Whose Comfort Really Counts? Niceness as a Barrier to Mentoring for Equity

• In Event: Teacher Preparation, Mentoring, and Community at the Intersections of Identity

Abstract

Educative mentoring centers mentoring on teaching and learning, and can occur inside or outside of the action of teaching. A majority of mentoring occurs outside. Inside practices, which can expedite teacher/student growth, are underused and even avoided. Socialized niceness, a socio-emotional disposition shared predominantly amongst white women, is used as a framework to explore two illustrative case studies of experienced, white induction mentors who enact educative mentoring in Title 1 schools. Both implemented all outside practices and named benefits of inside practices. However, implementation of inside practices varied greatly—one using, one avoiding. Their rationales for not/using inside practices primarily related to maintaining comfort and if/how expertise was leveraged—enactments of socialized niceness—and have implications for mentoring for equity.

Authors

• Wendy L. Gardiner, Pacific Lutheran University
  Presenting Author

• Nina F. Weisling, Carthage College
  Presenting Author