How do mentors develop over time?
by Lynn Kepp on Fri, 03/05/2010 - 8:27am
Susan Hanson's article on Mentor professional development made me reflect on my professional development as a mentor over time. As I thought back over the years, my personal experiences followed the development she described in her article. This made me wonder- what do others think about this topic. I have attached the article and would love to hear what others think
Does this developmental progression match the personal experiences of other mentors around the country?
How did you develop as a mentor over time?
Lynn
Comments
5 comments postedI would love to see the next chapter of this article - what do the mentor teachers do after their mentoring period is over and how does the mentoring experience affect their next position?
The part of this article that I connected with most was when it said that many mentors felt that in their second year they were able to transition from focusing on emotional needs to instructional needs. I found that I got caught up trying to help teachers through their momentary crises which waylayed the opportunity to truly impact their instruction. Since then, I have grown in my ability to redirect the conversation to the big picture.
I also had a similar progession through my mentoring experience. I have mentored a number of student teachers. However, I'm much more confident after eMSS experience as well as a sabbatical that allowed me to travel and observe many different schools. These experiences really gave me greater focus and comfort as a mentor.
I agree that the progression in confidence was similar, but my initial mentor training (through a state academy) did not address the complexities of mentoring new teachers. Becoming an advocate for beginning teachers emerged as I gained more experience. I definitely grew as a more effective leader after several years as a mentor. Administrators, as well as district math supervisors, also respected and appreciated my input on changes needed in math education. "Moving teaching practice forward" has been a major focus in my motives to mentor new teachers from my initial year of mentoring.
From this article I assume these mentors work within a position outside the classroom. My experience has been as a mentor within the same school as my mentee while I remained in the classroom. Most definitely my experience with eMSS has improved my mentoring skills, focus, and knowledge of effective methods.
The developmental profile of the mentor teacher through the first 3 years is similar to my own experience as a BTSA support provider. The difference for me is that I was already District Science Coordinator, so I had forged my administrative relationships prior to mentoring. That was really helpful actually. Administrators knew me, so when I advocated for a mentee, I was heard.