Creating a New Mentoring Program?

Consider These Questions

Creating a new mentoring program, but don't know where to start? Here are some key questions you should consider.

The list below may be used to initiate a dialogue among school districts, teacher associations, higher education institutions, and other partners seeking to create or refurbish a teacher mentoring program.

 1. Do we have existing state or local mentoring policies and are these effective?

 2. What policies and practices are barriers to mentoring and how can these be overcome?

 3. What partners should be involved in the creation of the mentoring program and how?

- District administrators and school board members?
- Teacher association leaders?
- Parents?
- University faculty?
- Retired teachers?
- Others?

 4. Do we need a formal, written governing agreement for our mentoring program?

- Who should be the parties to this agreement?

 5. Who will be involved in providing ongoing direction for the mentoring program?

- District administrators and school board members?
- Teacher association leaders?
- Parents?
- University faculty?
- Retired teachers?
- Others?

 6. Which teachers will receive mentoring?

- First-time teachers right out of college?
- Teachers new to the state, new to the school district, or new to a school?
- Teachers experiencing a change in grade level, type of assignment, or cultural environment?
- Veteran teachers who are experiencing difficulties?

 7. Will participation in the mentoring program be mandatory or voluntary?

 8. How long will a protégé participate in a mentoring program?

 9. How frequently should mentoring activities occur?

10. What is the best way to provide time for mentoring?

11. Will our teacher-mentors be full-time or will they have classroom duties, too?

12. How long will mentors serve?

13. What is our target mentor-protégé ratio?

14. How will we ensure that the mentor-protégé relationship remains confidential?

15. What operational changes need to be made in our schools to make mentoring possible?

- Do we need to change the nature of new teachers' initial assignments?
- Do mentors and protégés have ready access to email and telephones?

16. How will our university partners prepare teachers to give and receive peer assistance?

17. How will retired teachers become involved in the program?

- How will they be compensated for their participation?

For more information on mentoring programs, see the NEA Foundation for the Improvement of Education's Creating a New Mentoring Program.

Source: NEA Foundation for the Improvement of Education, 1999. Creating a New Mentoring Program.

Copyright 1999 NEA Foundation for the Improvement of Education