New Principals' Mentoring and Its Contribution to Their Positioning

• In Event: Park Central Roundtable Session 1
  In Roundtable Session: Benefits and Challenges of Instructional Coaching and Mentoring for Teachers and School Leaders

Abstract

The study explores the personal mentoring that new school principals receive from experienced professionals. Based on positioning theory it asked if, and to what extent, the mentoring of the principal encourages adaptation or promotes agency.16 school principals and 9 mentors were interviewed in this qualitative-phenomenological study. The mentoring was delineated as a discursive process that provided emotional support and assisted in setting priorities and connecting or separating issues. The mentoring provided down to earth feedback on decisions and actions and it helped in establishing the principal's identification with the role and in being ready to carry out changes. The mentoring served as a means to the positioning of the mentees as agents capable of being proactive in the educational organization.

Authors

• Bracha Alpert, Beit Berl Academic College

• Simcha Shlasky