| For many professionals, such as those involved in | | | | Limitations of teacher mentoring |
| education and academics, mentoring is an | | | | Teacher mentoring has its benefits and has been |
| important resource, particularly because it helps | | | | acknowledged as very advantageous especially |
| encourage new learnings and improve on | | | | for beginners. However, it has its list of |
| established ones. Mentoring is a highly valued | | | | disadvantages. In 1996, teacher mentoring was |
| practice and it is a recognized method used by | | | | criticized as a means with which to promote |
| many educators for sharing information and | | | | practices and norms that are deemed too |
| knowledge. It is also a way for more senior | | | | conventional. Critics say that most teacher |
| members of the academe to train beginners, | | | | mentoring programs encourage participants to |
| allowing protégés to be sponsored | | | | learn and implement outdated practices. Teacher |
| both professionally and organizationally. | | | | mentoring participants may also risk picking up |
| The purpose of teacher mentoring | | | | bad habits as demonstrated by their mentors. |
| Teacher mentoring involves the pairing of a | | | | The lack of trust and follow-up can also spell a |
| beginning teacher with a teacher who has more | | | | huge difference in teacher mentoring programs. If |
| experience. Sometimes, the pairing can involve | | | | the system cannot be assessed or evaluated |
| one or more new teachers or a group of more | | | | properly, it is easy for the program to fail. An |
| experienced teachers, depending on the perceived | | | | ineffective evaluation system can also frustrate |
| need of the beginning teacher/s and the goals of | | | | the mentor, especially if the system is too |
| the organization. | | | | saddled with details and other unnecessary |
| The purpose of teacher mentoring is not only to | | | | activities. |
| build a mentor-protégé relationship | | | | Implementing an effective teacher mentoring |
| between two or more individuals but also to | | | | program |
| provide support for the new teacher. This will help | | | | The most important consideration when |
| establish the teacher's confidence, allow them to | | | | implementing a teacher mentoring program for an |
| settle into the organization immediately and | | | | educational institution is determining its match to |
| maximize their effectiveness as instructors. | | | | the goals and objectives of the school system. |
| Mentoring can also help establish an educational | | | | Choosing the type of mentoring programs that |
| system's quality standard, allowing a school to | | | | are appropriate to the grade level of the teacher |
| ensure compliance with prevailing benchmarks. It is | | | | mentee is also essential. If there is a fit, it is |
| also helpful in the recruitment and retention of | | | | easier for the program to be designed and put |
| new staff. | | | | into practice. It is also important that the |
| As a process, teacher mentoring may be used | | | | processes and methods are clear and specific, |
| formally, such as when a school wishes to | | | | something that can be quantified and measured, |
| implement particular programs or informally, | | | | to allow administrators to determine whether the |
| where no programs are in place. Either way, it can | | | | program works or not. |
| benefit a system if the program is implemented | | | | It is also important that the teacher mentoring |
| correctly. | | | | program receives sufficient support from the |
| Benefits of teacher mentoring in education | | | | school management and that sufficient resources |
| Teacher mentoring is one of the best interactive | | | | are provided for the participants. Without support |
| systems that mentors, mentees and the | | | | from the administration, a mentoring program will |
| educational system can actively participate in. It | | | | be difficult to sustain if it is run independently of |
| helps create a quantitative program to help train | | | | the institution. Appropriate methods for |
| new teachers, develop more experienced | | | | assessment of the program is also important, to |
| educators and improve the techniques and | | | | allow the organization to determine if it is |
| methods used in instruction. It also helps build a | | | | effective or if there is a need to improve certain |
| sense of community within the school and help it | | | | aspects. |
| comply with existing standards. | | | | |