This section relied upon the updated PLI Mentor Agenda and PowerPoint (2007) and the PLI Mentor Handbook (2007) as the documents to describe this training. The PPMN One-Day Mentor Training Orientation and PowerPoint document maintained the structural organization of the previously reported PLI One-Day Mentor Training Orientation (2003-2006) with some specific changes and upgrades. By and large, the training was very similar in framework and delivery; however, both a mentor and protégé handbook was introduced along with training on the Pennsylvania School Leadership Standards. In this section, the researcher has selected to
only report on the aforementioned upgrades due to the structural and granular similarity of both the PLI (2003-2006) and the PPMN (2007-2012) mentor orientation training sessions.
The mentor and protégé handbooks (PLI, 2007) were interchangeable documents that contained the identical information for both the mentor and protégé. Due to this similarity, the following narrative will only report the content and process of the mentor handbook. The purpose of the handbook (PLI, 2007) was to provide guidelines and resource materials for mentors working with protégé(s) in the induction program. Table 4.4 contains pertinent information that was detailed in the mentor handbook for each mentor with respect to the benefits of participating in the program, benefits in serving as a mentor and benefits associated with being a protégé.
Similarly to the PLI One-Day Mentor Orientation (2003-2006), mentors were required to reflect on occasions where they may have served as a mentor. Determining whether this process Table 4.4
Program, Mentor, and Protégé Benefits
Beneficiary Benefits
Program • Promoting data-informed decision making and improving school climate • Improving the time management strategies and the use of building resources • Strategic planning and visionary leadership development
• Promoting teacher professional growth and communicating with staff and community
Mentor • Continuous professional development through scheduled mentor meetings • Participation in a professional learning community of fellow school leaders • Opportunity to “give back” to the profession
• Opportunity to share expertise by providing guidance, support and resource materials to protégés
Protégé • Development of individually determined goals under the supervision of a mentor principal
• Maintaining an ongoing relationship with a veteran practitioner which is private and confidential
• Access to relevant educational resources provided by mentors
• “Just in time” support on key leadership issues and application of the theoretical learning
Table 4.5
Characteristics of Informal and Formal Mentoring Processes
Type of Mentoring Description provided by PLI (2007)
Informal Mentoring • Develops organically from mutual interests, admiration and goals among individuals already known to each other
• Typically includes discussion of personal values and interests • Assumed to be superior to “arranged” mentoring
• Occurs infrequently
Formal Mentoring • Facilitated by an intentional mentoring program. Members are assigned or matched by mentoring program administrator(s), often with some consideration of each person’s preferences, attributes, goals.
• Typically focused on a specific goal(s)
• May be more task-oriented than informal relationships • May take longer to build trust and a productive working
relationship
was deemed to be informal or formal, the mentor handbook identified the characteristics of both informal and formal mentoring processes ( PLI, 2007), which can be seen in Table 4.5.
Mentors had explored the characteristics of an effective mentor, being reminded that anyone can learn the mechanics of mentoring, but not everyone can be an effective mentor (PLI, 2007). To be effective, trained mentors were prompted with the importance of the desire to help others, establishing a meaningful rapport, and the willingness and drive to develop the skills and techniques necessary for effective mentoring. These effective mentoring skills were presented as an embedded document within the PPMN One-Day Mentor Training Orientation and were found in the Mentor Handbook (PLI, 2007). Appendix D displays these effective mentoring skills and associated indicators.
As discussed in the orientation, the mentor’s ability to get to know their protégé was seen as vital to the stimulation of the relationship. Recognizing and assessing where the protégé is in
Table 4.6
Mentor Do’s and Don’ts
Do’s and Don’ts Recommendation
Do • Be available
• Convey respect and confidence in the protégé • Maintain focus on the protégé
• Ask questions vs. give advice and allow protégé to verbalize conceptions
• Track protégés progress
• Identify strengths and provide feedback • Periodically re-asses the relationship
• Avoid problems that may inhibit the protégés development Don’t • Promote the mentor’s agenda instead of the protégés
• Take credit for protégés accomplishments
• Seek a “clone” who mirrors the mentor’s career path, philosophy and vision.
terms of professional development was also viewed as obligatory. Identifying the important demographic variables of the protégé along with perceived leadership proclivities was reflected as important for the mentor as well. The mentor’s ability to acknowledge and accept differences and different perspectives along with setting appropriate parameters for the relationship were detailed in this area of the training. To develop and maintain the formal relationship required for effective mentoring to take place, a list of mentor ‘do’s and don’ts’ was integrated into the mentor handbook (PLI, 2007). This list is illustrated in Table 4.6.
In order to place the Act 45 or PIL legislation into an appropriate context, a portion of the one-day mentor training focused on redefining leadership through the identification and exposure to the Pennsylvania School Leadership Standards. The three Core Standards and six Corollary Standards were reviewed with the mentors to revisit the overarching goals and responsibilities of a building principal (PIL, 2007). The three Core Standards and six Corollary Standards are
Table 4.7
Pennsylvania School Leadership Standards
Standards List of Standards
Core Standards • Core Standard #1 – The leader has the knowledge and skills to think and plan strategically, creating an organizational vision around personalized student success.
• Core Standard #2 – The leader is grounded in standards-based systems theory and design and is able to transfer that knowledge to his/her job as the architect of standards-based reform in the school. • Core Standard #3 – The leader knows how to access and use
appropriate data to inform decision-making at all levels of the system
Corollary Standards • Corollary Standard #1 – The leader creates a culture of teaching and learning with an emphasis on learning.
• Corollary Standard #2 – The leader manages resources for effective results.
• Corollary Standard #3 – The leader collaborates, communicates, engages, and empowers other inside and outside the organization to pursue excellence in learning.
• Corollary Standard #4 – The leader operates in a fair and equitable manner with personal and professional dignity
• Corollary Standard #5 – The leader advocates for children and public education in the larger political, social, economic, legal, and cultural context.
• Corollary Standard #6 – The leader supports professional growth of self and others through practice and inquiry.