Agency occurs when you feel like you have a voice – empowerment occurs when your voice is heard and results in positive change.
Sometimes as educators, it can feel like we don’t have agency in our own professional learning. One of the many powerful aspects of effective mentoring relationships is the participants themselves collaboratively construct the agenda and designs for their learning based on their real worlds.
As we think about what makes mentoring work, I’m again drawn back to how transferable many of these ideas are to our classrooms, our schools – and our lives.
Authentic Learning | Observation and Debriefing Protocols
Learning from the New Teacher Induction Program | Mentoring as Learning
Themes of Success from Ontario Mentors | Mentoring Resources
Authentic Learning
Mentorship enables all learners to build a strong web of support that is personal to their unique learning needs and goals. Opportunities for professional learning and growth are collaboratively constructed and reflect the 4R’s of authentic learning.
Authentic mentoring webs support collaborative professionalism, de-privatization of practice, knowledge construction and ongoing growth for all learners.
Relational
- Relational trust creates an inclusive learning space with all partners in the learning process listening to each other (students, educators, parents and school community)
- All learners collaboratively construct communities of practice that build upon their strengths, attributes and experiences
Responsive
- Learners are listened to and their individual and collective voices directly inform learning designs
- The “how” and “what” of the learning designs employed are based on authentic learning goals identified by the participants
- Learning “makes sense” to the learners and involves authentic collaboration, choice and voice and agency
Recursive
- Rich learning tasks reflect embedded beliefs that learning itself is a messy, iterative, recursive process
- Protocols for application of learning, follow-up, and evaluation of impact are embedded into the learning process
Real World
- Learners construct learning together that is relevant and has authentic real-world connections and applications
- Learning designs that leverage peer-to-peer networks for deep learning and foster the intentional sharing of knowledge and practice are utilized
- A direct connection to student learning and well-being is clearly evident (i.e. students are at the centre of the learning)
Mentoring & Collaborative Professionalism - the vision for collaborative professionalism outlined in this glideshow coheres strongly with the power of mentoring to build connection, community and webs of shared learning within and across roles.
Facilitating Learning in Groups - In my ongoing work with teacher leaders we have explored how authentic learning for educators is an essential pre-condition for student learning.
This glideshow provides some guiding thoughts for facilitating learning along with practical examples of how these ideas might support educators and ultimately students.
Observation and Debriefing Protocols
Observation and debriefing, whether it be informal observation of a mentor’s classroom by a beginning teacher or a more formal site of learning process, represents a powerful tool for personalized and authentic professional learning.
By learning from and with each other, colleagues begin to build meaningful communities of collaboration focused on the “real world” of teaching and learning in practice.
Core Elements of the Learning Experience
The following core elements are integral to ensuring the classroom observation learning experience is meaningful for all participants.
Orientation
- An opportunity for visiting teachers to share specific learning goals for the observation with the teacher being observed and/or visit guide
Observation
- Focused observation of teaching and learning in the actual classroom over a sustained period of time (e.g. a full morning)
Debriefing
- An opportunity for visiting teachers and mentors to reflect on the classroom experience, ask questions, and share ideas with each other and the hosting teacher, and/or the visit guide (if applicable)
Action Planning
- A structured so what / now what action planning process for applying the learning to each participants’ specific teaching contexts
Follow Up
- Direct assistance for visiting teachers from mentors and/or the visit guide to support the implementation of new ideas and strategies back in their own classrooms
The Importance of Collaborative Debriefing and Action Planning
Classroom observation without collaborative debriefing can have the “orange wallpaper” effect. Participants may like the day, enjoy being in someone else’s classroom, but leave with their next step being to use the same lovely orange wallpaper the host teacher has on their bulletin board.
Immediately following up the classroom observation with a collaborative debriefing and action planning process involving the Classroom Teacher, Mentors, Visit Guide and other visiting teachers allows the focus of the participating teachers to shift away from what they saw to how they can apply their learning to their own teaching context. Focusing on the “so what / now what” provides visiting teachers opportunities to construct the practical next steps they will implement with their own students while simultaneously expanding their web of networking supports.
Learning from the New Teacher Induction Program
Longitudinal research in Ontario has shown us that mentoring plays a critical role in the professional growth of new teachers.
