Volume 3 - Issue 1 - DBU Journal for K-12 Educational Research - Page 74

72 recommended that mentors be assigned only one new teacher, who teaches the same grade or subject area, and is located within close proximity to the mentor. A significant finding revealed that mentor participants in the current study used two different leadership styles when mentoring new teachers. The team mindset leadership approach used by over half of the mentor participants generated a much more positive and productive mentoring experience than the leader-follower mindset leadership style. Unfortunately, some mentors relinquished responsibility for new teachers and turned over mentoring to an administrator or just gave up, but did not consider themselves at fault for the failed relationship. It is recommended that districts inquire as to which of its current teachers is interested in being a mentor, create a mentor pool, and conduct a leadership style assessment to identify leadership types that are conducive to developing an effective mentoring relationship. It is recommended that leadership style training be ongoing throughout the mentoring year, as the development of teacher leaders will positively affect more than just the mentoring experience. No style of leadership will be effective in all situations; however, a commonality among all leadership styles is the focus on the relationship between the leader and others (Kouzes & Posner, 2007). Recommendations for Mentors New teachers have unique needs, both as new teachers to the profession and individuals with varying degrees of experience. It is recommended that mentors develop and administer a needs assessment of the specific needs of the new teachers they are mentoring. Many of the new teacher participants reported wanting their mentors to help them in specific areas, but their mentors did not necessarily know or seek to find out what those areas were. It is also recommended that mentors seek professional development opportunities that will broaden their experience and add to their repertoire of mentoring skills. New teacher participants reported wanting mentors to provide information and practical guidance throughout the school year, especially at the beginning and end of the school year. It is recommended that mentors generate a question-answer process with the new teachers they are mentoring that persists throughout the entire school year. In addition, it is recommended that mentors partner with their administrators in perpetuating a mentoring relationship that is aligned to the school’s culture and goals. As part of the partnership with administration, it is recommended that dedicated time be allotted to support the development of an effective mentoring relationship in the form of shared conference periods and observation and co-teaching opportunities. Conclusion New teachers and mentors need to make connections, which is enabled by having dedicated time and access to each other. In order to make substantial connections, new teachers need support in the forms of tangible, informational, and practical guidance. Mentors need to make connections to assist with new teacher growth and development. Time is a factor necessary for making connections and facilitating teacher growth. Both new teachers and mentors revealed the importance of building relationships as a keystone to the successful mentoring experience. The findings of the study reflect areas for growth and development in a mentoring program, including additional mentor training, especially in the area of leadership styles. Employing mentor training will raise the competency and confidence of mentors, which will in turn increase the effectiveness of new teachers, and in the end, add to increases in student achievement. A direct relationship exists between mentor effectiveness and new teacher retention. A negative mentoring experience contributes to new teacher attrition; however, an effective mentor contributes positively to new teacher retention. References Anhorn, R. (2008). The profession that eats its young. Delta Kappa Gamma Bulletin , 74 (3), 15-26. Behrstock-Sherratt, E., Bassett, K., Olson, D., & Jacques, K. (2014, April). From good to great: Exemplary teachers share perspectives on increasing teacher effectiveness across the career continuum. Retrieved from National Network of State Teachers of the Year website: http://www/ nns-by.org/ download/Various/Good_to_Great_Report.pdf Creswell, J. W. (2015). Educational research: Planning, conducting, and evaluating quantitative and qualitative research (5th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education . Jamie Callahan, Ed.D.