Introduction
In the
Greek Mythology, “Mentor” is the name of Ulysses’ friend. Ulysses usually used
to ask his friend, Mentor to take care of his son, Telemachos when he went for
wanderings. The goddess Pallas Athene used to transform herself into the form
of Mentor to help Telemachos in the times of troubles. From this Greek story,
the concept of mentoring became popular and used in many fields business,
politics, management, etc. but it is a very new concept in teacher development.
Mentoring can be defined as
helping, guiding, assisting and coaching to novice teacher by the experienced
teacher. In other words, mentoring is the process through which an experienced
professional helps novice or less experienced (mentee) for the latter’s
professional development. In the beginning, student teacher (mentee) learns
from experienced subject teachers either from the same level or senior
teachers. So, the process of gaining professional knowledge called mentoring.
Here the highly experienced teacher or expert is called mentor where as the new
and inexperienced teacher is called mentee. The mentor is usually a more
experienced and older than the mentee
In the
journey of life, I joined a private school as lower secondary English teacher.
It was my first time to get opportunity to teach as an English teacher. Before
that, I had never taught in any school except teaching practice. As a novice
teacher, I faced lots of problems; sometimes discipline management, sometimes
using teaching materials, classroom management, preparing questions for exam,
sometimes preparing result, etc. Because of these problems, I had thought to
leave that school in the beginning but latter on I sometimes consulted to the
experienced and senior teachers. I did not find any special mentoring programme
to help novice teacher.
The
National Commission Teaching and American’s Future (2003) reported that the
following national attrition data: 14% of beginning teachers leave after the
first year,24% after five years; 33% after three years; 40% after four years;
46% after five years”(p.6).
The Need for Mentoring
Mentoring
is very helpful and important for both experienced and novice inexperienced
teacher. We can see that lots of inexperienced novice teachers are suffering
when they join any school or college even though they are talented because of
the lack of mentoring programme. Most of the people believe that if any new teacher
have problem in classroom teaching, he/she will be regarded as an unqualified
teacher which is actually not true. Doyle and O’Neill (2006) said “The purpose
of mentoring is to share wisdom gained from experience and learning” (p.1). So, the experience teachers help and share
their experience, knowledge and skills with inexperience teachers.
Borren,
Johnson, Niday and Potts (2009) mentioned an example “It reminds me of when my
children started riding bikes. When Wayne in confusion, Eillen explained, I did
not just send them out of door. I first showed them how to ride a tricycle,
then a bike with a trainer wheels, and then real bike. I stood beside them
until they could pedal down the side walk by themselves"(p.8).
So, even
the children are physically and mentally well prepared to ride bicycle but they
could not because they need a coach/trainer who can help and guide them to ride
the bicycle. So is the case of the novice teacher’s need an expert means mentor
to provide help when they feel any problems. Boreen et al. (2009) said “Mentor
can use many ways to help acclimate beginning teachers to the school
environment, including helping them become aware of the school culture” (p.29).
So, the mentor does not only help to the mentee teaching and learning but also
informs about the school environment and the school culture. Ishler (2009, p.9 as
cited in Boreen.et al, 2009) said that he problems for beginning are lack of
encouragement or help from fellow teachers, and a principal may give frequent
criticism and no support. So, the beginning teachers have to face so many
problems such as need from other teachers, feeling of fear from principal, etc.
In this situation, they have two options, either swim or sink. If there is
mentor teacher, then the novice teacher will get help from mentor to be an
effective teacher. The beginning teachers try to copy the styles of teaching
from experts and experienced teachers. Rudney and Guillaume (2003) said “We
know that many new teacher perceive a sense of isolation, a lack of frequent
feedback on their teaching, and an absence of sustained support” (p.2).When a
new inexperienced teachers joined any school or college, they are not familiar
with the culture of the school and all the staffs are unknown for them. So,
they feel alone and difficult in this situation. Therefore, the novice teachers
need the help from mentor. As Boreen et al. (2009) said that “A major cause of
new teacher attrition: teachers are compartmentalized into “egg-create
classroom” (p.7). When the beginning teachers get help and support from the
experienced expert teacher (mentor), they reduce their senses of isolation
which is the most helpful factor for their development. Rundey and Guillaume
(2003) said that “Novice teachers need emotional support, assistance focused on
the learning of classroom routines and processes, and experience” (p.11). In
order to get teaching learning as well as emotional support, the new qualified
teachers need mentors. Boreen et al.
