Mentor Perspectives on Mentoring New School Leaders

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to understand the perspectives of recently retired principals who were mentors to new school leaders in a high-need urban school district. Mentors reflected on the mentoring needs and challenges faced by new school leaders while also reflecting on their own careers as school principals. This study was informed by the literature on mentoring as well as the reflective practice literature. We used focus groups as the primary method of collecting data. Data analysis followed the process of open coding and independently identifying relevant data followed by constant comparison to narrow down the list of codes. The findings point to the need for mentoring new school leaders and to focus on promoting confidence and a growth mind-set in principals. Additionally, the findings point to reflective mentoring as a possible mentor model to benefit and support mentor self-learning as well as supporting principals.

The mentoring needs of recently appointed female middle leaders: an Australian case study

“…These studies have important general findings on the nature of mentoring explored in the current research (Augustine-Shaw and Funk, 2013; Bertrand et al. , 2018; Gray, 2018; Kwan and Li, 2016; Ray, 2017; Simons, 2020; Swaminathan and Reed, 2020). A trusting relationship needs to develop between the mentor and the mentee (Augustine-Shaw and Funk, 2013; Kwan and Li, 2016; Swaminathan and Reed, 2020).…”

“…, 2018; Gray, 2018; Kwan and Li, 2016; Ray, 2017; Simons, 2020; Swaminathan and Reed, 2020). A trusting relationship needs to develop between the mentor and the mentee (Augustine-Shaw and Funk, 2013; Kwan and Li, 2016; Swaminathan and Reed, 2020). The mentor will often be a guide and teacher as the mentee navigates new challenges in their initial appointment stages (Bertrand et al.…”

“…The mentor needs to use reflective questioning that focusses on leadership competencies and problem-solving to build leadership capacity (Bertrand et al. , 2018; Gray, 2018; Ray, 2017; Simons, 2020; Swaminathan and Reed, 2020). …”

Key Stakeholders’ Perceptions Regarding Role of Mentors in Primary Schools

“…The mentor may be a veteran, wellinformed, and powerful individual who is engaged to train and coach learners. Swaminathan and Reed (2020) concluded that mentors with administrative behavior were not appreciated by the mentees. These findings are also in partial agreement with our study.…”

“…He carefully identifies the weak areas of every teacher and tries to improve them through coaching and mentoring at the spot, and then plans for further training at CTSC (Saqib et al, 2020;Saeed, & Akhtar, 2017). In addition to the duties of continuous mentoring and development, DTEs also evaluate classroom practice and student learning improvement by conducting monthly tests (Munir & Amin, 2018;Swaminathan, & Reed, 2020). They determine the training needs of teachers and organize capacity-building sessions to improve such weak areas in collaboration with DSD, Lahore.…”