Mentoring is ideally suited to the Head Start philosophy
and approach to staff development. Consider the following:
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Mentoring fits in with Head Start Program Performance
Standards that require grantee and delegate agencies to implement
a formalized approach to staff training and development. Mentoring
offers an approach to teacher training within the context of the teaching
environment and emphasizes excellence in daily practice. It increases
the internal capacity of grantee and delegate agencies to meet the
Program Performance Standards.
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Mentoring supports Head Start's concept of career
ladders. Mentoring is one way to recognize experienced staff for their
expertise. Being a mentor teacher requires an additional set of responsibilities
for staff who take on the role. Mentoring offers the possibility of
new rewards, such as salary increases and promotions, additional training
opportunities, the ability to attend conferences, and the opportunity
to meet with other master teachers. Mentoring also helps protégés
advance on the career ladder as their knowledge and skills are enhanced.
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Mentoring reflects the principles of adult learning
that guide Head Start training and staff development. Training in
Head Start builds on teachers' experiences, provides opportunities
for peer interaction and problem solving, is relevant to the work
in which staff are engaged, and uses a variety of learning strategies.
The mentoring process incorporates these principles of adult learning.
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Mentoring is a strategy to ensure the implementation
of curricula and best practices in teaching and home visiting. It
is a field-based approach to professional development that encourages
staff to build their skills in these areas within a supportive environment.
By enhancing staff skills, mentoring fosters positive child outcomes
and school readiness.
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Mentoring fits in well with Head Start's philosophy
of individualizing programs to meet the needs of children and their
families. Head Start promotes individuality and flexibility in many
ways. For example, Head Start offers a variety of options for delivering
services–center-based, home-based, and family child care–to
meet the needs of a diverse population. Mentoring also is individualized
to meet the needs of both the program and the protégé.
There is no one mentoring model but rather many different approaches
depending on the goals of the mentoring relationship, the resources
available, the grantee and delegate agencies' structure, and
the like.
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Mentoring encourages reflective practice for both
mentors and protégés and supports effective practices
for Head Start teachers. Good teachers think about their own practices
and use the experience to reshape their behaviors. Mentors ask questions
that help protégés think about what is working or not
working in their learning environment. At the same time, mentors reflect
on their own practices and how they can improve them.
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Mentoring reflects the philosophy of partnership-building
that is characteristic of Head Start programs. Head Start encourages
building partnerships within and outside the program. Mentoring is
about building relationships among individuals to foster learning
while on the job. Mentors model best practices in their own classrooms
or work alongside protégés in protégés'
classrooms, family child care homes, or on home visits, demonstrating
how skills and practices may be applied.
For these reasons, mentoring is a good match for Head Start and Early
Head Start programs.
The Advisory Committee on Quality and Expansion recommended that Head
Start "develop a new initiative to encourage qualified mentor teachers
to support classroom staff."
Head Start teachers working directly with children should receive adequate
levels of observation, feedback, and support to promote developmentally
appropriate practice. A sufficient number of master teachers with B.A.
degrees in early childhood education or equivalent and appropriate experience
should be available to supervise and support classroom staff. In addition
to providing more decentralized, qualified supervision to classroom
staff, the master teacher position could serve as a career development
opportunity for classroom teachers. A "mentor" position should
also be developed for home visitors and family service workers.
Reflective practice, defined as the ability to think about one's
daily life, is important because it provides an opportunity to–
- Discuss relevant issues in relation to past and present experiences,
- Set goals and determine areas for improvement,
- Change practices in a supportive and caring environment.
There is no "one size fits all" way to design a mentoring
program.
