The acrostic below represents our thinking about the fundamental aspects essential to any mentoring relationship.
Mentoring is....
Mutual
- Mentoring relationships that flourish are reciprocal – all parties learn and grow
Evolving
- Mentors exhibit flexibility of stance and role based on the needs of the person they are supporting
Non-evaluative
- Mentoring supports are not connected to evaluation or judgement of a colleague’s performance
Trusting
- Relational trust is built through effective listening and fostered in an environment characterized by emotional safety and mutual respect
Open
- Through powerful learning designs (e.g., observation and debriefing) practice is deprivatized and the intentional sharing of knowledge and practice occurs
Real
- Mentoring activities are personalized, based on each person’s authentic learning goals and connected to their “real world”
Supported
- Conditions to foster effective mentoring relationships are supported at both the school and board level (e.g., joint release days, foundational learning for mentors)
Honouring strengths
- A deliberate seeking out of the strengths and attributes that each person brings to the mentoring relationship sets the context for meaningful sharing to occur
Invitational
- All parties have voluntarily chosen to engage in mentorship
Personalized
- Each person may choose to engage in multiple models of mentorship as they build a web of mentoring supports
Reciprocal learning is a foundational component of all mentoring relationships. One of the most powerful outcomes of mentorship is that it serves as a means for job embedded deprivatization of practice and fosters reflection, learning and growth of mentors themselves.
In summary, mentorship is an act of learning.
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Mentoring Essentials for New Teacher Induction Program Mentors
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