Mentoring Content and Strategies

The following is an excerpt from Putting the Pro in Prot�g�: A Guide to Mentoring in Head Start and Early Head Start.

Mentoring Content and Strategies

Areas of Early Childhood Teacher Competency
Methods for Identifying Individual Teacher Goals and Mentoring Content
The Dynamic Process of Goal Setting
Mentoring Strategies
Putting It All Together: Mentoring Content and Strategies

The objective of education and early childhood development is to provide all children with a safe, nurturing, engaging, enjoyable, and secure learning environment in order to help them gain the awareness, skills, and confidence necessary to succeed in their present environment, and to deal with later responsibilities in school and in life. Each child is treated as an individual in an inclusive community that values, respects, and responds to diversity. The varied experiences provided by the program support the continuum of children's growth and development, which includes the physical, social, emotional, and cognitive development of each child - Introduction, Head Start Program Performance Standards (45 CFR 1304.21).

Mentoring content falls within a core set of knowledge and skills identified by professional groups within the early childhood community. These are the skills necessary to support children's growth and development and to improve child outcomes. Within this framework, however, the specific focus of mentoring varies with each mentor-prot�g� pair. Particular content is largely determined by the goals that the mentor-prot�g� pair mutually agree on, or that a supervisor recommends.

Effective mentoring strategies fall within recognized professional development approaches that reflect the principles of adult learning. The selection of specific strategies depends on the prot�g�s' learning styles, the content of the mentoring, and the time and resources of the agency.

This chapter looks at mentoring content and mentoring strategies:

Areas of early childhood teacher competency
Methods for identifying individual teacher goals and mentoring content
The dynamic process of goal setting
Mentoring strategies

To support each child's individual pattern of development and learning, the Head Start Program Performance Standards Guidance (45 CFR 1304.21(c)(1)(I)) say to -

Plan periods of time for children's sustained involvement in teacher planned and/or self-chosen tasks
Plan opportunities for children to work alone and with other children
Recognize and respond to children's individual interests and learning styles, including visual, tactile, or auditory
Plan activities that enable children to develop emerging skills and practice existing skills.

Areas of Early Childhood Teacher Competency

Various agencies and organizations concerned with early childhood development have established areas of competency for teachers. Their work provides a framework for defining content areas for mentoring and for setting goals with prot�g�s.

The Head Start Program Performance Standards are a good starting point. The Standards themselves define what teachers must do to support children's growth and development in Head Start. The Guidance to the Program Performance Standards is rich in illustrations of how the standards can be implemented. The sidebar on this page contains one example.

Similarly, organizations such as the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) have set goals and competencies for early childhood teachers that could be considered a basis for mentoring goals and content. ...[Chart 1 below] presents ways in which the early childhood profession has defined the knowledge and skills necessary for all early childhood teachers to acquire and master to enhance child outcomes. These competencies provide guidelines for developing the content areas of a mentoring program.

[Chart 1]

Goals for Early Childhood Teachers

Head Start Program Performance Standards

The Head Start Program Performance Standards tell us that the education and child development services program must be supported by staff who are knowledgeable about and experienced in -

Theories of child growth and development, early childhood education, and family support
The goals and underlying philosophy of Head Start.

Staff must know how to support children's social and emotional development, help children develop cognitive and language skills, and promote children's physical development.

National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)

Appropriate Practice in Early Childhood Programs includes a discussion of "teaching to enhance development and learning." This discussion indicates that teachers should -

Respect, value, and accept children and treat them with dignity at all times
Make knowing each child well a priority
Create an intellectually engaging and responsive environment to promote each child's learning and development
Make plans to enable children to attain key curriculum goals across various disciplines
Foster children's collaboration with peers on interesting, important enterprises
Develop, refine, and use a wide repertoire of teaching strategies to enhance children's learning and development
Facilitate the development of responsibility and self-regulation in children.