New teachers receiving supports report meaningful and sustained improvement in their confidence, efficacy, instructional practice, and commitment to ongoing learning. I would submit the factors summarized below influence the growth of not just new teachers but all educators at every age, stage, and phase of their career.
Mentoring Web
Having a formally assigned mentor is not linked to growth….being mentored is. High growth new teachers accessed 5 to 7 different mentorship supports (i.e. they built a mentoring web).
Differentiated Learning
High growth new teachers constructed their learning via a menu of authentic learning opportunities using joint release days with multiple mentors. Classroom observation and debriefing was the learning design with the strongest correlation to growth in instructional practice.
Principal Encouragement
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 provide a meaningful piece of a mentoring web for a new teacher.
School Culture
A collaborative school culture was an important factor in building a sense of confidence and efficacy for new teachers. When you’re new you tend to adapt or adopt the culture you find yourself in … so again the importance of all mentors, colleagues and supports for all learners in the school.
Mentoring as Learning
In our research we were particularly interested in what actions mentors and colleagues took that new teachers found most helpful in supporting their growth. I’ve mapped our learning to the 3 Cs below.
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Consultant
- Ongoing formal and informal support
- Sharing resources
Collaborator
- Fostering collaboration with beginning teachers, mentors, colleagues (building a mentoring web)
Coach
- Classroom observation(s) and debriefing
- Ongoing feedback
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One of the most powerful potential outcomes of intentionally sharing knowledge and practice is the learning of mentors themselves. Here are the powerful insights that mentors have shared about the reciprocal learning they engage in with beginning teachers:
Increases Reflection on Current Practice
- Mentoring has opened me up to the possibility of growth and to the potential of new ideas…. this has helped me become more reflective about my own practice.
Fosters Inspirational Connections with Colleagues
- Mentoring has improved my relationships with other teachers (not just new teachers). I’ve become more aware of the value of colleagues, and more encouraged to share.
Impacts Teaching Practice and Learning of Students
- Learning about the importance of listening and coaching didn’t just help me support beginning teachers, it helped me become a better mentor for my students!
Reflections from and for Mentors
- Who am I as an educator and as a mentor?
- What are my embedded beliefs about learning?
- How am I living these beliefs in my classroom, school, district and beyond?
In this glideshow, mentors in a variety of roles from across Canada share thoughts about their continuing learning journey.
Themes of Success from Ontario Mentors
In my work across Ontario we have engaged in an Appreciative Inquiry process where mentors in a variety of roles have shared their most meaningful experiences.
Below you'll see illustrative examples of themes of success shared by your colleagues. They echo the big ideas in this eBook and reflect the importance and beauty of mentoring relationships as opportunities for reciprocal learning.
Authentic
- Setting aside and being present in the moment
- Listening deeply to the hopes, dreams and wishes of colleagues (and students)
- Providing a safe space for discovery and sharing of challenges (aka learning opportunities)
- Being aware of the importance of sense of care and trust in the relationship
- Demonstrating congruence between our words and our actions
- Remembering that a few words at an opportune time can make a huge difference
Flexible
- Acting as a resource rather than being the expert
- Collaborating to problem solve
- Thinking beyond 1 to 1 matching to help colleagues build a mentoring web
- Demonstrating flexibility of stance and role (3C's) based on needs
- Opening our minds (and hearts) to different approaches and acknowledging the complexity and messiness of learning
- Listening with uncertainty
Growth Oriented
- Engaging in reciprocal learning
- Elevating and celebrating the quiet moments of beauty that occur every day in our classrooms, schools and beyond
- Using scaling questions and appreciative inquiry as protocols for debriefing and checking in
- Seeking out the strengths and gifts our colleagues bring
- Letting go of mentor guilt
- Creating our own web of support by continuing to connect with colleagues who bring us strength, energy, passion and hope
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Reflections | Connections | Intersections
- What opportunities might there be to engage in or support classroom observation and debriefing in your role?
- What ideas, insights or approaches might enhance collaborative professionalism within your team moving forward?
- What does the idea of mentoring as learning mean for your personal and professional growth?
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Mentoring Resources
Mentoring Webs | Trust | Learning Focused Conversations
Meaningful Feedback | Powerful Mentoring Designs