The Pursuit of Excellence Mentoring as Professional Development

1. The Pursuit of Excellence Mentoring as Professional Development League of Innovation for Community Colleges Innovation 2012 Gloria A. Morgan, Associate Dean Diane Clements, Assistant Professor

2. What is Mentoring • A partnership between two people who have the desire to learn and grow within their profession. • One person usually has greater skills, wisdom, and experience • Both partners can learn, grow, develop, and improve from this relationship

3. 4 Must Haves in the Relationship • Trust • Respect • Commitment • Confidentiality

4. Research • Janette Long, Australian Catholic University • Reframe role of mentor to help mentee • Problem solving • Innovation • Leaders within organization • Emphasizes school-wide concerns • Creativity • Professional autonomy with colleagues • Build capacity of self and others • Improve both pedagogy and student learning

5. Research • Leslie Huling • Since 1980’s increased effort to support and retain novice teachers • Most previous literature—mentee focused • Recently literature—mentor focused • 1986 Study also reflected in current research • 66% of 178 mentor teachers • Professional growth • Intrinsic rewards

6. Benefits • Professional Competency • Reflective Practice • Renewal • Psychological Benefits • Collaboration • Contribute to Teacher Leadership • Mentoring Combined with Inquiry/Research

7. Why Participate in Mentoring • Knowledge and skills exchange • Content knowledge • Pedagogy • Teaching and Learning Strategies • Experiential learning • Learning through reflection on your experiences • What are you doing? • Why are you doing it? • How is it working? • Network building • Personal and career growth

8. Informal Mentoring • A natural mentor/mentee match • More flexible structure • No time limits for specific activities • No evaluation process

9. Informal Mentoring • Tends to last longer than a formal mentoring relationship • Tends to be more successful than a formal mentoring relationship • Tends to promote caring values, such as respect for students, that are often overlooked in a formal mentoring program

10. So Who? • Who is the person you are thinking about right now with whom you can develop a mentoring relationship? • How can you help that person? • How can that person help you?

11. References • “The Role of Teacher Mentoring in Educational Reform, Stan Koki, Pacific Resources for Education and Learning • “Assisting Beginning Teachers and School Communities to Grow Through Extended and Collaborative Mentoring Experiences, Janette Long • “Teacher Mentoring as Professional Development, Leslie Huling, ERIC Development Team

12. Thank You • Diane Clements Assistant Professor, Monroe Community College dclements@monroecc.edu • Gloria A. Morgan Associate Dean, Genesee Community College gamorgan@genesee.edu