Mentoring is an important professional development component for all teachers. According to one report, 66 percent of teachers responded that being mentored by another teacher in a formal mentoring relationship improved their teaching (37 percent responded that such an activity improved their instruction “a lot”), and 52 percent responded that mentoring another teacher in a formal relationship improved their teaching (18 percent responded that being a mentor improved their teaching “a lot”; National Center for Education Statistics, 2001). In addition, more teachers are involved in this important training component: A higher proportion of teachers reported being mentored by another teacher in 2000 (22 percent) than in 1998 (19 percent; National Center for Education Statistics, 2001).
Mentoring can also play a role in the recruitment and retention of minority teachers and teacher candidates—particularly vital because the growth in the minority student population has not been matched by similar growth in the number of minority teachers in public schools (National Center for Education Statistics, 1998). In fact, the proportion of teachers from minority groups is declining. Minority teachers represented 13 percent of the teaching staff in 1993–94, compared with 13.6 percent in 1987–88 and 1990–91. Black teachers represented 8 percent of the teaching staff in public schools in 1993–94. Hispanic teachers were the second largest group, representing 3 percent. Asian and Pacific Islanders accounted for only 1 percent of public school teachers, and Native Americans and Alaskans, less than 1 percent of public school teachers.
Although districts have attempted a variety of strategies to attract minority teachers, enriching the teaching staff through diversity has presented unique challenges. For instance, Schuhmann (1992) discovered that to attract Hispanic candidates to teaching, recruitment efforts must begin at the university level in teacher preparation programs. Among other efforts, colleges and departments of education should provide Hispanic students with mentors and role models.
Williams (1997) also supports the importance of mentors and role models for minority teachers and teacher candidates:Hampton [University] prepared me very well. The courses in biology were rigorous; the methods courses, informative, and I was fortunate enough to be a student teacher in the classroom of a Virginia Teacher of the Year. The most important part of my experience at Hampton was that my professors were always available to help me out in my first years of teaching. Having someone to talk to helped me make it through my early years of teaching. (p. 188)
Meyers and Smith (1999) believe that mentoring plays a crucial role in the recruitment of minorities to the teaching profession. The researchers studied a cooperative effort between the Middletown (Vermont) School District and the University of Vermont to recruit and nurture minority teachers. The project is a supportive preservice effort that brings together advisors, mentors, university faculty members, and classroom teachers to help minority teacher candidates succeed as teachers in public schools. The program attempts to address both the psychosocial and vocational needs of the minority teacher candidates.
- Individualization. Faculty representatives help teacher candidates personalize their assignments at the same time that they adhere to specific course objectives and learning outcomes.
- Independent study. Each teacher candidate elects a specific course of study designed to foster effective teaching skills and community service.
- Support. Mentors advise protégés on using university resources and dealing with the personal issues that college students typically face.
- Monitoring. Mentors monitor their protégés' progress—through formal and informal meetings, seminars, and e-mail conversations—to address their changing needs.
Tonoli (2001) suggests another approach to minority teacher recruitment: District personnel should encourage teachers of school-to-career programs in high schools with significant minority and bilingual student populations to identify 9th or 10th grade students who are potential future teachers. Through formal mentoring relationships, these teachers could mentor and advise students throughout their high school years and help them prepare for college. Teachers, then, would not only guide the students to a future teaching career but also support students who might otherwise be at risk for dropping out.
Research demonstrates the value of an effective mentoring program for all teachers. For districts serious in their attempts to create a more diverse teaching force, mentoring plays a crucial role in the recruitment, nurturing, and support of minority teachers.