Child Development Associate (CDA) Credential

The CDA national credentialing system defines six competency goals and functional areas for preschool caregivers, infant and toddler caregivers, home visitors, and family child care teachers:

Establish and maintain a safe, healthy learning environment
Advance physical and intellectual competence
Support social and emotional development and provide positive guidance
Establish positive and productive relationships with families
Ensure a well-run, purposeful program responsive to participant needs
Maintain a commitment to professionalism

In general, the goals established by these experts and professional groups are broad and leave a great deal of room to address specific areas of interest and skill development for prot�g�s.

The Training Guides for the Head Start Learning Community are a good source for mentoring goals. Teacher outcomes are spelled out for each Guide and for each module and activity within the Guide. Mentors can use these outcomes in setting goals with their prot�g�s.

Mentoring can support agency goals in a variety of ways. For example, an agency may use mentoring to support teachers during the transition to a new curriculum. The agency may first sponsor workshops that include discussions of theory as well as examples of how a new curriculum may be implemented. Teachers are assigned further readings and videos. In addition, the agency may design its mentoring program to support teachers as they begin to implement the curriculum in the classroom. Together, mentors and prot�g�s try out different elements of the curriculum, note children's behaviors as they engage in new learning, and identify learning strategies that work best. The mentor and the prot�g� engage in ongoing discussions of how the new curriculum is working, and the mentor helps the teacher work through issues that arise.

Methods for Identifying Individual Teacher Goals and Mentoring Content

Specific mentoring content varies depending on both the needs of the prot�g�s and the context and goals of the program. There are several ways to help shape the focus of mentoring:

The agency's overall program goals
Assessments
Supervisory recommendations.

Each of these is briefly discussed below.

Agency's Overall Program Goals

Individual mentoring goals and content are sometimes derived from the agency's overall goals for program improvement. A goal, for example, may be to implement a new curriculum that will enhance developmentally appropriate practice and foster positive child outcomes in center-based and family child care settings. The new curriculum will be launched by a weeklong training conference at the beginning of the year. However, the agency knows that implementing a new curriculum requires intensive follow-up with staff. The ...[box below] shows how the agency can design its mentoring program to support teachers during the transition.

Take Stock! What strategies can our agency use to identify the content of our mentoring?

Assessment

Probably the most helpful way to begin to set teacher goals and establish mentoring content is through assessments. Assessments are useful because they -

Encourage prot�g�s to reflect on their teaching experiences, assess their skills, and figure out in what areas further growth is needed
Help mentors get to know their prot�g�s on a more personal level
Help mentors and prot�g�s establish goals and select appropriate mentoring strategies to achieve those goals.

These assessments can be conducted through observations of prot�g�s or through prot�g�s' own self-assessments. Gathering information through multiple assessments provides a more accurate picture of prot�g�s' strengths and areas in which they need the most help.

Observations

A valuable tool in assessing prot�g� needs is an observation of the prot�g� at work. Observations can give a mentor a quick and direct sense of how a prot�g� is doing. Prot�g�s, especially new teachers, may need help in identifying the skills they need to develop or in prioritizing needs.

Several standardized tools are available for conducting an observation:

The Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale (ECERS)
The Infant/Toddler Environment Rating Scale (ITERS)
The Field Advisor Formal Observation Tool for the CDA Credential
The Assessment Profile for Early Childhood Programs
The Early Childhood Classroom Observation tool in NAEYC's accreditation system
The Classroom, Family Child Care or Socialization Observation Instrument or the Home Visit Observation Instrument used during Federal on-site monitoring.

In addition, mentors can observe prot�g�s informally by using a variety of observation approaches, such as a running observation or a checklist. In any event, a review by mentors of their impressions, comments, and suggestions with their prot�g�s can be an important step toward professional development for prot�g�s.

Stanislaus County Office of Education Teaching Center (CA) (formerly Stanislaus County Migrant Head Start) has a formal assessment process for infant and toddler caregivers and for preschool teachers. Each prot�g� (trainee) completes a Competency Assessment Documentation Instrument to determine the objectives that he or she will address during the mentoring experience in a particular goal area. The five goal areas are environment, interactions with families, individualization, interactions with children, and developmentally appropriate curriculum. Mentors work with prot�g�s on the particular objectives identified. At the conclusion of the mentoring period, mentor and prot�g� complete a competency assessment.