(2009) said “Research indicates that mentoring new teachers can increase their
students’ motivation and critical thinking skills” (p.11). So, when the new
teachers became the effective teachers in the classroom, the potential for
students’ learning also increases.
From
mentoring, not only mentee learns new techniques, skills, and experience from
mentor but mentor also learn something new from mentee. As Doyle and O’Neill
(2006) said “Every mentoring assignment provides the mentor with an opportunity
to learn something new from the mentee” (p.6). So, mentors also increase their
knowledge, skills, and confidence by sharing with mentee. It is said that “If
we share more our knowledge and skills, we will learn more”. If we share other
things with somebody, that will decrease but so is not in the case of sharing
the knowledge and skills. So, mentoring is a kind of two sides of learning
where mentor and mentee both learn from each other. Therefore, mentoring is
important and fruitful for both professionals’ development.
Qualities to be a good
mentor
A mentor
is an experienced and senior teacher. Boreen et al. (2009) defined “A mentor is
a veteran teacher who works with a novice during the beginning teacher’s early
experiences in the classroom” (p.9). Mentor is an expert teacher who helps to
the newly qualified teacher. “A mentor is a loyal friend, confident advisor,
trusted “Guru”, guide, coach, role model, patron or encourager” (Peterson, 1989
as cited in Kafle, 2001). Working as a mentor is a highly complex job because
mentor has to listen, talk, and answer the asking questions. So, any teacher
cannot work as a mentor. To be a good mentor, he/she has to the following
qualities:
i)
Experienced:- Mentor teacher should
be much experienced in teaching field.”A mentor should have at least three to
five years of teaching experience so that he or she viewed as a veteran teacher
rather than as a peer” (Slick,1995 as cited in Boreen,2009,p.12). If the mentor
is more experiencd, then he/she may more practical skills of teaching.
ii)
Older than mentee:- The mentor should be
older than the beginning teacher. Borren (2009) said “An age difference of
eight to fifteen years is recommended so that the mentor is viewed as
experienced” (p.12). If the mentor is physically old, then the mentee may have
the sense of more experienced and mentally matured.
iii)
Belonging to same gender:-
If
the mentor and the mentee belog to the same gender, then there will be more
sharing and learning. Similarly, ideas of
teaching method also differes according to gender.
“On the issue of gender, several
research studies have implied that same gender mentoring ralationship may be more professionally
compatible. These studies also suggest that men and women think differently and approach
teaching in different ways” (Graham, 1993, Niday, 1996 as cited in Boreen et
al, 2009, p.13).
iv)
Teaching in the same
content area or at the same level:- If the mentor and the mentee
belong to the same subject and the same level, then there will be more sharing
which helps to mentee’s professional development quickly. Boreen (2009) said
that “If the mentor and the beginning teacher share the same content area or
the same or similar grade level, the mentor is usually able to provide motre
direct assistance” (p.12). So, the mentee get more helps if the mentee has the
same content area.
v)
Time to talk and be
closed:- It
is also one of the most important qualities to be a mentor. The mentor teacher
should give enough time to talk and close with the mentee. Boreen (2009) said
“The teachers can easily talk for a few minutes between classes or before or
after school” 9p.12). If the mentor does not give enough time to the mentee,
there will be few opportunities for conversation and less chance for
professional development.
vi)
Active listener:- The mentor should have
the quality of active listener. He has to listen actively and seriously about
the problems of the mentee. As Doyle and O’Neill (2006) said “A wise old owl
lived in an oak
The more he saw, the
less he spoke
The less he spoke, the
more he heard
Mentors should be like
that wise old bird” (p.6).
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