The Study
Dr. Sharon Feiman-Nemser, professor of teacher education at Michigan State University, reviewed the spread of teacher mentoring in the United States, which has emerged as a favored strategy in policy initiatives focused on teacher induction. In the article, she also examines the obstacles to realizing the potential of mentoring as a vehicle of reform, and selected issues of policy and practice.

The Findings
Teacher mentoring has increased rapidly in the United States with more than 30 states mandating some form of mentored support for beginning teachers. Mentoring has also spread to teacher preparation programs in which teacher candidates work closely with experienced teachers in internship sites and restructured school settings such as professional development schools. Yet there are problems. In reviewing the literature, Dr. Feiman-Nemser noted that there has been a lack of clarity about the purposes of mentoring. Questions remain about what mentors should do, what they actually do, and what novices learn as a result. Indeed, mentor teachers have little experience with such things as observing and discussing teaching with colleagues. Dr. Feiman-Nemser cites some studies that have found that mentors promote conventional norms and practices and thus limit reform. Ultimately, mentors are more likely to develop as role models and educators if they also have opportunities to discuss questions and problems that arise during their work with novices. By promoting observation and conversation about teaching, mentoring can help teachers develop tools for continuous improvement.

What It Means to You
Does your mentoring program allow mentors to discuss questions and problems that arise in their work with novices? Are mentors encouraged to articulate their practical knowledge of teaching and to analyze their own beliefs about leaning to teach? The promise of mentoring can go beyond helping novices survive their first year of teaching if it is guided by an understanding of teacher learning and promotes collaboration and inquiry among colleagues. Program directors may benefit from focusing on optimal conditions for mentoring rather than trying to make optimal matches between novices and mentors.

More Information
To learn more, see Feiman-Nemser, S., "Teacher Mentoring: A Critical Review," ERIC Digest, July 1996, Vol. 95, No.2. You can also find more information on the World Wide Web at the ERIC Clearinghouse on Teaching and Teacher Education at http://www.ericsp.org.

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