Below are a sample goal and objectives.

Goal 1: Develop a safe and healthy environment that supports an infant's or toddler's overall growth and development.

Sample Objectives

Trainee will -

Identify safety precautions to follow in an infant/toddler setting
Promote good health practices in an infant and toddler setting
Compare the feeding routines of the young infant (0-8 mos.), the mobile infant (8-18 mos.), and the toddler (18-36 mos.)
Identify developmentally appropriate materials and equipment for an infant and toddler setting.

Prot�g� Self-Assessment

Observations alone cannot always show what a person finds hard to do or doesn't like doing. They also might not be helpful in determining the prot�g�'s own concerns and burning issues, which are often the best place to begin mentoring.

Several tools are available for prot�g� self-assessments. A Journal for Using the Creative Curriculum for Infants and Toddlers includes a self-assessment tool, as does Training Teachers: A Harvest of Theory and Practice (these are identified in the annotated bibliography in Appendix G). The Early Childhood Mentoring Curriculum includes a self-evaluation checklist that also might be useful.

No matter what tool they use, mentors encourage prot�g�s to be open and honest in their self-assessments. A self-assessment is a way to help prot�g�s "know themselves" so that the mentoring can be tailored to the prot�g�s' individual needs.

Supervisory Recommendations

The content of mentoring also can be determined or influenced by a supervisor's recommendations. Performance reviews sometimes identify areas for teacher improvement. At other times the supervisor may want staff to develop specific new skills or practices. For example, supervisors may believe that mentoring for new staff should include orienting teachers to a new work environment, understanding program regulations, accessing resources, or working with parents.

However, the role of supervisory recommendations in determining mentoring content is another controversial area in mentoring circles. Some people believe that just as we follow children's leads in developing curriculum in an early childhood classroom, we should follow prot�g�s' leads, rather than supervisors' leads, in determining mentoring content. They believe that self-direction and self-selection lead to stronger professional growth than does a mandate from a supervisor.

The Dynamic Process of Goal Setting

Setting goals for teachers is an ongoing, collaborative process. It involves mentors and prot�g�s working together to identify needs, set goals, and develop a mentoring plan that specifies mentoring strategies, timelines, and responsibilities. In developing the mentoring plan, it is important to take into account not only what the prot�g� needs to learn, but also what the prot�g� wants to learn. Although a mentor or a supervisor may feel that a prot�g� needs to learn about family-style dining, if the prot�g� is struggling with "circle time," this may be where the prot�g� wants to begin. Mentoring is more likely to be effective when it focuses on content that is immediately relevant to the prot�g�.

Mentoring content continues to emerge and evolve throughout the mentoring relationship. It is based on the interests and developmental needs of the prot�g�. As prot�g�s become more capable of reflecting on their own practices and of engaging in open dialogue about the issues they are facing in their center-based or family child care settings, mentoring content becomes less predetermined and more focused on issues that arise during the daily work with children and families.

Mentors and prot�g�s begin to look at difficult issues together. In reflecting on their practices, prot�g�s look at their strengths, of course. But they will also talk about things that went awry and areas where they could do better. Reflecting on both the good and the bad, and learning from both, is a goal of mentoring. ...[Chart 2 below] is a table of selected organizations and the content of their mentoring programs. The next section focuses on strategies that mentors can use to promote reflective thinking in their prot�g�s.

Two good examples of formats that can be used as the basis for developing mentoring plans follow:

The "Individual Professional Development Plan" in A Trainer's Guide to the Creative Curriculum for Infants and Toddlers
The "Individual Training Plan" in Training Teachers: A Harvest of Theory and Practice

Note: For more information on these publications, refer to the Annotated Bibliography in Appendix G.

Mentors and prot�g�s grapple with such difficult issues as -

What to do when a child is an English language learner but the teacher does not speak the child's native language
How to encourage families to be involved in the Head Start or Early Head Start program
The prot�g�'s feelings about mothers who leave their infants and go off to work
How to accurately assess children's progress and accomplishments towards acquiring print awareness and concepts.

