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A Mentor, in the historical sense, is seen as someone who:
* is a loyal friend, confidant and advisor
* is a teacher, guide, coach and role model
* is entrusted with the care and education of another
* has knowledge and advanced or expert status and who is attracted to and nurtures a person of talent and ability
* is willing to give away what he or she knows in a non-competitive way
* represents skill, knowledge, virtue and accomplishment
The most effective mentors:
* welcome newcomers into the profession and take a personal interest in their career development and well-being
* want to share their knowledge, materials, skill and experience with those they mentor
* offer support, challenge, patience and enthusiasm while they guide others to new levels of competence
* point the way and represent tangible evidence of what one can become
* expose the recipients of their mentoring to new ideas, perspectives and standards, and to the values and norms of the profession
* are more expert in terms of knowledge but view themselves as equal to those they mentor
Rita W. Peterson (1989) http://www.gse.uci.edu/doehome/EdResource/Publications/MentorTeacher/Preface.html. Accessed 22 April, 2003.
My teaching career began as a secondary classroom music teacher in country NSW, where I spent three years struggling to survive in a tough school surrounded by some tough people. The deputy at the school was the antithesis of a mentor. When all my money was stolen from my handbag on my third day at the school by a class that had surrounded and physically bullied me into leaving the room, he said to me, “This is a sink or swim game, baby. You either toughen up or get out.” He told me that I was stupid and stuck-up and the class’s behaviour was to be expected under the circumstances. I spent most of my time in those early years battling with behaviour management. It took at least ten minutes to get most classes into the room and then at least ten minutes of each lesson dealing with discipline. There wasn’t much teaching and even less learning going on in my classroom. Three years later, depressed and demoralized I resigned from teaching and returned to Sydney to complete my Bachelor of Music with hopes of becoming a performer.
My first experience of a mentor was my best friend from Conservatorium days. My most positive experiences in my first three years had been with the school’s bands and choirs and through her I learned of ways of recruiting and setting up instrumental programs that allowed me to work independently in schools doing the work I loved most (instrumental programs are not supported by the NSW Department of Education as they are here in Queensland). We spent many hours together listening to repertoire, talking about pedagogy, and problem solving, and it was through her that I joined the Australian Band and Orchestra Directors Association. The professional development opportunities offered by ABODA helped me to develop my skills, not only as a conductor, but also as a teacher. My learning relationship with my friend and the networks I established through ABODA taught me some valuable lessons – to use the experiences of others to learn, and that I was not alone because my experiences and challenges were universal.
My most profound experience with a mentor came with the arrival of a new Head of Primary to the private school where I was teaching in 1998. Up to this point nobody had really taken any real interest in what I did at my schools – as long as the parents didn’t complain and my groups performed competently I was largely ignored. My first meeting with the new Head of Primary was because of a parental complaint about the program, but instead of the usual reprimand, came careful questions, and suggestions of strategies that would guide me through a process of resolution. I was surprised because she actually took an interest in me and treated me as if I really mattered as a member of her staff. In her first year she set up weekly meetings with every member of staff in the primary school because she believed that people are the most important part of the school and that the changes she sought to put in place hinged on establishing a learning culture amongst the staff as well as the students. People joked that you never left her office without a job or a book. I was stunned that I was included in the schedule of weekly meetings because performance music teachers in my previous schools didn’t usually count that much. In our weekly meetings we discussed (and still do discuss) teaching philosophy, pedagogy, conflict resolution with parents and staff, issues with students, and leadership. I had a critical friend, someone with whom to brainstorm my ideas, develop planning strategies, vent frustrations, and problem solve on a weekly basis.
But she was also someone who applauded my successes and challenged me to do my best. With her guidance I prepared my first strategic plan. I had always been able to articulate my philosophy and had a good idea of where I was going and what I needed to do, but with the help of my mentor I was able to distil my ideas, develop a clear plan and strategies for their implementation, hone my writing skills, and present my ideas in a more effective way so that they were accepted and understood by the school management, the parents, my colleagues and students. There were times when I would present her with work that I’d spent hours working on and leave with paragraphs crossed out, and lots of notes to think through and work on, which was frustrating at times. But the inestimable value of being challenged in this way made it infinitely worthwhile. It is the first time in my life that someone was genuinely interested in my success and in seeing me realize my potential. Among many other things, I have learned to prioritise so I spend less time being busy and more time achieving my goals, to be proactive instead of reactive, to plan for success, and to see adversity as an opportunity for growth. As a result of this work I believe that I have become a more effective leader and administrator, a better teacher, a better learner, and a better person.
I have always felt a professional obligation to share my experience and knowledge with others in the hope that they don’t experience the devastating isolation that I experienced in my first three years teaching. A student I know, about to begin her final practicum, was told by her supervising teacher that she couldn’t borrow her resources because it had taken her twenty-two years to put them together and “You’ll just have to spend twenty-two years developing your own.” I can’t understand that way of thinking at all. It is a sad fact that we lose many wonderful young teachers because of indifference and lack of support. Many occupations use mentoring as a means of supporting newcomers at the start of their careers. There are mentoring programs for school-aged children who are assigned to adult role models, and in the US programs for beginning teachers are commonplace. Mentoring provides a faster track to success, giving a newcomer the benefit of another’s experience to avoid the pitfalls of the profession and to develop the skills required to succeed faster than if they were left to work everything out for themselves. In turn, it’s the students who benefit, because they are being taught by happier, more confident, and effective teachers. For me, that’s the bottom line.
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