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##  Teacher Mentoring as Professional Development. ERIC Digest.                  

Teacher mentoring programs have dramatically increased since the                early 1980s as a vehicle to support and retain novice teachers. The             vast majority of what has been written about mentoring has focused              on what mentors should believe and do in their work with novice                 teachers. The professional literature typically describes the                   benefits for novice teachers (Odell and Huling, 2000).  However,                facilitators of mentoring programs and researchers are recognizing              that mentors also derive substantial benefits from the mentoring                experience (Resta, Huling, White and Matschek, 1997; David, 2000;               Holloway, 2001). The professional development benefits of the                   mentoring experience for the mentor teacher are the focus of this               digest. 
The idea that mentors derive benefits from mentoring is               not completely new.  As early as the mid-1980s, a few educators were            beginning to examine this question.  For example, in a 1986 study of            178 mentor teachers, more than two-thirds responded "definitely" to             the statement that participation in the mentoring programs "provided            positive professional growth for me" (Hawk, 1986-87, p. 62). When               mentors were asked to elaborate upon the ways they grew                         professionally, more than half of them (N=91) did so with responses             falling into three categories: (1) forced me to focus on and improve            my own classroom teaching skills; (2) made me aware of the need for             educators to communicate with each other; and (3) helped me better              understand the principal and central office supervisors' roles.                 These findings led Hawk to conclude that "educators should look not             only at the direct effects that teacher induction programs have on              beginning teachers, but also at residual effects that such programs             have on all involved professionals" (Hawk, 1986-87, p. 62). 
Since             1986, only a few studies have focused on the primary question of                mentor benefits, but a considerable number of researchers and mentor            program evaluators have reported mentor benefits in the realm of                unanticipated or secondary positive effects. This body of work will             be briefly examined in a broader discussion of how mentoring                    contributes to the ongoing professional development of experienced              educators. MENTOR BENEFITSProfessional competency. As mentor              teachers assist their protegees in improving their teaching, they               also improve their own professional competency.  Several studies                have documented the positive effects of mentoring on the mentors                themselves (Gordon and Maxey, 2000). The quality of teaching by                 mentors improves (Yosha, 1991). Mentors benefit by applying                     cognitive coaching skills with their students such as listening,                asking inquisitive questions, providing non-judgmental feedback, and            by reassessing their classroom management (Clinard and Ariav, 1998).            Mentor teachers frequently characterize working closely with                    beginning teachers as a source of new ideas about curriculum and                teaching (Ganser, 1997).  In a study of 542 mentors in New York                 City, mentors reported that their interns helped them by giving them            feedback on demonstrations and by sharing literature, teaching                  techniques, curriculum, and lesson plans (Mei, 1993). 
Reflective              Practice. Mentors report that mentoring has forced them to be                   reflective about their own beliefs about teaching, students,                    learning, and teaching as a career.  It also provided them with                 opportunities to validate the experience they have gained over the              years (Ganser, 1997). Mentors find that just as teachers learn more             about their subject by teaching, so analyzing and talking about                 teaching is a natural opportunity to deepen teaching sensitivity and            skill (Tomlinson, 1995). Critically reflective mentors find that                they are more focused in their mentoring relationships; they bring              expanded energy, take more informed action, and are generally more              satisfied with their mentoring relationships.  Reflective practice              in mentoring can also provide an opportunity for renewal and                    regeneration necessary for all adults. The drive toward generativity            is an essential antidote to the threat of stagnation in the adult               years (Daloz, 1999; Stevens, 1995). 
Renewal.  A number of                     researchers have reported that mentors experience professional                  renewal, are re-energized, and often strengthen their commitment to             the teaching profession (Ford and Parsons, 2000; Steffey, Wolfe,                Pasch, and Enz, 2000). 
Psychological Benefits.  The benefits of               mentoring are both career-related and psychological. Mentoring                  enhances mentors' self-esteem (Wollman-Bonilla, 1997).  The                     experience of mentoring empowers experienced teachers and gives them            a greater sense of significance in their world (Carger, 1996).                  Mentors derive satisfaction from helping less experienced                       colleagues  (Scott, 1999). Mentors frequently describe their                    mentoring contribution as a way of giving back to the teaching                  profession (Boreen, Johnson, Niday and Potts,                                   2000). 
