The needs of a mentor can be more fully achieved through a careful analysis of basic information about mentoring relationships.  Preparation enhances feelings of confidence among mentors, who will be guiding the budding teacher to deal with the varied and often unexpected day-to-day situations facing all teachers.

•  The Benefits of Mentoring

Mentors Need Training:

Diane Kyle, Gayle Moore, and Judy Sanders (1999) note that prospective mentors should participate in professional development to learn about the mentoring process and what is expected of them before assuming the duties of mentoring.

Research also shows that mentor teachers need support and the opportunity to discuss ideas, problems, and solutions with other mentor teachers.

Appropriate training for the mentor’s expanded teaching role improves the quality of a mentoring program.

Carolyn Evertson and Margaret Smithey (2000) found that novice teachers working with trained mentors possessed a higher level of teaching skills than new teachers whose mentors were not trained.  This demonstrates that the mere presence of a mentor is not enough; the mentor’s knowledge of how to support new teachers and skill at providing guidance are also crucial. 

California Formative Assessment and Support System for Teachers:

Trained mentors help novice teachers plan lessons, assist them in gathering information about best practices, observe in the classroom and provide feedback.  The novice teachers reflect on their practice and apply what they have learned. 

Barbara Storms, Jean Wing, Theresa Jinks, Kathleen Banks and Patricia Cavazos (2000) found that most of the program’s teachers said that mentoring played a significant role in their professional growth.

Mentors also found that working with beginning teachers engaged them in reflection about their own instruction practices.

Do Mentors Need Training?

Whether a mentor’s impact is positive or negative depends in large part upon how well informed and skilled the mentor is, and upon the mentor’s commitment and availability. 

Research at the University of California, Irvine, suggests that training is not only important to the success of mentoring relationships but that it can be directed toward the most difficult challenges faced by mentors.

When mentor teachers of one, two, and three years experience as mentors were asked, “Do you think mentors need training?", one in five (20%) thought training was necessary.  80% surveyed expressed the view that training would be helpful.