Mentoring Essentials for School and System Leaders

Goal Setting Conversations

Mentoring is a powerful, personalized learning design. Yet the dynamics of mentoring relationships are complex. When there is a misalignment of expectations significant challenges can arise.   Engaging in collaborative goal setting conversations at the beginning of any mentoring relationship helps to set the stage for success. Two potentially powerful outcomes of these learning focused conversations are:

• Building relational trust
• Clarifying roles and expectations

Building Relational Trust

Being “present” by applying the elements of effective listening is at the core of building trust and rapport in any relationship.  

Clarifying Roles and Expectations

Positioning yourself as a co-learner by sharing your own learning goals for the mentoring relationship is a powerful approach. Mentoring relationships that flourish are reciprocal – all parties learn and grow.

Goal Setting Conversation Map at a Glance

• What strengths and attributes do you bring to your role?
• What are your hopes, wishes and dreams for your students?
• What goals do you have for your professional learning this year?
• How do you see our collaboration best working? 
• What are the best ways for us to communicate? (preferred tools, times, methods)
• Who else can provide support and mentorship?
• What are the next steps in our collaboration?

 

Goal Setting Conversations with your Teacher-Candidate Video (1 min 11 sec)

Scaling Questions as a Tool for Debriefing

Opportunities for individuals to reflect on practice and debrief with mentors can be powerful learning for both parties. One approach to debriefing conversations is scaling questions adapted from the solution-focussed conversation work of Nancy McConkey. Many of your colleagues use this protocol to debrief after a classroom observation and/or as part of the formal Teacher Performance Appraisal process.  

Scaling Questions Conversation Map at a Glance

• On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being the worst lesson you’ve experienced and 10 being the best, how was this lesson for you?

 

• Oh a <e.g., 6> – What were the positive things that made it a 6?

 

• How might you bump it up a notch to a 7? (specific ideas)

 

• Continue with Coaching stance or shift to Consultant or Collaborator based on needs

  A purposeful seeking out of strengths is at the heart of this approach with the debriefing beginning with the positive impressions of the educator no matter what the number.   In my experience with using this approach, very often the input or advice you were going to provide comes from the teacher themselves. The person has given their challenges considerable thought and the “bump up” question acts as a prompt for them to articulate specific ideas for improvement. As a skilled mentor, you then take your cue from your colleague in terms of next steps and support moving forward.  

Enhancing Your Practice via Scaling Questions

At the end of a visit to a teacher’s classroom you could ask them a scaling question about how helpful your time with them was.

• On a scale of 1 to 10, how helpful was my time supporting your learning and the learning of your students today?
• Oh a <e.g., 6> – What were the positive things that made it a 6?
• How might we bump it up a notch to a 7 the next time I come? (specific ideas)

  This approach provides you with direct feedback about your impact and practical next steps to consider as you continue to support learning in the classrooms and communities of practice you are engaged with. Here is a recent Make Math Moments Podcast where I explore this idea (and many others) with Jon Orr and Kyle Pearce.

Working with Resistance

Think about a time in your professional career when you offered resistance... What was your motivation? What was the outcome? What did you learn?

Worth considering is do we think resistance is a trait or a state?  In other words, we have all offered resistance at some point in our personal and professional contexts

 

Substance

Sometimes we offer resistance because we think the idea or change being proposed is simply a bad idea. A powerful question I always ask myself (and others) when initiatives are proposed is how will this support educator and student well-being and learning? 

Process

Another reason for resistance is we don’t feel consulted or involved in the change being proposed.  I liken this to the “fake markers and chart papers” experience where often our group was asked to contribute insights and ideas but no evidence of our input was to be found in the final outcome.

Readiness

Sometimes we’re just not emotionally or mentally ready for the change being proposed. It’s that feeling of being overwhelmed with the 19 things already on our plate and not having the capacity to take on yet another initiative without something being removed.

Possible Approaches

We often ask ourselves how we can overcome resistance but additional questions we might consider include:

• Why is this person or group offering resistance? (Substance / Process / Readiness or a combination of all of these factors)
• How might approaching our conversations with intellectual humility assist in deepening our understanding?
• How can I place educator and student well-being and learning at the centre of our conversations?

 

Forget Efficiency

Working with resistance takes time. If we take a “my way or the highway” approach it may provide a quick resolution, but you may potentially harm relationships with this approach. On the other hand fostering authentic collaboration to address any issue is complex and requires building (or rebuilding) trust over time.  

Focus on Listening

The 50% of any interaction we can influence is our half. Finding the time, space and grace to listen is a tremendous gift we can bring to any conversation. Listening with uncertainty as opposed to listening to speak can build trust and open the door to deeper conversations.  

Be Open to Change Yourself

If we are intellectually humble, we are listening to learn with the recognition that our views although deeply held may not always be right. Some of the resistance we encounter may be opportunities for our own reflection and learning.  

Have Multiple Conversations

The more complex the issue or challenge the greater the number conversations that will be required to address it. What happens between the conversations is important too.  Demonstrating congruence between our words and our actions builds trust as does modelling the humanity, humour and heart we bring to our work in the service of educators and students.  

Navigating Complexity

Relationships are complex, messy and need continued care. Below are links to additional ideas and resources about what we as mentors can be mindful of in our approach.  

• Intellectual Humility
• Coaching Challenges
• Complex Conversations
• Building Influence

Principal Encouragement

In our longitudinal research of the New Teacher Induction Program in Ontario ongoing feedback and encouragement from the principal was the strongest predictor of growth for new teachers. This speaks to the power of listening, the power of encouragement, and the ability of the principal to be a meaningful piece of a mentoring web for a new teacher.

Below are practical examples of how principals can embed the foundational elements of mentorship as they build learning focused relationships in support of educators and ultimately students. While I wrote these in context of mentoring new teachers, I strongly believe they apply to educators at every age, stage and phase of their career.

Creating Mentoring Webs

• Introducing new teachers to multiple mentors in their school
• Helping connect teachers to mentors beyond their school with experience related to their specific teaching context (e.g., French as a Second Language [FSL], Indigenous Language Education, Special Education)

Building Trust

• Modelling inclusion, openness and collaborative practice
• Engaging in goal setting conversations
• Listening

Facilitating Learning Focused Conversations

• Demonstrating flexibility of stance and role (consultant, collaborator, coach) based on the needs of each person
• Deepening understanding of challenges specific to particular teaching contexts

Providing Meaningful Feedback

• Being available for ongoing questions, conversations and feedback
• Utilizing protocols like scaling questions and appreciative inquiry to help educators reflect on practice, build confidence and develop efficacy

Utilizing Powerful Mentoring Designs

• Facilitating opportunities for new teachers and mentors to engage in classroom observation and debriefing in their own school or other schools
• Allocating time and resources to support collaboration with multiple mentors

Reflecting on our Learning and Growth as Mentors

• These resources are intended as prompts for possible next steps as you think about how the foundational elements of mentoring connect with your leadership role

As learners, mentors and leaders being calm, warm and encouraging is the 50% of the equation we can influence.…and I’d add to that being gentle. Gentle with our students, gentle with each other, and gentle with ourselves. This is my wish for all of us as we learn our way forward together.