Mentoring
What is a mentor?
In Greek mythology a mentor was a trusted advisor or counsellor appointed to look after, guard and nurture King Odysseus’ son when the King was away at war. Hence, a mentor came to be known as someone who:
is a role model
acts as a guide, advisor and/or counsellor
has remarkable wisdom
shares this knowledge with a less experienced colleague
The classical definition: an experienced, intellectually and socially valued mentor acting as advisor for a less experienced employee. Consequently, the mentor was usually a senior person.
Conceptual change
However, a conceptual change is taking place where mentoring is now associated with collaboration, collegiality and interaction. Mentoring is not ‘one-way guidance’ but involves conversation, discussion and dialogue. Mentors do not ‘transfer’ knowledge. Rather there is a reciprocal exchange of ideas and joint construction of knowledge. Young employees are not the only ones who benefit – both novices and experienced teachers learn something new (Hannu L.T. Heikkinen, Hannu Jokinen & Päivi Tynjälä, 2012).
By bringing together a range of different perspectives and by explicitly sharing knowledge, those involved create new knowledge and meaning (Livingston & Schiach, 2010).
What is the difference between mentoring and coaching?
There is a “confusing array of definitions found in modern discourses” around mentoring (Garvey, 2009, p.27). There is a huge overlap between mentoring and coaching and often the terms are used interchangeably.
Burley and Pomphrey (2011) have offered the following definitions to discriminate between the two terms:
Coaching – specifically focused, short-term collaborations
Mentoring – broader, longer term relationships
Mentoring is concerned with developing the whole person and the individual while coaching is concerned with skills.
What is the purpose of mentoring?
Mentoring has come to be seen as a key professional development tool from initial teacher education to senior leadership development. It is used in a wide range of school contexts and for a variety of purposes, including:
Initial teacher training
Early and continuing professional development of teachers
Leadership programs
Coaching to develop specific abilities in specialized areas such as sports and music
The key purpose of mentoring is the social construction of new professional knowledge in order to inform individual and institutional change. This is achieved through a 'learning conversation'.
What are the key elements of a ‘learning conversation’?
trust and relationship building
listening
questioning
Trust and relationship building
A mentor can engender trust through:
respecting the confidentiality and personal boundaries of the mentee
adopting a warm, positive and attentive approach (Grencavage & Norcross, 1990)
having a genuine interest and sense of belief in the mentee & their goals (van Nieuwerburgh, 2014).
This is further developed during the learning conversation through the elements of listening and questioning.
Listening
Key elements of active listening:
Pay attention
Show that you are listening
Provide feedback
Defer judgement
Respond appropriately (Hymans, 2012)
Positive listening behaviours:
Eye contact
Facial expression that indicates you are present and focused
Open posture (leaning forward, open hand gesture)
Minimal ‘encouragers’ - silence is a valuable aspect of active listening, and can be seen as a ‘sacred space’
Probing/clarifying questions or responses
Negative listening behaviours:
finishing the mentee’s sentences
guessing difficult words, etc.
Such actions serve to disempower the mentee and diminish feelings of autonomy and competence.
Asking questions
The quality of the questions asked determine the quality of the learning conversation. Questions drive the direction of the dialogue and can open up new thinking or restrict the conversation to superficial or irrelevant factors (Creasey & Paterson, 2005).
Mentors should consistently aim to ask thought-provoking questions which focus on the mentee developing greater awareness about the situation (van Nieuwerburgh, 2014).
Questions should be posed in a neutral tone of voice with non-judgemental wording to enhance trust and encourage honest, critical reflection by the mentee (Robertson, 2006).