These real-life issues can influence the content of mentoring.

[Chart 2]

**Content of Mentoring in Selected Programs**
Program Name	Content of Mentoring
Maryland Committee for Children This group operates a mentoring program for center-based and family child care teachers.	Mentoring includes, but also goes beyond, the CDA Competency Standards' functional areas: Safe, healthy learning environment Physical development Cognitive development Social and emotional development Creativity Program management Professionalism
Stanislaus County Office of Education Teaching Center (CA) This agency uses mentoring in its teaching center.	Five topic areas are identified in the Infant/Toddler Caregiver Competency Assessment and Curriculum Manual. Each area has separate objectives: Environment Interactions with families Individualization Interactions with children Developmentally appropriate curriculum
Wabash Area Development, Inc. (IL) This Head Start program has both center- and home-based program options.	Mentoring content includes - Helping staff understand how to better meet the needs of their clients Helping staff understand that developmentally appropriate practices vary from one home to another Building on strengths rather than looking for deficits Developing good listening skills for home visitors Sharing challenges and successes
Upper Des Moines Opportunity, Inc., Head Start (IA) This program uses mentoring to build friendships and resource networks among teachers.	Mentors assess prot�g�s in the following curriculum areas: Classroom management Room arrangement Small-group activities The content of mentoring includes these areas as well as - Selections from Head Start's curriculum resource books, including the Creative Curriculum, High/Scope, and Peaceful Classroom Writing anecdotal notes according to the High/Scope child observation record

Mentoring Strategies

The mentoring strategies that appear to promote growth and change are those that reflect the principles of adult learning. In other words, effective learning is grounded in real-life teaching experiences, fosters problem solving and reflection, builds on the teacher's knowledge and experiences, and reflects different ways of knowing. See the chart below on Adult Learning and Mentoring.

**Adult Learning and Mentoring**
Adult Learners ...	Mentors ...
Are self-directed, learn experientially, and approach learning as problem solving.	Facilitate learning by encouraging prot�g�s to build their own knowledge while providing resources and other supports. They support prot�g�s in working through problems.
Bring to the learning environment a wide range of experiences that have become part of their knowledge base and the way they think about things.	Work with prot�g�s, building new information on the foundation of past experiences and previous knowledge.
Believe that learning must be of value and relevant to their work.	Focus on what is important in prot�g�s' work environment to help them improve practices.
Are goal oriented.	Help prot�g�s set learning goals and objectives from the outset. Together, mentors and prot�g�s assess the progress that prot�g�s are making toward meeting those goals.
Have different ways of learning, such as visual, auditory, and kinesthetic ways.	Use a variety of strategies, such as observations, portfolios, journals, and videotapes, in the mentoring process.

In selecting appropriate strategies, mentors need to take these factors into account:

The context of the mentoring
The prot�g�'s goals
The prot�g�'s learning style
The fit between the prot�g�'s style and the mentor's style.

The most successful mentoring strategies provide ongoing opportunities for feedback from mentors and for prot�g� self-assessment. They promote reflective practice so that prot�g�s can understand what they are doing and how they can improve their performance. It is important to consider a variety of mentoring strategies because no one strategy works better than any of the others for all teachers and all programs. Here are some well-regarded strategies.

Mentoring strategies include:

Hands-on participation
Mentor modeling
Practice of new skills
Demonstration of learned caregiving and teaching skills
Self-evaluation
Mentor feedback
Observations of mentor, children, and support staff
Written assignments
Simulated activities, such as role plays
Videos/resources.

Mentors can foster reflection in their prot�g�s by asking thought- provoking questions during conferences or by guiding them in writing journal entries. Questions may be open-ended: Was there anything that occurred recently with a child in your class or with a parent that you have been unable to stop thinking about? Or questions may be focused: List three values you are trying to teach the children in your class and discuss the strategies you are using to teach these values.

