Supporting Our Own: A Manual for ESP Mentoring Programs

Setting Up A Mentoring Program

There is no one-size-fits-all blueprint for mentoring programs. Each program will have its own identity, depending on a number of factors, including…

• The structure of the state and local Association
• The composition of the unit
• Whether the program is a negotiated contract provision, a legislative initiative, or the result of meet-and-confer sessions
• What kind of relationships ESP have with other school employees and the administration

The following points can jump-start a discussion about how to set up your own mentoring program. It is meant to be food for thought, not a prescribed diet.

Establish a Supportive Environment

The biggest obstacle an Association might face in establishing a mentoring program is skepticism or outright resistance from the school system, administrators, teachers, or even ESP themselves. Gain support for the program by stressing the benefits to the district, the school, the mentors, the mentees, and ultimately, the students. Benefits include…

• Professional development and personal growth for ESP, leading to enhanced student learning, improved employee satisfaction, and increased retention of skilled ESP
• Enhanced cooperation and teamwork and increased communication within and across job families
• Progress toward Association goals, such as recruiting and maintaining members, achieving a living wage, and gaining respect for ESP
• Furthering the overall mission of the school community—closing student achievement gaps

It will be easier to gain support for and involvement in your mentoring program if you…

Develop a Clear Written Strategy

• Define the basics: What is a mentoring program for ESP? Why set one up? Who will benefit? How will it work?
• Develop materials that answer these questions, to be used in gaining support for the program as well as recruiting participants.
• Outline an operational plan that includes…
  Set-up: What will the planning and supervisory body for the program consist of (an advisory board, program coordinating committee, or program coordinator)?
  Ongoing management: Who will be responsible for regular program operations, such as reviewing applications, matching mentors and mentees, keeping records (staff, volunteers)?
  Budget: What sort of expenses should be anticipated (promotional materials, stipends)? Where will the money come from?
  Time Frame: When do you hope to have the program in place? How long will it last? What do you hope to accomplish in that period?
  Goals and outcomes: What would you consider to be a successful program and how will you measure success? Participation data? Analysis of participants’ comments?
  Outreach: Who will be responsible for producing materials that will tell others about the program, addressing the what, why, who and how (above) as well as telling people how the program has been successful and how they can become involved?

When you have answered these strategic questions, you can begin to focus on the specifics, such as…

Define a Recruitment Plan and Selection Process for Mentors and Mentees

• Make program known to potential participants (see Sample Notice of Mentoring Program in the Tools Section)
• Outline expectations and benefits for both mentors and mentees.
• Develop an application and screening process and describe it to potential participants (see sample Application Forms in the Tools Section).
• Decide whether to have face-to-face interviews, and if so, who should conduct them. Should the mentoring program committee interview mentors? Should a group of mentors interview potential mentees?
• Decide who should assess mentee’s needs and how to identify the best mentor partner to address those needs.

Plan a Training Program for Prospective Mentors that Includes…

• Advice on listening skills, team/relationship building, conflict resolution, and how to be a good mentor
• Discussions on fostering acceptance of differences—ethnic or cultural, language, gender, age, racial, etc.
• Ideas on how to develop a mosaic of assistance
• Explanation and training on confidentiality issues
• Establishing a mentor support group to discuss issues mentors may need help with and to identify sources of answers to mentors’ questions and concerns
• Reading material on relevant topics
• Support from school administrators if offered

Of course, each mentoring program will design its own mentor training program according to its own needs and situation. See the mentor training CD and the ESP Web site (www.nea.org/ESP) for sample mentor training materials.

Once you’ve laid the groundwork, the real process of setting up a mentor-mentee relationship can begin. Here are some possible next steps.

Match Mentors with Mentees, Taking Into Account…

• Mentors’ skills and knowledge and mentees’ developmental needs
• Logistics such as schedules, worksite locations, possible meeting venues, and so forth
• Relevance of job classification in pairing mentor and mentee— does the mentee need help with technical skills that only some- one in the same job family would be familiar with or are the needs more general, such as how to develop leadership skills?

After the mentors and mentees are paired, the program should continue to oversee and develop their relationship by offering further support. For instance:

Encourage Preliminary Agreements Between the Partners, Such As…

• Definition of responsibilities of each participant
• Outline of accountability to each other and to the program
• Pledges of confidentiality
• Logistics of future meetings
• How to keep track of the progress of the relationship and future steps, such as use of reflection logs or other records.

See the Tools Section for sample pledges, reflection logs, and progress assessments.

• Once the mentoring program has been in place for some measurable time period, supporters and participants must address the question of whether it’s a worthwhile expenditure of time and effort. To do that, you should...

Develop a Process to Track Each Mentoring Relationship and the Program as a Whole

This could include the following:

• A system for ongoing assessment
• Regular evaluation of program against established objectives
• A process for addressing obstacles and challenges (See box, page 13)
• Private and confidential exit interviews with each participant
• Clear guidelines for measuring success of the program

Finally, there are some public relations steps that should be considered, both before the program begins and after it completes each cycle, such as…

Plan for Support and Recognition for Mentors, Mentees, Mentoring Program Coordinator or Committee, and Support Staff

This could include the following:

• A kick-off event
• Regular updates about the program
• Articles in Association newsletter and school district publications
• Ongoing educational opportunities
• Special events (guest speakers from the Association, community groups)
• Annual recognition and appreciation event
• Certificate of completion for mentees
• Certificate of appreciation or thank-you letter for mentors

For more information on planning a mentoring program, see “What is Mentoring?” by the American Management Association, 1991.

Go to the next section: "The Mentoring Process"