PI 34 licensing and mentoring project
The “Affectiveness” of Mentoring Laura Dunbar, WMEA State Co-Chair, PI 34 Licensing and Mentoring Project
It is an honor to be writing my first ar- ticle for WSM as part of the WMEA Coun- cil. In preparation for this transition, I have been very for- tunate to work with Judy Bond. She has been a very willing
mentor in this process, and I thank her for her service to WMEA. With this posi- tion comes the opportunity to work with Soma Pierce-Smit, orchestra director at Memorial High School in Eau Claire and the K–12 co-chair. Soma has also been a mentor during my transition from Arizona to Wisconsin in addition to many other music educators in the Chippewa Val- ley. Although we use the word mentor
frequently and typically agree that mentor- ship is important, what are some effects of mentoring?
Definition and Benefits of Mentoring According to the Merriam-Webster dic- tionary, the word mentor means “a trusted counselor or guide” or “a tutor/coach.” We frequently use the word mentoring in the context of new teachers entering the field. However, Resta, Hulin and Yeargain (2013) completed a study showing the effects of mentoring first-year teachers spanning over 10 years. The research- ers found those that had been mentored tended to stay in the profession for at least five years (79.35 percent) in comparison with the Texas state retention rate (68.31 percent; p. 119), and 94 percent of these teachers had mentored others either for- mally or informally (p. 126). Ingersoll and Strong (2011) completed an analysis of 15 studies regarding mentoring practices for new teachers and found an overall positive impact of mentorship programs, citing that participants in mentoring programs tended to stay in teaching longer and have higher rates of satisfaction and commitment (p. 225). In reflecting on this information, the data seem to support a need for mentor- ship programs. However, does mentoring end when teachers are no longer labeled as “novice?”
The Importance of Personal Connections Resta, Hulin and Yeargain (2013) noted another important factor to teacher re- tention: coworkers and communities. It is no secret the perception of teaching as a profession has declined along with funding. Those teachers who had strong connections with their colleagues, their communities in which they taught, or both cited those factors as a reason to stay in the profession. The researchers did not state what subjects these teachers taught, but we are in a unique situation as music educators. In some schools, there are full
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“We are always looking for ways to improve our practice, increase student achievement and help our students become musical for life rather than just in our rooms.”
music departments with multiple music educators helping each other build music experiences for their students. In other schools, there is one music specialist per building who is the sole idea generator for the music program in that building. Music educators may be able to collaborate with others in similar positions in other build- ings, or they may be the only person teach- ing at their level for their district. Districts may give time during district professional development for collaborations between music educators, or the music educators may not have an opportunity to meet as a group. Although music educators build musical communities with their students, isolation from other music education col- leagues is a consideration regardless of level taught.
Why This Matters in Music Education Based on personal experiences and speaking with educators in the Chippewa Valley, it appears that mentoring should not end with novice music educators. Each music educator as an individual has strengths and growth points regardless of time in the profession. We are always looking for ways to improve our practice, increase student achievement and help our students become musical for life rather than just in our rooms. Building com- munities of practice (see Wenger, 2011) to discuss classroom issues, assessment/
April 2017
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