Observations and Conferences

This strategy uses a combination of mentor-prot�g� conferences and observations of the prot�g�'s work. Conferences are held both before and after each observation and are essential to the process. This mentoring strategy helps prot�g�s think about what they are doing in the center-based or family child care setting. The three steps in this process follow.

Pre-observation conference. Prot�g�s and mentors meet before the observation takes place. This meeting allows prot�g�s to tell mentors what skills and practices to focus on and what observation method they prefer (in person, tape recorded, or videotaped). A pre-observation conference is useful in helping mentors gather information before the actual observation. It also can help ease prot�g�s' tension, because they will know beforehand what to expect in the observation.
The observation. The prot�g� and mentor may agree on one of the following types of observations. Their selection will depend on the learning goals they have set.
- Structured observations have a narrow focus and provide data on specific behavior. For example, a structured observation might focus on how successful a prot�g� is at transition times, such as from lunch time to nap time.
- Unstructured observations have a broad focus. In these observations, the mentor views the overall classroom, assesses a variety of behaviors, and provides general information about practices and responses to situations.
- The post-observation conference. After each observation, prot�g�s and mentors meet again to reflect on what occurred during the observation and to provide feedback. These conferences can help prot�g�s assess how well they are achieving their goals and identify strengths and weaknesses and areas in which further practice is required.

Observations and conferences generally occur throughout the mentor-prot�g� relationship as prot�g�s practice new skills and identify new areas for improvement. The [...list below] provides questions that mentors can use during post-observation conferences to foster reflective practices.

Questions that mentors can ask at post-observation conferences:

Why do you think this happened?
What did you want to happen?
What were you thinking about when this situation occurred?
What would you do differently the next time?

Samantha is a new Head Start teacher who is having trouble communicating with the parents of the children in her classroom. Karen, her mentor, asked Samantha to write about a conference Samantha recently had with a new Head Start parent, recording all the questions she asked and the responses she received. Then Karen had Samantha observe and take notes on one of Karen's conferences with a Head Start parent. Following this observation, Karen and Samantha met to compare and contrast the two meetings. They reviewed the notes from both observations, and Karen guided Samantha's thinking about what she might want to do differently. After reflecting on both conferences, Samantha thought that perhaps she hadn't done a good job in establishing rapport at the beginning of the conference. She noticed that she began her meeting by talking about the child, whereas Karen began by asking the parent about how she was doing before slowly working the conversation into discussing the child. Karen gave Samantha some suggestions for establishing rapport with her Head Start parents. Karen and Samantha also did some role playing, with Karen taking the parent's role. The next week Samantha had another meeting with a Head Start parent and she was able to put into practice the new strategies she had learned from Karen.

Modeling Behavior

Modeling is another type of mentoring strategy in which prot�g�s actually observe their mentor in action. Modeling is most suitable for prot�g�s who are visual learners - those who learn best by watching others and then practicing the behavior they have seen. It also is used when prot�g�s are experiencing difficulty incorporating new behavior and teaching techniques into their current method of instruction. Observing their mentors helps prot�g�s learn new skills. Modeling occurs in the following ways:

Pre-observation conference. A pre-observation conference sets the stage for the prot�g�'s observation.
Observation. Prot�g�s observe mentors in two ways. In one way, prot�g�s are strictly observers. They sit unobtrusively in a corner of the room, view the mentor through a two-way mirror, or watch a video of the mentor. In another way, they are participant observers, team teaching with their mentor. In both cases they take notes - either mentally or in writing - of what they see to spur later discussion.
Mentor-prot�g� conference. After the observation, prot�g�s meet with their mentors to discuss what they observed. As with prot�g� observations, mentors and prot�g�s talk about what the prot�g� observed, why the mentor used the teaching strategy or technique at that time, and how the prot�g� might be able to use it as well.
Practicing new skills and behaviors. After seeing and understanding a teaching strategy, prot�g�s put what they have learned into practice. After prot�g�s practice new skills or behaviors, it is important that mentors and prot�g�s talk again, and reflect on how well the new skill or technique worked.

