Understanding System Influences on Mentoring Practices for Early Career Teachers

• In Event: AERA Poster Session Saturday 7:45 am
  In Poster Session: Mentoring, Induction, Novice Teacher Support, and Mental Health

Abstract

This study examines a mentoring program, the University-District Mentoring Program (UDMP), designed to address early career teacher attrition through systemic support. Drawing on a socio-ecological framework, researchers analyzed interviews and logs from mentors, mentees, and mentor coaches in a majority-Latinx, Title I district. Findings from three mentoring pairs revealed that strong relational support, intentional communication, and mentors’ generosity were critical to effective mentoring. However, inconsistent structural support, such as limited release time, hindered implementation. The study highlights how mentoring often relies on invisible teacher labor, reinforcing systemic inequities. It calls for institutional reforms to make mentoring a sustainable, system-supported strategy for teacher development and retention.

Authors

• Beth Maloch, University of Texas at Austin

• Melissa Mosley Wetzel, University of Texas at Austin

• Emily McDonald, University of Texas at Austin

• Valerie Taylor, University of Texas at Austin

• Kelsie Corriston Burnett, University of Texas at Austin

• Angie House, University of Texas at Austin

• LeAnne Lesher Hernandez, University of Texas at Austin

• Emily Mauer, University of Texas at Austin

• Kelly Ocasio, University of Texas at Austin