Mentoring Research Paper

Mentoring
If popular and professional research is valid, then mentoring would be the cure for many ills regarding personal development, professional development, and career advancement. In context, everyone needs a mentor, beginning teachers, disadvantaged youth, student teachers, prospective administrators, etc. Almost every supportive relationship is some form of mentoring (Mertz, 2004). Within the most often cited popular definitions are those that focus on the career advancement or professional growth of a protégée by someone in higher authority within the professional realm (Mertz, 2004).
Mentoring has been an ongoing discussion within the educational field for many years. In this day of accountability, when everyone is searching for a way to increase test scores and so much responsibility is placed on the administrators of the school, mentoring may be the crucial component missing to help new leaders (Maggart & James, 1999). Mentoring can be a rich and continuing part of a principal’s

professional life. Especially, when principals feel isolated in the chain of command and caught somewhere between students, teachers, parents, and the district office during their day-to-day interactions (Zellner, Ward, McNamara, Gideon, Camacho & Doughty, 2002). The research pertaining to mentoring and teaching has grown to include the professional development, knowledge and leadership abilities of mentors, as well as, their mentees. For new principals, the task of leading a school can be challenging and at times overwhelming in their first years of administration. One way that many districts are trying to address these challenges is to provide for a formal mentoring program for new leaders (Saban & Wolfe, 2009).
Research found that most principals valued the opportunity to have reflective conversations with their mentors that included emotional and moral support (Saban & Wolfe, 2009). Many schools across the nation are working to establish mentoring programs that address the challenge of training and supporting new leaders (Saban & Wolfe, 2009). Mentoring in the 21st Century is a highly acceptable strategy for attracting, developing, and retaining leaders across the education sector and beyond. It can be a rewarding opportunity for growth with experienced principals and vice-principals who become involved in the mentoring process as mentors (Robinson, Horan & Nanavati, 2009).
On-going research supports mentoring programs as a meaningful tool when developing vital relationships between veteran and new employees. It describes one form of mentoring as a trusted and experienced supervisor who mutually takes an active interest in the development of younger less experienced individuals (Mertz, 2004). Or, it may be someone whom advice is sought and valued by someone else requesting advice or suggestions (Mertz, 2004). Unfortunately, with the vast amount of literature that provides various definitions of mentoring it becomes more complicated and sometimes contradictory with the roles affiliated with mentoring (Mertz, 2004).
Mentoring is also viewed as an approach to support leadership development for new leaders. It links traditional practices with current practices to help further generations become their best (Boerema, 2011). Mentoring relationships enhance career development, which can guide an individual’s personal and career goals (Boerema, 2011). Careers that place emphasis on mentoring practices support individuals as they move into leadership positions in K-12 education (Sherman, 2002). The most productive way of fulfilling the goals of mentoring within organizations today lies in creating a mentoring or coaching culture that supports both new and veteran administrators (Robinson et al., 2009).
Mentoring theory and research should consider the perceptions of the mentor and protégé and the extent of support given and received in the mentoring program. More research is needed to consider other aspects of the process such as organizational members, rewards and incentives, and performance management systems (Eby, Lockwood & Butts, 2005). Also, further research is encouraged to examine more general perceptions of the process through the organizational support related to the outcome of mentoring (Eby et al., 2005). Finally, theoretical studies have contributed to the idea of investigating more in-depth the negative outcomes of mentoring and its effect on leadership, especially, when looking at gender and race (Eby et al., 2005).
Principal Leadership and Mentoring Programs

Principal leadership and Mentoring is important as evidenced in the research in which Malone (2000) noted that when school principals were asked to identify an important component of their preparation, they most often identified other school administrators as their primary source in helping them become school leaders.

Malone also pointed out that these mentoring relationships helped the principals throughout their careers. In these relationships, the mentor “leads instead of manages, empowers instead of controls, and is reflective and critical” while affording the new principal the opportunity to learn how to lead. Mentoring relationships may also aid new principals in establishing a network of peers and experienced professionals who can provide support and guidance (Curry, 2009). Historically, principals are confronted with a “sink or swim” mindset as they try to manage the practical, political, and financial challenges of the various states and districts (Mitgang,

2007).
Effective induction and mentoring programs have the potential to yield a number of benefits for a school district. (Ehrich et al., 2004). For one, organizations benefit from a more effective exchange of information among employees (Mullen, 1994), and higher productivity and performance (Noe, 1988; Scandura, 1992; Whitely & Coetsier, 1993). Secondly, mentoring provides a vehicle for more thorough training and socialization over longer periods of time (Kram, 1983, 1985). Also, to help new principals succeed, more school districts are capitalizing on the expertise of their senior administrators by adding mentoring as a vital component to the practical training programs for beginning principals (Malone, 2001). Another aspect of mentoring relationships which is widely agreed upon is, that mentoring is an exchange which is regarded as mutually beneficial to both the mentor and the protégée. Protégées benefit from early career success, career attainment, and higher job satisfaction. While mentors experience more personal satisfaction and extended career opportunities by sharing their experiences and increasing their leadership abilities. (Cite)
At times, mentoring in the education field can be confused with a form of counseling or as part of coaching. Often times, coaching is confused with counseling and mentoring is confused with both counseling and coaching (Mertz, 2004). Coaching of new principals goes beyond counseling, where the mentor works with the protégées to extend skills and develop new ones. Compared to coaching, counseling is more focused on identifying problems while outlining solutions to better assist future principals in the school setting. The use of coaching skills for aspiring principals helps to facilitate the desired change through a positive relationship of ongoing support and challenge. One principle of coaching includes a focus on taking on individuals and groups (Robinson et al., 2009). Therefore, mentoring, along with coaching, provides the orientation, skill development, and practice, while continuously supporting sustainable leadership that aligns with the principles of effective staff development (Robinson et al., 2009).