Again, the conference following the observation is important. The prot�g� needs to understand why a certain technique was used. The conference is also important for answering any questions that prot�g�s have about what they observed.

A variation on the modeling described above is the use of technology to observe mentors or master teachers demonstrating skills in specific areas. A pre-observation conference can be set up through video conferencing, on line, or by telephone. After the observation, prot�g�s can interact with the master teacher in the same manner as in the pre-observation conference. The use of distance learning has a number of advantages. Several prot�g�s may meet with the master teacher at one time. The prot�g�s can learn from the master teacher as well as from one another. Distance learning also reduces travel costs for the mentors or master teachers. Site travel could be expensive for prot�g�s in rural areas.

A mentor observes ...

Tamika was a new teacher in the infant room. She was extremely pleased to have Juanita as a mentor. Tamika has three children of her own, but she's finding the change from being a mother of infants to being a teacher of infants somewhat daunting. Even the simple things that she thinks she already knows how to do, like changing a diaper, seem more complicated in an Early Head Start program.

One of the first training sessions that Tamika attended was on how to change a diaper. The training emphasized that there were steps to be followed exactly in changing diapers and that handwashing was vital to prevent the spread of disease. The training also talked about "bloodborne pathogens" and the need to wear "gloves for blood." Tamika was worried and was concerned that she wouldn't take the gloves off properly.

Soon after this training, Tamika and Juanita had their first meeting. It was clear from the beginning of the meeting that Tamika was very concerned about whether she was following the correct diaper-changing procedures. She and Juanita thought about several things that Tamika could do to learn how to change diapers correctly. Juanita remembered that she had a "cheat sheet" on diaper-changing procedures that she could give to Tamika. She suggested that Tamika make cards with the steps and post them at the diaper-changing station. Tamika also asked Juanita to come in and observe her changing diapers after she had a few more days of practice. They agreed that Juanita would observe diaper changing two days later.

When the time came, Juanita went into Tamika's classroom. She used the "cheat sheet" she had given Tamika as an observation tool, checking off the diaper-changing steps as she observed them. She was able to observe Tamika do all of the steps correctly, including taking off her gloves properly, except that she forgot to wash the child's hands.

Juanita and Tamika had a chance to meet again later in the day. Juanita shared her diapering observations with Tamika, and Tamika was quite relieved that she had diapered the child correctly. She was sure that she wouldn't forget to wash a child's hands again.

Then Juanita asked Tamika if she was ready to think a little more about diapering now that she knew how to do the procedure correctly. She and Tamika talked about the importance of routines in a baby's life. Diapering, she shared with Tamika, is not only a health procedure, it's also a special time between babies and teachers. Until now, Tamika had been concentrating so hard on the routine side of diapering that she'd been forgetting about making it into a nurturing time between her and the child. Juanita and Tamika talked about things that Tamika could do to enhance diapering for all the babies. Tamika agreed that she would work on talking to the babies during the procedure, telling them what she was doing each step of the way. She said that she used to make diapering into a fun time at home with her own children, but that she wasn't sure that she was allowed to do this in the infant room! Tamika and Juanita agreed that Juanita would observe diaper changing again the following week - but that she would concentrate on the interaction between Tamika and the baby rather than on the procedural aspect of diapering. They set up a time for the observation as well as a time for their next follow-up conference.

Videotaping

Mentors and prot�g�s can use videotaping in several ways. Prot�g�s or mentors can videotape prot�g�s in their teaching environment, or mentors can tape themselves or other experienced teachers. Viewing the videotapes allows prot�g�s to analyze their own practices or those of others. They can analyze these practices alone, with their mentor, or with their peers. Mentors can pose questions for prot�g�s to consider while they reflect on the videotape.

Using videotapes

Danielle works in a home-based program with a strong focus on family literacy. She visits Mrs. Ramos and Carlos, her four-year-old son, every week. Daniele and Sula, her mentor, agreed that videotaping might be a valuable strategy to help Danielle improve her home visits. One of the areas that Daniele wanted to work on during the visit was helping Mrs. Ramos find books in Spanish and learn to feel comfortable reading them to Carlos. Mrs. Ramos and Carlos also agreed to be videotaped.

