Some say that the very personal context of mentoring makes them feel more connected. To adapt an idea from Erik Erikson's stages of social development, these seniors need to care for and pass on wisdom to the next generation. A systematic mentoring program can be a useful tool for attracting, inducting, and retaining faculty members. A concurrent effect was evident in our program's second year, when we began to get requests from senior faculty who were not mentors for the materials we used and inclusion in our sessions. Apparently, they recognized that new teachers were benefiting from an experience they had missed.
Professional development requires a systemic commitment.
It is important that the entire educational system embrace the idea of helping new teachers succeed through nurturing their professional development. In universities, this may mean reducing their teaching loads for the initial stages of planning new classes or publishing dissertation research, or limiting committee assignments or numbers of students to advise. Mentoring should be expanded to include all faculty members and administrators who have a willingness to lend support. Administrators serious about developing young people must advocate more comprehensively for them. And mentors, in turn, need to be recognized for the time they give and the responsibilities they assume.