Collaboration.  Mentors report that continued contact with             mentees provides some of their richest collegial                                interactions (Boreen, Johnson, Niday, and Potts, 2000).  A number of            researchers have noted the growth of veteran teachers' self-esteem              as they engage in mentoring (Ford, and Parsons, 2000; Mei, 1993;                Scott, 1999). Interviews with urban mentor teachers revealed that               they felt a sense of increased confidence and maturity in dealing               with other adults, a more clearly defined set of beliefs about                  teaching and curriculum, and more objectivity in reflecting on their            own teaching as a result of mentoring (Freiberg, Zbikowski, and                 Ganser, 1996). 
Contributions to Teacher Leadership. Mentor                    training and experiences can build mentors' capacity for leadership             through structured professional development including training and              experience in classroom observation and coaching skills. Mentors                become recognized for their valuable knowledge and expertise in                 these areas and are sought out for various campus and district                  leadership roles. It is not uncommon for mentors to move into                   leadership positions as a result of their success as mentors, and it            is often the case that they are more effective in these new                     positions because of the training and insights they received as                 mentors. For example, Freiberg found that at the end of their tenure            as mentors, 100 percent of the mentors in her study were offered                unsolicited positions as a result of their experience in the                    mentoring program, and the positions offered provided opportunities             to build on what they had learned as mentors or combined elements of            mentoring and teaching (Freiberg, Zbikowski and Ganzer,                         1996). 
Mentoring Combined with Inquiry.  Working with new teachers            can lead mentors to participate in university research projects or              teacher research. Mentors who participate in inquiry critically                 examine their own practice, which can lead to a heightened awareness            of the complexity of teaching (Stanulis and Weaver,                             1998). IMPLICATIONS FOR ADMINISTRATORSThe benefits of                     mentoring programs are substantial for both novice and mentor                   teachers.  This reality has important implications for funding                  decisions made by administrators and staff development personnel.               Principals need to understand that creating a structure that allows             experienced teachers to work with novice teachers will ultimately               benefit the students of both novices and mentors, and the overall               organization will be stronger as a result of the increased capacity             of teachers serving as mentors.  As staff developers grow in their              understanding of comprehensive professional development that extends            well beyond training workshops, they can begin to embrace mentoring             programs not only as a valuable resource for novice teachers, but               also as a growth-promoting experience for mentors as well.  When                administrators  grapple with funding decisions related to mentoring             programs, they need to recognize the dual benefits of their                     investments.  Finally, because mentors can exert substantially                  greater influence on the school organization than novices, the                  benefits mentors derive from mentoring may be of equal, or even                 greater, importance than those experienced by novice                            teachers. REFERENCESReferences identified with an EJ or ED                number have been abstracted and are in the ERIC database. Journal               articles (EJ) should be available at most research libraries; most              documents (ED) are available in microfiche collections at more than             900 locations. Documents can also be ordered through the ERIC                   Document Reproduction Service (800-443-ERIC). 
Boreen, J., Johnson,            M. K., Niday, D., & Potts, J.  (2000). Mentoring beginning teachers:            guiding, reflecting, coaching. York, Maine: Stenhouse                           Publishers. 
Carger, C.L. (1996). The two Bills: Reflecting on the             gift of mentorship. Peabody Journal of Education, 71(1),                        22-29. 
Cheng, M. & Brown, R. (1992). A two-year evaluation of the             peer support pilot project. Evaluation/Feasibility Report, Toronto              Board of Education. ED 356 204. 
Clinard, L. M. & Ariav, T. (1998).            What mentoring does for mentors: A cross-cultural perspective.                  European Journal of Teacher Education, 21(1), 91-108. 
Cox,                    M.D. (1997). Walking the tightrope: The role of mentoring in                    developing educators as professionals, in Mullen, C.A.. In M.D. Cox,            C.K. Boettcher, & D.S. Adoue (Eds.), Breaking the circle of one:                Redefining mentorship in the lives and writings of educators.  New              York: Peter Lang. 
