Mentoring and Coaching

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Mentoring and Coaching

• September, 2006

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What is mentoring?

• Mentoring is a professional development strategy
  designed to improve teaching and learning through
  close professional relationships between or among
  teachers.
• By engaging in thoughtful dialogues, teachers are
  able to reflect on their own practices and become
  more independent and self-directed practitioners.

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Why mentoring?

• Studies of success rates of various teacher
  in-servicing components support the potential
  effectiveness of mentoring as a means of
  improving instructional practice.
• Nova Scotia Educational Leadership Consortium

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A comparison -Joyce and Showers
IN-SERVICE COMPONENT SKILLS ATTAINED TRANSFER TO CLASSROOM
Presentation of Theory 10 -20 5 - 10
Demonstration 30 - 35 5 - 10
Practice 60 - 70 5 - 10
Feedback 70 - 80 10 - 20
Mentoring 80 - 90 80 - 90
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Mentoring

• affects school culture by promoting stronger
  collegial relationships.
• supports significant educational change.
• promotes reflection and decision-making by
  providing time, space, and encouragement.
• leads to increased student achievement.

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The 3 Cs of Mentoring

• Consulting A consultant provides information on
  curriculum, instruction, and assessment.
• Collaborating Collaborative interactions
  involve shared planning, decision-making,
  problem-solving, and reflection.
• Coaching- A coach supports a participating
  teachers thinking, problem-solving, and goal
  achievement.

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Continuum of Interaction

• Consulting Collaborating Coaching
• The goal is to create a reciprocal learning
  focused relationship.
• Skilled mentors do not have all the answers
  they focus on developing the participating
  teachers capacity to improve their own practice.

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Mentoring Relationship

• Respect
• Trust
• Communication

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Mentoring Opportunities

• In small groups
• Book-study group
• Grade-level group
• Subject-specific group
• Goal-specific group
• As Individuals
• Coaching / Collaborating / Consulting

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Interpersonal Skills

• Attending
• Active Listening
• Questioning
• Presenting
• Confirming
• Summarizing
• Problem Solving

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Confidentiality

• The relationship and conversations between
  the mentor and the participating teacher remain
  confidential.

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The Coaching Process

Observation
Pre-Conference
Post -Conference
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The Coaching Process
Demonstration/ Co-Teaching/ Planning
Pre-Conference
Post-Conference
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Do and Dont

• Do
• Coach, collaborate, and consult
• Work with individuals or small groups
• Listen and ask questions
• Paraphrase and summarize
• Collect data
• Provide resources

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Do and Dont

• Mentors will not
• Supervise, evaluate or judge
• Provide pullout services
• Provide ready-to-go lessons
• Substitute or fill-in for other teachers

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Mentoring Relationships

• Participating in mentoring relationships
  contributes to both career and personal
  development.

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Mentoring Relationships

• Mentoring relationships are vehicles for job
  enrichment and professional development.
• Mentors provide support.
• Mentors create a safe place and establish a
  trusting relationship.
• Mentors provide support by listening and
  encouraging.

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The Roles of The Mentor

• Confidante discusses issues or has
  conversations in confidence.
• Coach gives feedback and problem solves to help
  improve professional practices.
• Colleague shares experiences, resources, ideas
  and strategies.
• Facilitator guides the learning partner in
  discovering solutions or decisions.