Danielle and Sula sat down together to watch and think about the videotapes. Here are the questions that Sula asked Danielle:

How did you try to enhance Mrs. Ramos's skills in reading to Carlos?
How did Mrs. Ramos react?
How did Carlos react?
What worked well in your approach?
What could you change to make it work better?

Participant/Observer

Mentors can work with children in their prot�g�'s teaching environment. In other words, mentors can "roll up their sleeves" and work alongside the prot�g�. Mentors can then share information about children's responses to the learning activities and what worked and didn't work. Observing and assessing the mentor's interactions with the children can help prot�g�s think about their own behaviors and practices.

Journals

Journal writing is another way for prot�g�s to reflect on their teaching practices and behavior. Journals not only help prot�g�s keep track of what practices work or do not work in their teaching environment, but also allow them to track their own growth and development. They also can be used to jot down questions or ideas to discuss with mentors.

The purpose of the journal, and how it will be used, should be made clear to prot�g�s. Sometimes journals are confidential; at other times, the entries may be shared among prot�g�s. Mentors may suggest areas to address or questions to pose in a journal, or they may leave it to the prot�g� to decide. The chart on [...below] shows the different ways that journals can foster reflection and improve practices.

**Possible Uses of Journals**
*Written Dialogues* Some prot�g�s feel more comfortable communicating with their mentors in writing. Prot�g�s can write about a teaching strategy they are using that is not working. For example, perhaps the prot�g� is trying to teach what the number 2 means. The prot�g� writes down, in detail, the various means she is using to teach this concept, such as setting the table for two, putting two blocks away, or raising two hands to do the hokey pokey and the children's reactions to these activities. In her journal, she asks her mentor for additional ideas. She knows that her children like working in the art area and wants to find out whether there are ways to incorporate the concept in this area. When the mentor returns the prot�g�'s journal, she has included several suggestions for using art to teach the concept of two. After trying out some of these new ideas, the prot�g� recounts in her journal how they are working with the children and provides another opportunity for the mentor to comment. Self-Assessment Prot�g�s may use a journal to write about the mentoring process, including their feelings about their relationship with the mentor and their progress over time. Prot�g�s keep a record of new practices and their professional growth to help foster reflection. They can refer to the journal frequently to see how they have changed and improved over time. These journals are not shown to the mentor, although information in them may be discussed with the mentor if the prot�g� wants to discuss it. These journal entries may also include reflections on new theoretical ideas or readings from journals and books the mentor has recommended. In general, this type of journal is for the prot�g�'s own use. Peer Feedback Prot�g�s can use journals to get feedback from peers anonymously or otherwise. Prot�g�s lacking confidence may choose anonymity. It is a good idea for mentors to set some ground rules for giving peer feedback: provide constructive alternatives, do not criticize, and the like. A prot�g� may get useful feedback for handling a particularly frustrating situation. For example, two four-year-old boys are constantly fighting. No matter what the prot�g� does, she cannot seem to stop the squabbling. In her journal, she describes the situation and how she has tried to handle it. Sharing her journal entry with several peers and asking them to write comments may give her several different perspectives on how to handle the situation.

Mentors can ask prot�g�s the following questions to help them think about the information in their portfolios:

Why did you include this entry? What is the most interesting thing about it for you?
How does the entry relate to your work and to the other entries you have selected?
How does this entry show what you have learned?

Developmental Portfolios

Portfolios are used to document a prot�g�'s professional growth and achievement. They are a collection of teaching-related materials that may include a variety of teaching "artifacts," such as teaching plans, child assessment tools, instructional materials, drawings of room arrangements, observations of individual children, write-ups of articles or videos reviewed, letters from parents or supervisors, and the like. Prot�g�s often include their goals as well. To get some ideas for portfolio entries, look at the "Next Steps, Ideas to Extend Practice" sections in the Training Guides for the Head Start Learning Community. Many of them suggest possible portfolio entries.

