation programs encouraged debate over what type of teacher education program produces the most effective teachers (i.e. Darling-Hammond et al., 2005; Decker, Mayer, & Glazerman, 2004). However, scholars like Grossman and Loeb (2008) insist we move beyond positioning “early entry,” against “college recommending” programs and instead investigate the various aspects of all programs such as the germination period for learning as well as the contexts in which learning is happening. Therefore, I am not assessing the programs or declaring one better or worse than another. Alternatively, I uncover the realities of participating in an alternative route teacher education program, more broadly. By looking across various programs, this study describes the knowledge, skills, and dispositions of teacher mentors in various alternative route programs. This research unearths the complexities in mentoring teachers in early entry programs, thus providing valuable information to design preparation programs for mentors working specifically with individuals in alternative route teacher education programs.

RESEARCH QUESTION
RQ1. How do mentors in alternative teacher education programs perceive their role in their mentees’ learning how to teach process?
RQ2. How do candidates in alternative teacher education programs define the role of their mentor?

METHOD OF INQUIRY
To capture the perceptions of the mentoring role, in depth interviews were conducted with one mentor and one mentee per alternative route program for a total of eight (8) interviews. This qualitative data was analyzed in Atlas.ti using “open-coding” (Strauss & Corbin, 1990) techniques in order to guide the thematic analysis (Bogdan & Taylor, 2000).

FINDINGS
Preliminary analysis suggests the mentors find themselves learning how to mentor while mentoring. They draw on various resources much like they did in their teaching career and their mentor identity often mirror their teacher identity. The mentors working in programs that provide more mentor preparation found they drew heavily on the resources they were provided by their program. In their work with their mentors, the teachers managed their learning how to teach process by navigating the multiple layers of support they receive from their university mentor, school mentor, and alternative route mentor, where applicable. The teachers found they worked more closely with the mentor that aligned more with their own developing philosophy on education.

Author

• Tanya Maloney, Montclair State University