Daloz, L. A. (1999). Mentor: Guiding the journey            of adult learners. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. 
David, T. (2000).              Programs in practice:  Teacher mentoring - benefits all around.                 Kappa Delta Pi Record, 36(3), 134-136. 
Ford, D. & Parsons,                    J. (2000).  Teachers as mentors.  ED 447 073. 
Freiberg, M.,                   Zbikowski, J., & Ganser, T. (1996, April). Where do we go from here?            Decisions and dilemmas of teacher mentors.  Paper presented at the              Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, New            York.  ED 395 930. 
Ganser, T. (1997, April). Promises and pitfalls            for mentors of beginning teachers. Paper presented at the Conference            on Diversity in Mentoring, Tempe, AZ. ED 407 379. 
Gordon, S. &                Maxey, S. (2000). How to help beginning teachers succeed. 2nd ed.               Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum                      Development. 
Hawk, P. (1986-87). Beginning teacher programs:                  Benefits for the experienced educator in recruiting and inducting               quality personnel for schools. Action in Teacher Education, the                 Journal of the Association of Teacher Educators, 8(4),                          59-63. 
Holloway, J. (2001). The benefits of mentoring.                        Educational Leadership, 58(8), 85-86. 
Mei, L. (1993). Mentor                  teacher internship program. Evaluation/Feasibility Report, New York             City Board of Education. ED 370 925. 
Odell, S.J. & Huling                     L. (2000). Quality mentoring for novice teachers. Joint publication:            Washington, D.C.: Association of Teacher Educators and Indianapolis,            Indiana: Kappa Delta Pi. 
Resta, V., Huling, L., White, S. &                   Matschek, D. (1997). A year to grow on. Journal of Staff                        Development, 18(1), 43-45. 
Scott, N. (1999, May).  Careful                    planning or serendipity? Promoting well-being through teacher                   induction.  Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Canadian               Society for the Study of Education, Ottawa, Canada. ED 420                      627. 
Stanulis, R., & Weaver, D.  (1998). Teacher as mentor,                   teacher as learner: lessons from a middle-school language arts                  teacher. The Teacher Educator, 34(2), 134-43. 
Steffy, B, Wolfe,               M., Pasch, S. & Enz, B. (2000). Life cycle of the career teacher.               Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press and Kappa Delta Pi. 
Stevens,                  N. (1995). R and r for mentors: renewal and reaffirmation for                   mentors as benefits from the mentoring experience. Educational                  Horizons, 73(3), 130-137. 
Tomlinson, P. (1995).  Understanding                mentoring: Reflective strategies for school-based teacher                       preparation. Philadelphia:  Open University                                     Press. 
Wollman-Bonilla, J. (1997).  Mentoring as a two-way street.            Journal of Staff Development, 18(3), 50-52. 
Yosha, P. (1991,                  April). The benefits of an induction program: What do mentors and               novices say?  Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American             Educational Research Association, Chicago, IL. ED 332                           994. 
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This project has been funded at least in part with               Federal funds from the U.S. Department of Education, Office of                  Educational Research and Improvement, under contract number                     ED-99-COO-0007.  The content of this publication does not                       necessarily reflect the views of or policies of the U.S. Department             of Education nor does mention of trade names, commercial products,              or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.                   **Title:** Teacher Mentoring as Professional Development. ERIC Digest.                  **Document Type:** Information Analyses---ERIC Information Analysis Products (IAPs) (071); Information Analyses---ERIC Digests (Selected) in Full Text (073); **Available From:** ERIC Clearinghouse on Teaching and Teacher Education, American                  Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, 1307 New York Ave.,              N.W., Suite 300, Washington, DC 20005-4701. Tel: 202-293-2450; Tel:             800-822-9229 (Toll Free); e-mail: [email protected]. For full text:               http://www.ericsp.org.                                                       **Descriptors:** Beginning Teacher Induction, Elementary Secondary Education,                     Faculty Development, Instructional Leadership,  Mentors, Reflective            Teaching, Self Efficacy, Teacher Collaboration, Teacher                         Competencies, Teacher Improvement                                            **Identifiers:** ERIC Digests, Teacher Renewal                                                
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