Portfolio entries allow prot�g�s to document their teaching experiences over time. Reflecting on these experiences, and then reevaluating the information, enables prot�g�s and mentors to assess professional growth and change, and to plan for future professional development.

Resource Sharing

Mentors have many resources to share with their prot�g�s, such as written materials - books or journal articles - audiovisual materials, or referrals to other individuals or child care agencies. Mentors can use these resources as additional information on a certain topic or as a referral for the prot�g� if the mentor is unable to help the prot�g�. Mentors keep their collection of resources as current as possible and keep their eyes open for additional materials to add to their collection.

Other Mentoring Activities

The ultimate goal of mentoring is to help teachers and home visitors think about and learn from their own practices. Additional strategies that mentors can use to help promote reflective practice appear in the box [...below].

A Collection of Mentoring Strategies

Promote self-awareness. Help prot�g�s think about their own values, beliefs, and filters so that they become more aware of what they bring to a situation. Self-awareness is an important part of reflective practice.
Help prot�g�s see a variety of perspectives. For example, encourage prot�g�s to visit another early childhood setting. Center-based teachers can visit another classroom, another center, or a home-based setting or family child care home. Many teachers, especially those new to the profession, have never had an opportunity to see a setting other than their own.
Focus together on children. For example, instead of observing each other, mentors and prot�g�s can observe a child at the same time, with each writing observations. One advantage of this strategy is that prot�g�s don't feel on the "hot seat," as they may when they are being observed. Another advantage is that mentor and prot�g� can use this technique to solve a real problem that the prot�g� is having in the classroom.
Role-play a situation before it happens. For example, before the first home visit of the year, mentor and prot�g� can role-play a home visit, switching roles back and forth until the prot�g� feels more comfortable.
Use brainstorming to open up a world of imaginative, alternative ideas. In brainstorming, ideas are generated but, at least initially, are not evaluated. Use this technique to help prot�g�s come up with alternative solutions to a quandary they are facing. Help them see the potential range of solutions, and then experiment with and evaluate one or more of their ideas.
Promote lively discussions that have no "right" answer. The early childhood profession abounds with issues that provoke strong feelings. Ask prot�g�s to tackle the issue of whether it's appropriate to use food in an art activity or how they feel about superhero play in the child care setting. This type of discussion can help prot�g�s both clarify their beliefs and articulate their positions - both important parts of reflective practice.
Use the "Coaching Strategies" that are found throughout The Training Guides for the Head Start Learning Community. Each of the Guides in this series includes strategies designed for use by a "coach" or mentor, with either an individual prot�g� or a small group.
Role-model being a learner. To model learning as a lifelong process, mentors can learn a brand new skill for themselves. Perhaps they can learn something they've always secretly wanted to learn, such as cooking or in-line skating. These experiences also give mentors a chance to remember what it's like to learn something new.
Use mentoring as a follow-up to formal training opportunities, such as workshops and college courses. Mentoring can be a powerful tool for helping prot�g�s translate theory into actual practice. At the conclusion of a workshop, take the opportunity to help prot�g�s think about how to apply the workshop activities to their jobs. For example, mentors can link a college course on child development to observing children in the classroom or follow-up a workshop on room arrangement with rearranging a prot�g�'s classroom and observing the impact on children's behavior.

Take Stock! What mentoring strategies will work in our agency? What can our agency do to support these mentoring strategies?

Putting It All Together: Mentoring Content and Strategies

Although the early childhood profession provides a framework of the knowledge, skills, and abilities important for all teachers of young children, individual mentoring goals and content are determined collaboratively, within the context of the mentor-prot�g� relationship. The topics that mentors and prot�g�s address grow from their mutual preferences and needs, from their developing relationship, and from agency-desired or National Head Start initiatives and priorities.

During the course of the relationship, mentors will probably enlist several different strategies. The strategies they select take into account the prot�g�s' learning style, the time available for the activities, and the content of the mentoring. It may be helpful during the mentoring relationship to assess the particular strategies being used to make sure that they are actually helping improve the prot�g�s' practices.